Moisturizing your body during pregnancy: Our tips and advice

During pregnancy, your mother-to-be's skin is frequently put to the test. Dry skin, stretch marks and even pregnancy masks can appear during and after pregnancy. But how do you take care of your body during pregnancy? Nurish answers this question and gives you all its tips in this dedicated article.

Why does your skin change during pregnancy?

Pregnancy brings a peak in hormones, which in most cases leads to a weakening of the skin's elasticity, starting in the first months of pregnancy. As a result, your epidermis can quickly become dry and sensitive, particularly in certain areas such as the stomach and breasts. During this period, these two areas in particular undergo intense stretching of the skin, which can lead to the appearance of stretch marks. However, you should also keep an eye on other parts of the body, which can also be affected by stretch marks, such as the buttocks or thighs, due to the weight gain associated with pregnancy.

But what are stretch marks? Stretch marks are actually micro-tears in the skin, which generally appear red or purplish in color, then lighten and leave white marks that usually last a lifetime. To prevent the appearance of stretch marks, we recommend adapting your skincare routine, regularly moisturizing your skin with gentle, nourishing products.

What products should you choose to care for your skin during pregnancy?

To help keep your skin hydrated both during and after your pregnancy, there are a number of ingredients to choose from:

• Hyaluronic acid: This moisturizes the skin without posing a risk to the fetus. It also helps maintain skin elasticity and prevent the dryness that is quite common during pregnancy.
• Aloe Vera: Generally used for its soothing and moisturizing properties, it helps calm irritation, while hydrating and refreshing the skin.
• Vitamin E: Antioxidant and soothing, it promotes skin repair, protects the skin from external aggressors, and helps reduce scarring or irritation due to hormonal changes.

It's possible to continue caring for your skin after pregnancy

Anticipating and preventing the changes your skin will undergo is the best way to limit the damage they can cause. To do this, we recommend that you start moisturizing your skin in the early weeks of your pregnancy and beyond. Ideally, you should consider moisturizing as one of the most important steps in your beauty routine. It's also important to know that the problem of stretch marks starts to appear around the 4th month. So be sure to apply a moisturizing cream frequently, at least once a day, to support the stretching of the skin. In addition to this frequency of moisturizing, you can also adopt other gestures to boost the effects of the moisturizing cream and therefore put all the chances on your side:

• Exfoliate: We recommend a gentle body scrub once a week. This will remove all dead skin cells and increase the benefits of your skin care products tenfold. Consider Nurish body scrub, with its mandarin scent and 99.7% natural ingredients. It's perfect for use throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
• Massage daily: Stimulating blood circulation is essential. For this reason, when applying your body care products, remember to give them a gentle massage. In addition to stimulating blood circulation, this will also help your moisturizer to penetrate properly.
• Protect your skin: During a period like pregnancy, it's important to keep your skin elastic and hydrated by protecting it from the sun. Make sure you stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water, especially during the summer months when dehydration can occur even more rapidly.

Nurish, the natural cosmetics specialist, is with you throughout your pregnancy, and even afterwards. Discover our 99.7% natural-origin body care range, including a moisturizing body lotion and a tangerine-scented scrub. Find our full range here.