Natural Remedies for Dry Skin During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be both exciting and disquieting. On one hand, you have a wonderful little life growing inside you, while on the other, your body is going through a lot of changes to make that possible. It can be difficult to know what to expect, but try to remember that your body is amazing and capable of so much. With a little care and attention, you can make it through pregnancy and come out the other side with a beautiful new little bundle of joy.

One of the very first changes you may experience as an expectant mother is your skin turning drier. However, if you have never had to deal with dry skin before, it can be quite a surprise for you. This mainly happens because one of the most common changes that occurs during pregnancy is an increase in your hormones, which can further cause your skin to dry out or become rough.

If you are also experiencing dry skin during pregnancy, you may feel like you have nowhere to turn. Moisturizing your skin on a regular basis, drinking a lot of water, and using a humidifier in your room can be some traditional ways to help combat dryness. We even have some better advice for you that can help you take care of your skin during pregnancy. Read on!

What Causes Dry Skin During Pregnancy?

It's no secret that pregnancy brings a lot of changes—not just to our bodies but also to our skin. Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can cause our skin to become dry and irritated as it stretches and tightens to make room for a growing belly. This can result in flaky skin, itchiness, or other uncomfortable symptoms that are all too common for pregnant women with dry skin.

Most women experience dry, itchy skin on their stomachs at some point in their lives, but some pregnant women will also feel itchiness in other areas, such as their thighs, arms, and breasts. Most women may experience very dry skin and develop itchy red bumps on their belly during their third trimester. To deal with these skin-related issues, here are some natural remedies to help hydrate your skin from the inside out:

Use Lukewarm Water for Your Ablutions

Extreme temperatures—be they in air or water—can enfeeble your hydrolipidic layer and, on top of that, steal the moisture from your skin that keeps it soft and supple. This is the reason that it is important to avoid washing with either extremely hot or very cold water. Using lukewarm water for routine purposes, such as taking showers or washing your face, will help preserve your skin's natural moisture.

If you are looking to adjust your bath water or shower temperature to be more lukewarm, you must aim for body temperature, which is around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have more sensitive skin, you must note that anything within five degrees of your body temperature (93–104 degrees Fahrenheit) is still considered lukewarm.

Try Taking Milk Baths

Milk baths are an excellent dairy-based solution for dry skin. The lactic acid present in milk naturally eliminates dead skin cells and hydrates the skin, which makes it soft and supple.

Milk baths have been around for centuries, but recently they have been rediscovered by the skincare world. Many people love the way that milk baths make their skin feel soft and smooth.

Milk baths can also be an excellent way to unwind and de-stress at the end of a hectic day. You can also add other skin-beneficial products to your milk bath, such as honey or oatmeal.

For a luxuriously relaxing milk bath, mix together a couple of cups of whole powdered milk, half a cup of cornstarch, and another half cup of baking soda. Add the mixture to your bathtub of warm water and enjoy! If you don’t like consuming dairy, you can also try using soy milk, rice milk, or coconut milk as a replacement.

Try Adding a Hydrator to Your Daily Skincare Routine

Hydrating and moisturizing are definitely not the same thing, despite what popular myth might have you believe. Moisturizers actually work to create a barrier on your skin, stopping moisture from evaporating and leaving your skin feeling dry. Hydrators, on the contrary, are essentially designed to supply water back into the cells of your skin.

This makes the hydrators an effective way to prevent or treat dry skin problems during pregnancy. So, you must consider adding it to your regular skincare routine right away. At the same time, you must remember that the order of your skincare routine is very important, especially when it comes to adding a hydrator.

You should always apply the hydrating product first, followed by the moisturizer. This can help your skin absorb the moisturizing product better and can also protect it from any kind of dryness, damage, or irritation.

Never Skip A Meal and Eat Well

Did you know that you can help improve your dry skin not only through drinking lots of water and moisturizing it on a  regular basis but also through your diet? Yes, that's absolutely true!

Just as hydrated skin starts from within, the food you eat while pregnant can play a big role in keeping your skin healthy and hydrated. So, make sure you are eating a healthy, well-balanced diet to help improve your dry skin, especially when you are an expectant mother! Also, keep in mind that you should never miss any of your meals to maintain your overall health, including that of your skin.

Furthermore, if you are struggling with dry skin during your pregnancy, be sure to incorporate healthy fats into your diet. Here are some foods that can help:

• Fish (with your doctor's permission)
• Avocados
• Sweet potatoes
• Nuts
• Seeds (chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds)
• Oatmeal
• Dark chocolate
• Coconut (eating the fruit and using coconut oil topically)
• Vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cucumbers)
• Eggs

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and found it useful at the same time. Protecting your skin during pregnancy is as important as taking good care of your overall health. We have mainly put together the above-mentioned information and tips so that you can keep your skin healthy while you're expecting your bundle of joy!

Furthermore, if you have any other questions or concerns about pregnancy skin care, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. Thank you for reading! We are always excited when one of our posts is able to provide useful information on a topic like this!