Sun, Skin & Baby

February 5, 2016 mariane uehara

You know that Ben Harper song… “She is only happy in the sun!” That’s me! I love love love the sun, clear sky, sunrise and sunset. Sunny days are one of my biggest motivations to go swim, bike, run or do anything outside.

Well, my love for sunny days has been more moderate, since the skin of pregnant women is ultra-sensitive to the UV rays of the sun because of the overactive pigment-producing cells. So these past months I have been taking extra care of my skin:

avoiding the sun as much as possible between 11am to 3pm;

drinking lots of water;

eating a healthy diet,

& resting as much as I can.

And I believe these are actually the essentials to “feed” and care for my skin.

But I am also pampering my skin with a few non-toxic and non-synthetic products. Did you know the skin is our largest organ? So being extra careful with what we choose to put on our skin is a great idea to keep us healthy both inside and out. (Of course, it’s a good idea to protect the skin from the sun and from toxic products if you pregnant or not.)

The products that I have been using and loving are:

1. Honest sunscreen
I try to put on sunscreen at least 30 minutes before I go out into the sun. I use this sunscreen on my face, body, and an extra layer on my stretched belly.

2. Honest Organic Belly Balm
I leave this balm on my desktop, to remind myself to apply and re-apply during the day. And it is a nice break during the day for me to massage me and baby.

3. Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil
When a friend saw me 2 months pregnant, she told me: “you have to use the clarins oil on your belly to avoid stretch marks”. It’s a little bit expensive so I have only been using it at night before bed. With this product, I feel that my skin gets very moisturized, so hopefully no stretch marks…

4. Coconut oil
This is what I have been using for years on my whole body before I go sleep. It’s the perfect hydration for my skin, and I love that I can hydrate my body with one pure organic ingredient.

And of course…Hat, sunglasses and water