Pregnancy skin and body care
My skin and body care during pregnancy is not different to my usual skin and body care. I live with an autoimmune skin condition, and a while ago, in my early 20s, I came to the realisation that the less I use on my skin, the better it feels and looks. I used to struggle with my skin during my childhood. At that time, my mother and grandmother would buy skin and body care items for me. They didn't have the same skin condition, and they assumed that we just needed to find the right product. When I could finally make my own decisions, I began to explore other, more natural and simple options. These days, I almost never have flare ups.
If I was to pick only three items to use, I would choose a toothbrush, toothpaste and an unscented bar of soap. At times, when I travel or stay away from home for a while, this is exactly what I do. Apart from that, occasionally (especially in cold Nordic winters) I would use a natural balm. These days, I like to use oils instead. Every day, I use oil to massage my baby bump as an act of self-care and bonding with my yet unborn baby. I've used the natural balm that I had for this purpose too, but I ran out of it very quickly. It was too expensive to repurchase, and it also took a while to absorb, which is something I try to avoid. I invited grapeseed oil from a local cooperative supermarket into my life. I also use this oil to remove sunscreen (I use bar soap afterwards to remove the residue), for my face, lips, hair, and body. I always apply oils to wet skin, and to the lips, so that I can avoid lip balms.
Over the years, I've tried several oils and plant butters. I observe that some work well (for me) for some purposes, but not all, while others seem to work well for everything. The ones that work well for as many purposes as possible, and thus help me step away from many products, are the ones I choose to invite into my life these days. My favourite oils are apricot, grapeseed, and argan. Some other oils and butters that I've tried over many years, since 2010 or so, are almond, olive, jojoba, avocado, moringa, linseed, hemp, rosehip, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and shea butter. I try to choose oils that have a very soft scent, or none at all. Even pleasant natural scents (e.g., those of coconut oil, hemp oil, olive oil, raw cocoa butter) feel a little overwhelming to me, especially now in pregnancy.
Towards the end of the second trimester, I began to experience mild heartburn. I decided not to take any medication for it, as it's not severe at all. But to make my life more comfortable, I eat small portions and drink water often throughout the day. Something that has been helping me relieve the unpleasant sensation at the back of my throat has been a natural toothpaste with calcium carbonate as the first ingredient. I found this toothpaste to be very soothing.
I've been using a crystal deodorant for a while. I don't use it every day though. Only when I feel that I want to. My partner and I share this crystal. We also share a sunscreen.