My Pregnancy Hormonal Acne and How I Dealt with it

It was May 2014 when I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. My husband and I both decided I will be a full time stay at home mom and give up work completely. While juggling breastfeeding, household chores, being a newbie mom and a wife. I have fell in love with a newfound hobby that had replaced my longing for a full time job outside the home.

I had been using korean skin care since my 20s but I just did the basic cleanse-tone-then end with any snail essence of some sort or something ever since snail trends where at its peak. During my pregnancy I had horrible hormonal breakouts on my forehead and chin area, and even after giving birth those acne scars does not seem to go away. So i started scouring the internet for answers. And so it had lead me to…well i would say obsession of the korean 10 step (or more) skin care routine…cause i have fallen so deep…oh soooo deep there is no escaping…im hooked! simply because it works!!! why dont you follow me on instagram to know what im talking about.

may 2016

In less than a year, for the first time ever I had never felt so happy with my face. It is now radiant, glowing, fewer breakouts, no pimple scars and bumps are completely gone from that dull, oily, bumpy and never ending breakouts that just never quits since like forever. I have finally achieved not perfect but somewhat close to something i have dreamed of since my teenage days.

Here’s my 1st Morning Skincare Routine, My Evening Skincare Routine, some of the products that did not work for me and more to come since I change products whenever they ran out….I just have that itch to try more just because there is just too much amazing products to try and this is where all the fun starts and never ends lol!!!

Then came October 2016, when we happily discover that we will be recieving another wonderful blessing…and so also comes hormonal imbalances that cause horrible breakouts on my entire face.

This almost pimple free face that i was already proud of and have worked hard for was gone, then came back those horrible cystic acne that are red, swollen and simply wont go away, bumps are back and so is my self-esteem went down the drain (blame it on the pregnancy hormones lol!). I was so insecure to the point that whenever I meet a random friend whether at a church or a mall, I would either cut the conversation short or just say hi and leave hoping that he/she did not notice the grossness that is currently going on my face.

But at the same time I also know that this will be temporary and soon everything will be back to normal. I needed a routine that is gentle, basic, and products that I’ve used before that I know will not aggravate or worsen my current state since I currently cant test new products I wouldnt know if its from hormones or from the product that just simply did not agree with me.

So here’s my full pregnancy skin care routine (just to note that what might work for me might not work for others…these are simply a result of my own research, have that itch and passion for product testing on my own face. im not an expert nor a physician, they are simply my own opinion and personal experience. I was not paid nor provided by these products)

for morning…

cleanse – cosrx low ph good morning gel cleanser

(a short description of some of these products and my opinion on them and others are here)

acid – OST C20 Original pure Vitamin C Serum (review coming soon)

1st essence – Cosrx Galactomyces 95 whitening power essence

smell/texture/color – no smell/neutral and transparent in color almost like water but it is not watery, its a bit tacky and sticky when patted unto skin compared to other first essences

verdict – does what it claims to do. gave me that korean dewy glow. i do however prefer other watery type essences that sinks in immediately and disappears unto skin. this one however leaves a essence like texture. i dont have complaints about it though just my personal preference. nothing exciting about this product that i would go shout and tell everyone that this is a must have in their routine. just simple and gentle ingredients that worked especially through this rough time that im having hormonal imbalances and breaking out like crazy. overall it just did what its suppose to do.
rating – 3.5/5

essence – LJH tea tree essence

moisturizer – Cosrx oil free ultra moisturizing lotion

smell/texture/color – milky white medium to heavy viscous cream w/ a fresh pine tree scent. wow as you apply this oh the scent is so soothing i just inhale deeply everytime i put this on.

verdict – oh the answer to every oily skin’s thirsty skin. im so amazed how this sinks in so quickly did not realize this until i used a different lotion and noticed how come that one just stays on top compared to how my skin just simply drinks up the cosrx lotion. its so hydrating that i dont even use a moisturizer in the mornings and how it sinks it easily even after layer after layer of products at night. it hydrates yet non greasy nor it leaves any residue and gentle enough for the most sensitive skin to the oiliest one. oh and not to mention that 70% birch sap juice, what an amazing deal. this is my first bottle and it just seems that this wont be the last. all i can say is u have to try it for yourself.

rating – 5/5

sunblock – Biore UV perfect milk (review here)

for evening 

oil cleanse – Innisfree apple juicy cleansing oil (review here)

foam cleanse – Cosrx low ph good morning gel cleanser

tone – Thayers alcohol free witch hazel toner

wash off mask – raw honey

benefits of honey to skin:
1. retains moisture so the skin is soft supple and elastic
2. has antiseptic properties, great for healing acne and scars
3. treats damaged skin and helps regenerate new skin cells
4. protect the skin from uv rays

i use this as a wash off mask then leave for 30mins sometimes up to 1hr. then rinse then proceed with my usual routine. my face is soft and plump the next day and my pimples heals faster or less red. its amazing, it works, all natural and not to mention very very cheap.

make sure to use pure, unfiltered, raw, unpasturized honey. manuka honey is also great for sensitive skin or skin problems. to check if your honey is pure with no added extras if you leave it in your pantry/kitchen or anywhere lying around ants will not eat them.

acid – Stridex 2% salicylic acid alcohol free pads

*proceed with caution or ask a dermatologist about using acid treatments, retinoids, botox, microcurrent treatments, topical acne treatments and others as it is advisable to stay away or avoid them during pregnancy.

1st essence – Cosrx galactomyces 95 whitening power essence

essence – LJH tea tree essence

moisturizer – Cosrx advanced snail 92 all in one cream

spot treat – Ciracle red spot cream

product claims – specially formulated cream designed to quickly soothe problematic skin. calms down red head and trims keratin and its surroundings. gives spot care while improving pigmentation.

verdict – this cream has helped me in my terrible breakout days. but it is not a miracle cream at the same time. of course i cant say that this has helped improved my pimples scars, vitamin c and aha is still the quickest way to get rid of all that. but this is useful especially if you prick those nasty pimples and this cream will help soothe it the next day (still not an excuse to prick those pimples lol!) this also has a very soothing minty effect upon application that will calm those redness and best of all even if you slather it all over your face it will not cause any flakes or dryness unlike those strong tea tree treatments or pink powder spot treatments. overall, this cream does what it claims to do except for the scar healing part. would love to purchase this again and seems like this might be a steady part of my routine as long as those hormones of mine are still active. 

rating – 4/5

…and so as of February 2017 here’s an unedited, unfiltered, no makeup, raw picture of my face.

Processed with MOLDIV

It is still a work in progress, I still have those pimple scars and currently in the process of eliminating them. As of today im really glad that first trimester crazy hormones are now over and looking forward to welcoming another baby boy. I still get breakouts every now and then, but not that worst anymore and bumps have already subsided.
any suggestions and products on how to clear up those scars and prevent them from returning? how about you what are your acne stories?