By Helen Clemson
Welcome to part three of our pregnancy series, and a subject that is plaguing me viciously at the moment, hormonal acne. It’s like the 90’s called and is jeering, “Remember your teenage face? Well, it’s about to get worse.”
Six weeks ago I found myself glumly sitting in my dermatologist’s office asking where my perfect “pregnancy glow” was? I want to look pregnant and radiant, darn it, not pregnant and pimply! In soothing tones she explained that it’s all thanks to my hormones. And, sadly, as I have a history of acne, I had an increased risk of it occurring in pregnancy. I asked her to spare me no detail, and this is what she – the brilliant Dr. Dilshaad Asmal – said: “The likely culprit is an overproduction of oil (sebum) which happens when certain hormone levels are elevated. So, essentially it’s hormonal levels that increase rapidly.” First thing you should do? See a dermatologist, she says, because “there are only a few treatments that are safe to use during pregnancy and over the counter products may be harmful.” She prescribed a topical treatment (a medical cream you apply to skin) called Skinoren Gel that I dot carefully on each individual spot as it rears its ugly head. It’s dosed with micronized azelaic acid, a safe anti-acne ingredient to use. She also recommended I change may regular skincare products to oil-free versions. Here’s what I’m finding helpful right now, and will happily use again to treat acne, pregnant or not:
Gentle Cleansers
I swapped very creamy cleansers for ones that are foamy but not too astringent. Try Vichy’s Normaderm Cleansing Mattifying Foam (R199) that, as the name describes, is a foamy textured face wash. It’s dosed with salicylic acid (a natural acid), an ingredient I admit I needed some expert advice on. I was relieved to know that topically it’s ok to use when expecting. “Salicylic acid given orally has been described to cause fetal malformations,” says dermatologist, Dr. Dagmar Whitaker, who stresses though, that it’s dose dependant. “However the absorption of topical products is so small that it is unlikely to pose any risk to the developing baby.” Cheering news.
If you prefer a face wash with a milkier texture, I rate Human + Kind’s Wash Off Facial Cleanser with Deep Cleansing Cloth (R149.95). It whisks away make-up and dirt (and gently exfoliates skin too) without stripping skin of natural oils – something you don’t want to do as your skin may go into oil production overdrive to replenish its stocks. To use, first apply the cleanser to damp skin and then wet the cleansing cloth with warm water, using it remove to gently remove the cleanser.
An Oil Free Moisturiser & Scrub
A long-time fan of Eucerin products, my go-to face cream during this acne ravaged time is their DermoPurifyer Hydrating Care (R170 for 50ml). I use it morning and evening over my prescribed topical treatment cream once it’s properly absorbed. The ingredient carnitine helps to balance sebum production and I’ve noticed that while I’m still not acne-free, my skin isn’t spotty all over anymore and it certainly feels happily moisturised yet mattified.. On my chest and back – yes, the spots are there too – I gently massage Eucerin’s DermoPurifyer Scrub (R130 for 100ml) over troubled areas. It unclogs pores thanks to lactic acid (a natural alphahydroxy acid derived from milk) that helps smooth and refine skin. Another contender is Vichy’s Normaderm Beautifying Anti-Blemish Care 24H Hydrating (R245). It’s a fallacy that oily skin doesn’t need hydration. It does, just not a greasy or overly nourishing texture. This moisturiser has 24-hour hydration claims as well as safe-to-use, acne-busting salicylic acid. It’s also laced with, what Vichy describe as Air Licium™ + Phe Resorcinol, ingredients that work on unwanted marks and shine.For facial exfoliation, I’m a long-time fan of Dermalogica’s cult favourite, Daily Microfoliant (R930 for 75gr), described as a gentle, brightening polisher. It too has salicylic acid in the blend of micro-exfoliating ingredients. It’s risen to “must-have” status because of it’s ultra-fine rice-based powder formula that activates upon contact with water. The result is a milky paste that you use to softly buff away dead skin cells (hello smoother skin) with zero effort.
A Targeted Treatment Gel
While I always recommend seeing a dermatologist and walking away with a script for a medical treatment, there are options in the beauty departments that are effective too. One such product is Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment (R255 for 15ml). Again it’s part of the salicylic acid group of acne treatments but it’s got the power of soothing botanical ingredients in the formula too. Extracts of cinnamon bark and ginger root have been specifically selected as they’re natural remedies for oily, blemish-prone skin. Use this transparent gel as an isolated targeted treatment, applied sparingly on clean, dry skin where you see acne spots.
I leave you with this from my beloved Dr. Asmal when I asked if my acne is really going to last throughout my pregnancy and while breastfeeding too: “it may go away, there are exceptions to the rules.”
Let’s hope that means my acne – and yours – is on its way out. And fast!
