Don’t be surprised if you notice bodily changes such as stretch marks, a puffy face, and swollen legs and feet during pregnancy. In fact, you may also experience sudden skin changes that may take you aback.
The fact is that your skin changes in various ways during pregnancy, thanks to all the hormonal fluctuations, and you may experience frequent acne breakouts, pigmentation, and worsening of pre-existing skin conditions such as eczema and rosacea. Your normal, and balanced skin may even begin to appear more greasy, and amid all this chaos, you may wonder, “Where exactly is my pregnancy glow?” But believe it or not, pregnancy glow is actually a fabled myth, and most women do not achieve a surreal and radiant glow during this time.
Dealing with skin concerns such as hyperpigmentation, dullness, and acne during pregnancy may frustrate you, but don’t lose hope yet, as there is a powerful skin saviour that can help resolve these issues effectively. We are talking about vitamin C, more specifically, a vitamin C serum to address your pregnancy skin concerns and reveal a brighter, healthier, and glowing skin.
In fact, using a vitamin C serum during pregnancy is absolutely essential as this powerful antioxidant helps protect your already sensitive skin, and strengthens the skin’s barrier function to give you a more even-toned and radiant complexion. Let’s find out about some of the other benefits of using vitamin C during pregnancy, and the best skincare products to use.
Why Is Vitamin C For Skin Important During Pregnancy?
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required for the development and repair of tissues in all parts of the body, including our skin, but the thing is, we cannot produce this nutrient on our own. That’s why we need to either increase the intake of vitamin C-enriched foods in our diet or topically apply it via skincare products to replenish its level in our bodies.
In fact, topical application of vitamin C during pregnancy has shown impressive results in tackling various skin issues and brightening your complexion. Some of the reasons why vitamin C is essential for your skin during pregnancy include:
It Promotes Collagen Synthesis
Collagen is a protein that gives structure and support to your skin, however, its production may slow down during pregnancy (thanks to hormonal imbalance), leading to sagginess of your skin and the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. However, vitamin C acts as a necessary cofactor in building collagen bundles and enhancing the skin cell turnover rate to improve the elasticity and firmness of your skin and halt the ageing process.
The increased collagen production also helps speed up the wound healing process and lightens the look of acne scars and other wounds.
It Helps Protect Your Skin Against Environmental Stressors
Environmental aggressors like pollution and ultraviolet light, as well as normal cellular processes, can create free radicals in your skin. These free radicals are inherently unstable and pose the risk of damaging your skin cells. This further promotes wrinkles, dullness, and dark spots on your skin.
As an antioxidant, one of the main functions of vitamin C is to protect your skin from these free radicals and their potential damage. Vitamin C essentially fights these unstable molecules and neutralises them to prevent any harm to the skin. In short, by scavenging these free radicals, vitamin C helps protect the skin and keeps it healthy, while improving the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark dullness.
It Helps Lighten Dark Spots And Hyperpigmentation
During pregnancy, your skin exhibits increased sensitivity to the sun, and thus prolonged exposure to it, can irritate your skin and cause small bumps, and rough texture, which is commonly known as hyperpigmentation. These skin conditions are usually inflammatory and cause unwanted spots and marks on your skin.
Regular application of vitamin C can help lighten or reduce discolouration in your skin by blocking the pathway of pigment synthesis and inhibiting the production of melanin in your skin. It also helps promote a more even-toned and radiant complexion
What Should You Look For In A Vitamin C Serum And How Much Of It Is Safe For Use
Now that we have established that it is safe to use vitamin C serum during pregnancy, let’s understand the right concentration of serum that helps target your specific skin concerns. You may wonder why are we emphasising using a vitamin C-infused serum instead of other skincare products like moisturisers or creams. This is because a serum is a great way to start incorporating vitamin C into your skincare routine. A serum is usually designed with molecular actives and is the best way to deliver the ingredient into the deep layers of your skin. Once you are positive that your skin doesn’t react adversely to a vitamin C-enriched serum, you can move toward building an entire skincare regimen targeted with vitamin C.
Also, it’s important to note that vitamin C is available in both active and inactive forms, and one of its most stable derivatives is ethyl ascorbic acid, which is also the form that you should look for in a serum. Ethyl ascorbic acid (EAA) is a true powerhouse, used in hyperpigmentation treatments and even toning your skin.
You should always start with a lower concentration of vitamin C serum, for instance, 10% and then gradually move to a higher percentage, say 20%. Starting from a low concentration will help you determine how your skin tolerates this skincare ingredient and prevent the risk of any adverse complications such as allergy or inflammation.
Best Vitamin C Serums To Use During Pregnancy
When you are pregnant, you need to be extra cautious about the products that you are layering on your skin. Always opt for skincare products that are designed with organic actives and have been tested for safety by dermatologists, such as the range of natural vitamin C products from The Moms Co.
The Moms Co. Natural 10% Vitamin C Face Serum
This natural face serum is the gold standard product for those who want to start incorporating vitamin C serum into their skincare routine. It contains ethyl ascorbic acid that has 86% of vitamin C content and 0.5% of ferulic acid, another well-known antioxidant that increases the efficacy of vitamin C. Together, the ingredients deliver environmental protection and neutralise free radical damage, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve your skin tone, and boost radiance.
The Moms Co. Advanced 20% Vitamin C Face Serum
If you are dealing with hyperpigmentation and dull spots, you should consider switching to the 20% vitamin C face serum from The Moms Co. Apart from anti-ageing and collagen-boosting properties, this serum also works to block the excess production of melanin in the skin cells and lightens the appearance of dull spots effectively. It also helps smoothen rough skin texture, and improve skin firmness and elasticity.
It’s actually surprising how using vitamin C face serum during pregnancy can benefit your skin in so many ways! Its antioxidant, protective, and anti-ageing properties help strengthen your skin’s barrier function and resolve acne, dullness, and pigmentation to reveal glowing and nourished skin. Just make sure to opt for pregnancy-safe and natural serums.#WhyCompromise when you can safely use the natural vitamin C serums in your skincare routine during pregnancy. So go ahead, and build an effective skincare regime with The Moms Co. products.
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