Postpartum Skincare Advice From a Doctor

From sudden hormonal breakouts and dry patches to melasma that just won’t budge, postpartum skin can leave many new mums asking, “Where did my pregnancy glow go — and how do I get it back?”

If your postpartum skin feels unfamiliar and you’re wondering when you’ll start to feel more like yourself again, you’re certainly not alone — and there’s a scientific reason why.

In this blog, we’ll explore the science behind postpartum skin, why your much-loved pre-baby skincare routine might no longer cut it, and simple steps you can take to nurture your skin during this new season of life. Consider this your Doctor-approved guide to postpartum skincare that works with your body and for your baby.

If you’re up to speed on our  Go-To Guide to Pregnancy-Safe Skincare , you’ll know that pesky hormones (story of our lives, right, ladies?) are the culprit behind the seemingly never-ending skin changes we experience pre-, during, and postpartum. 

So, what exactly does this mean for you if you’re in the depths of late-night feeds and navigating the beautiful newborn bubble? Well, it might be time for a new skincare protocol to accommodate your skin’s changing needs. We know what you’re thinking “my whole life has changed, and now my skincare, too!?” We totally get it, mama, you’re in a season of change, which can feel daunting. Thankfully, it won’t take too much work on your end to get your postpartum skin looking and feeling a little more like you again. 

First things first, what happens to your skin postpartum…and why?

During pregnancy, you likely got to experience that beautiful, radiant, glowy skin many speak of. This is mainly due to increased levels of  estrogen  and  progesterone . On the contrary, once bub has arrived and we’re in that early postpartum period, these hormones drop rapidly, often resulting in the following changes to your skin:

1. Drier & More Sensitive Skin

Did you know that when estrogen drops, so does the production of important natural moisturisers (i.e., the much-loved  Hyaluronic Acid ,  Collagen , and  Elastin ). As a result, you may experience dry skin postpartum, itchy skin postpartum, and increased sensitivity. 

2. Acne

Similarly to the acne flare-ups commonly experienced in pregnancy, many women may also experience this in postpartum life, purely due to the intense hormonal fluctuations happening within their bodies. 

3. Hyperpigmentation

This one may surprise you. If you thought melasma was only a concern for pregnant mamas, think again. Thanks to ever-changing hormones, melasma can continue into postpartum and potentially even worsen once the baby has arrived. 

4. Stretch Marks

Your body is in a constant state of flux during and after pregnancy. As our skin stretches to accommodate growing a beautiful bub, it also needs to shrink back down once your bundle of joy has arrived. This may result in more noticeable stretch marks and decreased skin elasticity. 

Before pregnancy, you probably felt you had a firm handle on your skin needs. You understood your skin type, you knew what kinds of products would agree with your skin, and what would upset it. But now? You’re likely trying to navigate unknown territory with a newborn and your skin. 

The short answer: Your skin concerns change postpartum, which means your skincare lineup and approach should also change. 

With these common postpartum skin concerns, you’ll find your skin needs an entirely new glow recipe, which may require different ingredients for success, like:

• More hydration —  Increased skin dryness calls for more hydrating products to counteract this. Think nourishing products like Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Squalane, and Holy Basil. 
• A gentler approach — When cleansing, we recommend opting for gentle cleansers that contain no fragrances or nasties. Similarly, ensure you’re using a mild exfoliator that isn’t too rough or intense for your skin. Adapting this part of your routine will help keep skin irritation to a minimum and avoid that unwanted itchy skin postpartum. 
• Better protection — While we should protect our skin from the damaging effects of the sun all year round, sometimes we need a reminder. And what better reminder than keeping melasma at bay? If you’re unaware, sun damage worsens hyperpigmentation, making it more noticeable. 
• More targeted treatments —  Before pregnancy, you may have found a simple cleanser and moisturiser duo did the trick. However, suppose you’re feeling the weight of the common post-pregnancy skin conditions above. In that case, it will call for a more targeted approach to your postpartum skincare, particularly when choosing the right face serums. Don’t let this scare you — we aren’t saying you need a ridiculously long routine (quite the opposite), just that you’ll need to be intentional about each of the products you choose and the purpose they serve. Whether you’re dealing with hormonal acne, hyperpigmentation, or dry skin postpartum, you’ll want to adapt your serum routine to accommodate whatever it is you’re wanting to correct. 

