Pregnancy safe skincare

Pregnancy is a wonderfully exciting time of your life that comes with a wealth of positives. However, a lot of my clients despair when they have to halt some of their medical grade prescription skincare. This can result in some unpredictability and the appearance of conditions such as acne and melasma, which may occur during both pregnancy and postpartum. So which Obagi Medical products are pregnancy safe and which products do you need to avoid whilst pregnant and breastfeeding?

Please note that to access any of the products I mention below, a full consultation is still needed as not all products will suit every skin type. For all consultations, please complete a contact form here. At Dr Jess Aesthetics we have some brilliant pregnancy safe skincare packages available so please mention this when enquiring.

Contraindicated Obagi products during pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• Clear and Blender from Nu Derm
• System / Nu Derm Fx System
• CLENZIderm System – all three products
• Clarifying Serum and Night Cream from CR-x / CFx System
• Retinol and Tretinoin
• Blue Peel Radiance and Blue Peel

Indicated Obagi products during pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• Professional-C range
• ELASTIderm range
• Toners
• Hydrators
• SPF

Out of the indicated products I will now focus on a few of my favourites!

One of my top skincare tips during pregnancy (and even when not pregnant) would be to use a form of Vitamin C within your daily skincare regime. Remember, not all skin types can tolerate Vitamin C in every form so this is why a consultation is still very important. Vitamin C is a brilliant pregnancy safe antioxidant that can help:

Brighten the skin
Help to reduce pigmentation
Minimise fine lines and wrinkles
Reduce inflammation
Improve skin texture and tone

My favourite vitamin C containing products are:

• Obagi Professional-C Serum
  A serum that comes in 10,15 and 20% depending on skin type and is a wonderful addition to most people’s AM regime but I personally avoid this if acne is a concern
• Obagi C-Cleansing Gel
  A gentle cleanser that can be used AM and PM to help brighten dull looking skin
• Obagi Professional-C Peptide Complex
  Contains plant growth factors in addition to vitamin C, which help to improve skin firmness and reduce signs of aging
• Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish
  Obagi’s version of an ‘at home’ treatment that you apply 2-3x a week. It helps exfoliate dead skin cells which can help to provide more youthful looking skin as reported by 98% of users when used for 3 weeks
• Obagi Professional-C Suncare SPF30
  Non-comedogenic, broad spectrum sunscreen that contains 10% vitamin C to help prevent signs of ageing. It has a silky smooth texture that makes skin feel primed and prepped. Perfect before make-up but equally perfect for a make-up free day!

Obagi ELASTIderm
This range contains both their original three eye products (cream, gel and serum) as well as their latest Facial Serum. All products are formulated with their bi-mineral contour complex, which is clinically proven to reduce signs of ageing and support skin elasticity. This helps to provide firmer-looking skin, which is why the eye products are ideal for targeting the orbital area and the facial serum is brilliant for the neck and jawline.

Obagi Exfoderm Forte
A lightweight lotion that contains 6% glycolic acid and 4% lactic acid to exfoliate the upper layer of dead skin cells and help brighten the complexion. As chemical peels are off limits whilst pregnant and breastfeeding, this is a fantastic daily addition into your regime, which can help maintain skin health during this time.

Obagi Daily Hydro-Drops
A lightweight moisturiser that feels more like a serum IMO! It contains vitamin B3, abyssinian oil and hibiscus oil to aid the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. It also provides hydration whilst leaving the skin with a beautiful glow.

So those are my pregnancy favourites but it certainly doesn’t cover all that the Obagi Medical range has to offer. I hope this helps a few more of you understand what can and cannot be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding but please do get in touch to discuss your options further.