The 9 best products for your pregnancy bump
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Pregnancy is a time of immense change. In addition to a growing belly and wild cravings, your skin and the products and ingredients that are considered safe to use are also likely changing. Many pregnant people experience melasma and dry skin, but experts say your facial routine isn’t the only thing you should be paying attention to when it comes to pregnancy-related skin care. Being mindful about your skin barrier health from head to toe plays a key role in preventing pregnancy-induced stretch marks, according to dermatologists. “As the skin stretches to accommodate the growing fetus, you can have an in dryness and itching,” says Dr. Carmen Castilla, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at the New York Dermatology Group in Manhattan.
Supporting your skin barrier by keeping it hydrated and free of irritation is also important: “The main factors that contribute to stretch marks are genetics, hormones, and mechanical stress on the skin,” says Dr. Erum Ilyas, M.D., FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist with the Schweiger Dermatology group in Pennsylvania.
While you can’t change your genetics or avoid hormonal changes during pregnancy, you can take steps to reduce the stress on your skin. “The most important thing that you can do for your abdominal skin is really to keep it hydrated,” says Dr. Sejal Shah, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and founder of SmarterSkin Dermatology in New York.
To help you find the best pregnancy bump skin care products, we asked dermatologists for their recommendations on what to look for when shopping.
SKIP AHEAD The best products for pregnancy bump care | How to shop for pregnancy bump care products
How we picked the best pregnancy bump care products
There’s a seemingly endless number of skin care products on the market that promise to address pregnancy-induced stretch marks, but the experts we spoke to say data is limited and there’s no miracle ingredient that can erase stretch marks entirely. There’s some evidence that centella asiatica, a plant-derived ayurvedic treatment, and hyaluronic acid may help, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Keeping skin moisturized (a key part of maintaining a healthy skin barrier) as your bump grows is the best thing you can do to prevent stretch marks and address dryness and itchiness, according to our experts. “If the skin is hydrated it can better maintain its elasticity, which can certainly help combat some of the stretch mark development,” says Shah.
Here’s what else to keep in mind:
Moisturizing ingredients: To best keep the skin on your bump healthy and free of irritation, Shah, Ilyas and Castilla all recommend looking for creams with ingredients that support healthy skin barrier function — namely shea butter, glycerin, squalane, avocado oil, and ceramides.
Ingredients that target stretch marks: “The ingredients that tend to benefit stretch marks appear to work by increasing collagen and elastic fiber production in the skin, likely counteracting the impact of stress on the tissue as it expands,” says Ilyas. Theoretically, moisturizers containing vitamin E, centella asiatica, and hyaluronic acid could help prevent stretch marks, according to our experts. The key word here is theoretical — results from studies are mixed to negative. But ingredients like hyaluronic acid will still support your skin barrier. “It’s not going to hurt you and if anything, it can potentially help,” says Castilla.
Ease of application: Whether you opt for a belly oil or a cream-based formula is a matter of personal preference, but all three experts we spoke to prefer creams. “They tend to have a little bit more of an occlusive component” — i.e. a protective coating — which can help with retaining hydration, says Shah. Creams and lotions also tend to be less messy and less likely to stain clothing.
The best products for pregnancy bump care
To target stretch marks and other pregnancy-related skin issues like itchiness, dermatologists recommend looking for products designed to support skin barrier health. “The biggest takeaway here is that you don’t necessarily need a pregnancy product,” says Shah. The best pregnancy bump-care products are, in fact, just really good moisturizers, she says.
Best stretch mark creams
Nēmah Revitalizing Stretch Mark Cream
Nēmah Revitalizing Stretch Mark Cream
Nēmah Revitalizing Stretch Mark Cream $ at Amazon
Nēmah Revitalizing Stretch Mark Cream $ at Nēmah
Nēmah Revitalizing Stretch Mark Cream $ at Nature's Bodega
“It’s hard to fully prevent stretch marks because you can’t realistically control why they happen,” says Shah. What you can do, as noted above, is support your skin barrier, which may reduce the appearance of stretch marks. She likes Nēmah’s cream that contains shea butter, an occlusive that protects the skin from water loss. While it may not make stretch marks disappear, it does have two antioxidants — vitamin A and vitamin E — that prevent cellular damage while increasing moisture in the skin. You can use it both morning and night.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion for Pregnancy Stretch Marks
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks $ at Amazon
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks $ at Target
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks $ at Walmart
Ilyas recommends this Palmer’s lotion because of the centella asiatica in its formula. (As noted earlier, centella asiatica is an ayurvedic treatment can help prevent stretch marks.) This lotion’s also free of parabens, phthalates, fragrances and dyes, according to the brand, so it’s suitable for extra sensitive pregnancy skin. The brand recommends massaging it all over your body liberally twice a day for the best results.
Clarins Body Partner Stretch Mark Cream
Clarins Body Partner Stretch Mark Cream
Clarins Body Partner Stretch Mark Cream $ at Amazon
Clarins Body Partner Stretch Mark Cream $ at Nordstorm
Clarins Body Partner Stretch Mark Cream $ at Macy's
For a more luxurious option, you may want to consider Clarins’ stretch mark cream, which similarly has centella asiatica in its formula. It also has key ingredients for skin barrier support — including glycerin (a humectant that helps draw moisture into the skin), and squalane (an emollient that helps seal moisture in) — that make it very soothing, says Shah.
