Mood:  hungry

Beauty and Hygiene Products That Make

Being Pregnant and on Bed Rest More Bearable

As you probably gathered from my last couple of posts, being home preggers and on bed rest is not very much fun especially if you do not have the credit line to indulge the shopping urges that QVC and the Home Shopping Network inspire. Not to mention, pregnancy hormones do things to your body that make PMS feel like a walk along the beach. (The parks in Brooklyn, NY are not that pleasant to walk through, in my opinion.) You get extra hair in all possible places; develop the most delicate of stomachs; and develop a sense of smell that would put a bloodhound to shame. There’s also bouts of oily skin and  back-acne. However, I’ve put together a list of helpful beauty products that have made this wonderful change easier to get through.

The skin on my body from the breasts up have been a mess. I did not have such an acne and oil problem during puberty. Fortunately, I’ve found some great beauty products that have helped  until my hormone fluctuations evened out and my skin started to control my oil production on its own. Everyday, I wash my face and décolleté with Black Opal’s Blemish Control Complexion Bar, which controls oil production and helps fade any of the acne scars you may develop. I then wiped my face, neck, and behind my ears (especially important if you wear glasses!) three times a day with Neutrogena’s Clear Pore Oil Controlling Astringent. If the smell is too strong for you, I also recommend Witch Hazel.

And since I’m on the topic of my face, let me tell you about the excess hair that I’ve been growing out of my chin, jaw line and cheeks. It isn’t the cute soft lady peach fuzz. It’s is dark, thick, coarse hair, and too many to just pluck! When you’re on bed rest, you can’t just waste standing up time by taking 30-45 minutes to pull hair out of your face with your trusty Tweezerman. You have to get hardcore! That’s right, ladies, I’m talking about home waxing. Avon makes a wonderful no-heat waxing products: Avon Skin So Soft Hair Removal Wax Strips . It comes in large strips that you can customize with scissors to fit on your face. The wax job lasts about 10 days to two weeks depending on how fast your hormones pushes out hair. Since your pain threshold will probably be lower than usual, I wouldn’t recommend using this product on your legs, underarms, or on your stomach which will also be struck by an overproduction of hair.

 
I have to ask: how is it biologically possible for me to have a stuffy nose and be able to smell everything at the same time? The further into your pregnancy you go, the higher the likelihood that you will develop a stuffy nose. This will force you to breathe through your mouth, and your lips will suffer the consequences. They will become dry, and crave more moisture than you can consume through just drinking water. Let me suggest a long lasting, moisturizing, and non-goopy lip gloss by Victoria’s Secret. Their Beauty Rush Lip Gloss is wonderful. They come in wonderful scents and flavors. However, if your stomach is too disagreeable to handle the scents, try Rite Aid Honey Pure Spring Lip Gloss. It doesn’t last as long but it is as moisturizing. In a pinch, petroleum jelly will do.

~~to be continued

Next up: gentle body washes, unscented deordorant, and combating dry skin.