What Causes Pregnancy Acne and How to Treat It

Not getting that glow? Same. Pregnancy acne is more common than you think. Here's what you can do.

We often hear about glowing skin when it comes to pregnancy, although another more common issue that pops up time and time again is pregnancy acne - and it’s much more common than you might think. 

You see, pregnancy acne tends to pop up during pregnancy due to an excess of sebum (oil) production which can  happen when your body produces an excess of different hormones.

Plus, there will always be additional factors that contribute to pregnancy acne too like stress and genetics. Not to mention how hard it’s for many expecting mums to get through the first trimester if they’re dealing with morning sickness or constant nausea. 

The additional stress, lack of a balanced diet, lack of sleep and generally just feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus is not the optimal time for skin to be thriving - however, for some people it might! (Although don’t beat yourself up, if all you can do throughout your pregnancy is the bare minimum and you truly experience a lack of glow.) Every experience is different. 

Pregnancy acne is also not a specific type of acne, but just a term that’s used to describe breakouts when somebody is pregnant and it can appear anywhere on the face - or the body. It really doesn’t discriminate. 

Anyway, just because you’re pregnant it doesn’t mean there aren’t effective ways to minimise the appearance of your breakouts, or get rid of them altogether! (Pregnancy acne may also come and go throughout different trimesters.)

So while treatments and products using ingredients like vitamin A or high levels of salicylic acid might be out. Ingredients like azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide, lactic acid, sulfur and niacinamide are in.

Below are a few more ways to help you manage your breakouts during the nine months.