When you’re looking after a little one, it can be all-consuming. From the frequent feeds to the restless nights, the last thing you’ll want to add to your already busy schedule is an elaborate skincare ritual that’s expensive and requires effort and thought. As such, our number one tip for achieving glowing postpartum skin is to strip it back and think simply about your routine. The new goal is consistency, which means keeping it simple and easy to follow. Consider the following when building your postpartum skincare ritual:

What to look for:  Face cleanser is a non-negotiable part of all skincare routines, whether you spend your day out and about with your little one or enjoying the newborn bubble indoors. Your postpartum cleanser should be gentle, hydrating, and pH-balanced where possible. Also, look for products that are fragrance-free and don’t contain sulphates. Ingredients like Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera, Holy Basil, and Ceramides are great options for nourishing the skin without causing irritation or harm to you or bub. 

What to avoid:  If breastfeeding, it’s imperative to avoid fragrances, any form of retinoids, high-dose salicylic acid, and sulphates. As a general rule, anything you steered clear of during pregnancy is best to avoid in your postpartum skincare bag, too. 

When to use:  AM and PM, for best results. In the morning, do one cleanse to help wash away any bacteria or oil that’s accumulated on the skin. In the evening, do a double wash to remove any products, environmental pollutants, etc. that may be a little more stubborn. 

What to look for:  This is where you’ll want to implement a more targeted approach to help resolve specific skin issues that may have arisen in pregnancy or postpartum. If you’ve found yourself battling hormonal acne, unwanted dryness (or oiliness — it can go either way), hyperpigmentation/melasma, or uncomfortable skin sensitivity, this is where choosing the right serum/s can make a world of difference in your postpartum skincare toolkit. However, just like in pregnancy, not all ingredients will be safe for bub, whether they’re inside your tummy or breastfeeding. 

If you’re looking for an all-rounder to help keep your skin feeling nourished, hydrated, and happy, we highly recommend  Dr Tanya’s Holy Basil Face Serum . Our best-selling, pregnancy-safe serum allows you to enjoy the antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory goodness of Holy Basil, which supports acne-prone skin and pigmentation, the hydrating and protective nature of Cacao Oil, and the moisture-sealing benefits of Jojoba Oil. 

No great postpartum skincare ritual is complete without a quality moisturiser to help lock in hydration. As aforementioned, postpartum can result in extreme skin dryness, mainly owing to hormonal changes, added stress, sleep deprivation, and, of course, breastfeeding, which requires extra fluid for milk production. It’s no wonder many mamas feel depleted in the postpartum period, which can show in your skin. 

What to look for:  The goal is to look for hydrating, calming, and nourishing formulas to help your skin retain moisture and lock in your serums. Secondly, a good quality moisturiser — like  Dr Tanya’s Holy Basil Day & Night Cream  — will play an important role in helping support and strengthen your skin barrier, reducing the likelihood of skin sensitivity and inflammation. 

Like our Holy Basil Face Serum, the Holy Basil Day & Night Cream is safe to use during pregnancy, so you can care for your skin with confidence, knowing it’s gentle enough for you and your baby. It’s packed with Holy Basil to help combat pigmentation and oxidative stress, Squalane to deeply hydrate and calm the skin, and Jojoba Oil to nourish, repair, and protect your skin’s natural barrier.

What to avoid:  Similarly to the rest of your postpartum skincare approach, avoid any moisturisers containing retinoids, high-dose salicylic acid, and strong essential oils. 

When to use:  As the name suggests, our Holy Basil Day & Night Cream can be used morning and evening after your chosen serum/s. 

Squalane

Squalane is a plant-derived antioxidant-rich oil and emollient used in skincare products to promote hydration. Calming and versatile, this unique oil is safe for most skin types and pairs safely with most skincare ingredients.

Suitable for hydrating all skin types due to its ability to mimic the skin’s natural oils, including those with sensitive skin, Squalane is known to calm redness and inflammation and lock in hydration. Ideal for those with uneven texture and dryness. 