Olay Nourishing and Hydrating Body Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid
Olay Nourishing & Hydrating Body Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid
Olay Nourishing & Hydrating Body Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid $ at Amazon
Olay Nourishing & Hydrating Body Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid $ at CVS Pharmacy
Olay Nourishing & Hydrating Body Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid $ at Walmart
“Theoretically the hyaluronic acid in this lotion can help with stretch marks,” says Castilla. Even if it doesn’t, it will help with skin dryness, she says. It also includes vitamin B3, also known as niacinamide, which research shows can help decrease skin inflammation and reduce water loss in the skin.
Best moisturizers for dry pregnancy skin
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream $ at Amazon
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream $ at Ulta
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream $ at Target
Available at most drugstores, Cetaphil’s moisturizing cream is a favorite of Castilla’s, including for dry pregnancy skin. It’s clinically proven to hydrate skin for 48 hours, according to the brand, thanks to its blend of glycerin (an emollient) and niacinamide (an occlusive). The formula targets skin sensitivity, including those most common during pregnancy such as dryness, tightness, irritation, roughness, and a weakened skin barrier, according to the brand.
La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin
La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin
La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin $ at Amazon
La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin $ at Ulta
La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin $ at Target
Castilla also recommends La Roche Posay’s Lipikar moisturizer. It’s formulated with ceramides, a moisturizing ingredient that supports a healthy skin barrier by acting like mortar between skin cells. “It’s very gentle and works very well for any dry skin, including during pregnancy,” says Castilla.
Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion
Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion
Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion $ at Amazon
Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion $ at Target
Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion $ at CVS Pharmacy
“For dryness, Vanicream lotion is a nice product line with simple formulations and minimal use of preservatives and fragrances,” says Ilyas. Vanicream’s lotion is also free of essential oils, which experts in our guide to pregnancy-safe skin care products recommend avoiding. During pregnancy when you’re being extra careful about what you put on your skin, she advises patients to steer clear of essential oil-based products, which are not well-regulated. Shah likes this formula specifically since it’s a simple, nonirritating moisturizer that’s good for daily use.
Mama Mio Tummy Rub Butter
Mama Mio Tummy Rub Butter
Mama Mio’s vegan skin care products are formulated specifically to address pregnancy concerns. Their tummy rub butter, in particular, absorbs quickly into skin, according to the brand. “It’s got a lot of omega-rich oils, which can help reduce inflammation and strengthen the skin barrier,” says Shah. The formula is scented with a blend of orange and bergamot, so if you have sensitive skin or don’t like fragrant products you may want to avoid it.
Best pregnancy bump cleanser
Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid Replenishing Cleansing Oil
Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid Replenishing Cleansing Oil
Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid Replenishing Cleansing Oil $ at Amazon
Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid Replenishing Cleansing Oil $ at Avene
If the skin on your abdomen is feeling uncomfortable, dry, itchy or irritated — especially in the third trimester — Castilla recommends switching to a body cleanser, like this one, that supports your skin barrier (look for ingredients like jojoba seed oil and glycerin). Avène’s cleansing oil “isn’t going to strip your skin,” she says, and is gentle enough to use daily.
How to shop for pregnancy bump care products
When shopping for skin care products for your pregnancy bump, there are four factors to consider, according to experts we spoke with:
Hydration
The single most important thing you can do for the skin on your pregnancy bump is to keep it hydrated, according to the experts. They recommend looking for products with a combination of humectants (ingredients that draw moisture into the skin), emollients (ingredients that seal moisture into the skin, occlusives (ingredients that act as a barrier on the skin) and ceramides. “They are naturally found in skin and help hold the skin cells together so that it can maintain hydration,” Castilla says. Together these four types of ingredients support a healthy skin barrier.
Collagen-supporting ingredients
Again, there is no miracle cream for stretch marks. But moisturizers with ingredients that support a healthy skin barrier can theoretically help (and certainly won’t hurt). Ingredients that support collagen synthesis have the most potential to address stretch marks, according to Ilyas and Shah. As the building block of skin cells, collagen is responsible for maintaining skin’s elasticity and volume. Importantly for stretch marks (which are essentially microtears in the skin caused by stretching), collagen plays a key role in wound healing, helping to attract new skin cells to the site of the damage. Centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E can all help boost collagen production in skin, according to our experts.
Delivery method
Ultra hydrating doesn’t have to mean ultra messy. Look for formulas that are easy to apply and for products that you need to gently massage into the skin, such as an oil or a lotion, says Ilyas. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends massaging your moisturizer of choice into stretch marks to increase its potential impact.
Skin sensitivity
“Your skin is more sensitive and generally more reactive during pregnancy than it is normally,” says Castilla. Use formulas that are gentle, hydrating and fragrance-free.
Meet our experts
At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Dr. Carmen Castilla, M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist at the New York Dermatology Group in Manhattan specializing in both medical and cosmetic dermatology.
Dr. Sejal Shah, M.D., FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of SmarterSkin Dermatology in New York. She specializes in cosmetic dermatology and treating skin of color.
Dr. Erum Ilyas, M.D., FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist with the Schweiger Dermatology group in Pennsylvania. Her expertise includes pediatric and medical dermatology and skin cancer treatment.
Why trust Select?
Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist and former Glamour editor who has covered beauty and wellness treatments for over a decade. For this article, MacKenzie spoke to three dermatologists about the best ways to treat itchiness, stretch marks and irritation from pregnancy bumps, and highlighted their top skin care picks and the rationale behind them.
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