Complaint of the day: my face

[blindyswife]

I am breaking out SO BAD. I shouldn't be surprised because the same thing happened when I was pregnant with my son, but damn. It is absolutely the worst on my temples, but it is spreading. Like, huge red pimples, the kind that hurt and you can't pop. I normally have really great skin. ::pause for hair flip::

I feel like I'm too ugly to even leave the house! :-(

What should I buy to wash my face with that is strong but still safe for me to use?

[darnkatz]

First of all, make sure that you are drinking enough water. This one is key for me.
Second, I use St. Ive's apricot face scrub twice a day. If I break out, it's usually gone the next day after scrubbing it. That stuff is magic. Jason's apricot face scrubble is even better, but I have a hard time finding it.

[7costanza]

Salicylic acid (BHA) is safe to use during pregnancy in lower concentrations, and it's the only thing I've found that really works for my skin. beautypedia.com has tons of reviews for products and below is a site with more info on skin care in pregnancy (Paula's Choice and Beautypedia are the same company). My skin got really bad too, but started clearing up around 9-10 weeks.

www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/pregnancy-menopause/

[blindyswife]

I can only hope this will clear up in the next week, but I'm not hopeful. I was a pizza face the entire pregnancy with L.

I had that salicylic acid was no bueno? Perhaps I shall ask my midwife next week. And kelb, I will try some apricot scrub!

[bonkers412]

I have no suggestions, just wanted to commiserate. I have acne just like that now and ive made no progress. I wake up in the morning and one of my first thoughts is "there's another one. I can feel it!"

Feel your pain.

[baconlettucetomato]

I finally found a routine that works for me. I'm just now starting to clear up. I use the oil cleansing method at night, followed by a bit of tea tree oil on problem spots, and a Say Yes to Cucumber lotion. My face is super duper dry right now but the extra oil seems to be helping.

Also, I made a scrub at home with some EVOO and brown sugar. Worked like magic with the dry flaky skin.

[flipper8313]

I really like Belli facewash. It's specifically made for pregnant women and uses a low concentration of lactic acid which is safe but stops breakouts. I noticed a huge difference and my crazy hormonal skin has calmed down a ton since I started using this. I got it from drugstore.com but I think they sell it at Ulta too.
www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=167530&catid=183044&aid=338666&aparam=goobase_filler

[urbancowgirl]

My face is really broken out, too (the big, red pimples that you mentioned). I get them on my chin and cheekbones. I've been using the Paula's Choice acne line for a couple of weeks. It consists of a face wash, salicylic acid toner, and benzoyl peroxide spot treatment. I also exfoliate with a scrub three times a week. I'm still getting new pimples, unfortunately, but they seem to clear up faster. Not sure whether I'll buy the full-sized products or whether I'll find a cheaper drugstore alternative once the samples are gone.

I'm experimenting with cutting back on dairy, because I read that dairy can aggravate acne. I switched to almond milk and I'm cutting back on cheese (which makes me really sad!). Hopefully it helps.

Oh- I asked about skincare products at my last OB appointment. The only product my OB wants me to avoid is hydroquinone.

[looseseal]

Ugh, me too. I'm also on cold sore #5 of this pregnancy. With my first pregnancy, I had 12, so I guess I'm on track to only have 9 or 10 this time? Hope you find something that works well for you!

[mandapanda18]

Jan 14, 2013 11:09:14 GMT -5 urbancowgirl said:

My face is really broken out, too (the big, red pimples that you mentioned). I get them on my chin and cheekbones. I've been using the Paula's Choice acne line for a couple of weeks. It consists of a face wash, salicylic acid toner, and benzoyl peroxide spot treatment. I also exfoliate with a scrub three times a week. I'm still getting new pimples, unfortunately, but they seem to clear up faster. Not sure whether I'll buy the full-sized products or whether I'll find a cheaper drugstore alternative once the samples are gone.

I'm experimenting with cutting back on dairy, because I read that dairy can aggravate acne. I switched to almond milk and I'm cutting back on cheese (which makes me really sad!). Hopefully it helps.

Oh- I asked about skincare products at my last OB appointment. The only product my OB wants me to avoid is hydroquinone.

I have been using a cleanser with Salicyilic acide, tea tree oil on the big red guys and warm compresses! Not only do mine hurt, but they itch, so I usualy scratch off my makeup by the end of the day . I will mention thought that I don't eat dairy (lactose intollerant) and I still have it full force!

[Deleted]

My skin has been TERRIBLE. I started using the Neutrogena Wave Sonic every other day and Clean and Clear daily pore cleanser on the off days and my skin is 100% better and smoother and more glowey.

Good luck!

[urbancowgirl]

Jan 14, 2013 18:26:35 GMT -5 liubot said:

My skin has been TERRIBLE. I started using the Neutrogena Wave Sonic every other day and Clean and Clear daily pore cleanser on the off days and my skin is 100% better and smoother and more glowey.

Good luck!

I actually stopped using my Clarisonic because I thought it was aggravating my skin (my skin is sensitive, on top of the acne). I'll keep the Clean and Clear in mind.

[blindyswife]

Thanks for all the product recs ladies. I'll have to try a few things and see what works for me.

But, its at least comforting to know I'm not the only one looking like a pimple-faced teenager.

[winecheery]

Jan 14, 2013 19:17:21 GMT -5 blindyswife said:

Thanks for all the product recs ladies. I'll have to try a few things and see what works for me.

But, its at least comforting to know I'm not the only one looking like a pimple-faced teenager.

You are SO not alone. I have a handful of really obnoxious clusters on my chin/jawline. :-(