[Read Full Article:  Squalane Oil Benefits for Your Skin ]

Panthenol

When applied to the skin, Panthenol quickly converts into Vitamin B5, supporting moisture absorption and skin barrier restoration. This anti-inflammatory ingredient is a humectant and emollient and offers incredible benefits for attracting and holding water within the skin, moisturising, and wound healing. 

If your skin is prone to flakiness and dryness, Vitamin B5 is an ingredient you want in your skincare routine. It helps to deeply lock in moisture and achieve hydrated, smooth, supple skin while combating inflammation, aging, and dehydrated skin.

Niacinamide

Also known as Vitamin B3, Niacinamide is well-known in the skincare world owing to its incredible benefits for improving uneven skin tone, calming inflammation, supporting skin hydration, and helping to minimise acne breakouts. 

Niacinamide is suggested to help fade dark spots and pigmentation (a great option for those struggling with postpartum melasma), and helps to strengthen the skin barrier, making it a great choice for those dealing with unwanted skin sensitivity, redness, or dry skin postpartum. For acne caused by excess sebum production clogging pores, this ingredient may also be useful as it’s known to help regulate oil production. 

Vitamin C 

In the skincare world, Vitamin C is widely known as the holy grail of skin brightening ingredients. This pregnancy and breastfeeding-safe ingredient is known to help brighten dull skin, even out skin tone, and reduce melasma by inhibiting the production of melanin (the pigment responsible for uneven skin tone). 

Not to mention, it also plays an important role in protecting your skin from environmental damage — particularly UV damage (must be worn with sunscreen), which is also a contributing factor to the worsening effects of melasma. 

Azelaic Acid

This ingredient may not be a household name, but in pregnancy, it certainly should be. Considered a pregnancy and nursing-friendly ingredient, Azelaic Acid is suggested to help treat postpartum acne, reduce the appearance of melasma, improve skin texture and complexion, and calm redness. 

Azelaic Acid inhibits tyrosinase , which in turn decreases melanin synthesis in your skin, reducing hyperpigmentation. In terms of acne,  Azelaic Acid helps to increase skin cell turnover, kill ‘C.acnes,’ a prominent bacteria often resulting in pimples, and decrease skin inflammation . 

Ceramides

Ceramides are adored for their skin barrier-strengthening and hydrating benefits. If you’re struggling with postpartum or pregnancy skin dryness, this is a safe option, particularly for those with sensitive skin. 

Ceramides are naturally present in your skin’s most outer layer (stratum corneum). Without sufficient ceramides, you may experience a compromised skin barrier, resulting in easily irritated skin and dryness. Adding a Ceramide ingredient to your skin toolkit is shown to improve your skin’s ability to retain moisture and improve skin hydration. 

Hyaluronic Acid

This ingredient is one of our absolute favourites for improving skin hydration, for all skin types. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture into the skin and helps improve water retention for improved skin hydration. 

Secondly, it helps to keep your skin barrier hydrated and protected, improving protection and function. Did you know this incredible ingredient can also improve skin flexibility? As  it makes your skin more effective at stretching and flexing, it may reduce the onset of wrinkles and fine lines. 

Our go-to hydration-boosting ingredient, the cherry on top is that HA is suitable for all skin types. It is non-comedogenic, pregnancy and breastfeeding-safe, and boasts benefits for dry, oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin. 

Bakuchiol

This ingredient may not sound all too familiar to you, but it’s well worth looking into if anti-ageing is at the top of your skin priorities list while pregnant or breastfeeding. Bakuchiol is a plant-derived ingredient that has earned its place in many women’s pregnancy skincare toolkits owing to its retinol-like benefits.

Proclaimed as a gentler alternative and pregnancy-safe option to Retinol, this ingredient is suggested to offer anti-ageing properties, improve skin firmness, and boost your skin barrier. Not to mention, it’s suitable for sensitive skin types, too. We’ll let the research speak for itself with this one:

• A 12-week study tested the similarities between a 0.5% retinol cream and a 0.5% bakuchiol cream in a blind study, showing similar results. Moreover, those who used the Bakuchiol had fewer skin reactions or irritations (i.e., skin peeling) than those who used the Retinol. Participants reported experiencing significantly reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. 
• One clinical trial conducted on 43 women found that Bakuchiol resulted in approximately a 20% increase in skin radiance after 56 days of use.