How to Stay Beautiful Naturally During Pregnancy
If the glow of pregnancy isn’t cutting it for you, staying beautiful doesn’t have to include chemicals. Even though the lotions, shampoos, styling creams and makeup that you use aren’t going directly into your body, they can still affect your baby. Using natural products that have plant or food bases can help you to keep your complexion looking clean, your hair shiny and your cheeks rosy.
Keeping Yourself Healthy
It doesn’t matter how much makeup or hair gel you slather on your body. If you’re not healthy on the inside, your outward appearance will suffer. The first step to staying naturally beautiful during pregnancy is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You’ll need to eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes proteins, dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains. Remember that gaining weight is part of looking like a healthy, beautiful pregnant woman.
The amount that you should gain varies depending on your prepregnancy size. Normal weight women should gain 25 to 30 pounds, underweight women should gain 28 to 40 pounds and overweight women should gain 15 to 25 pounds. Getting a minimum of two and a half hours of moderate aerobic activity each week also helps to keep you healthy. That said, check with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen or new activity.
Getting a Fresh Face
While retinoid and salicylic acid products may have kept your face radiant and clear before pregnancy, they aren’t recommended for use by expectant mothers. Grapes are a natural alternative when it comes to keeping your face glowing. Slice the grapes in half, and then rub them across your face. Another option that also exfoliates is the papaya. Rub the inside of the papaya’s peel across your face, wait 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse.
You can also make a scrub using unflavored oatmeal, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Mix the honey and oil into the cooked, cooled oatmeal. Apply to your face and then rinse off.
Building Healthy Hair
Your hair is made up of 98 percent protein. Getting your daily protein intake will help to keep your hair looking beautiful. Pregnant women need to up their daily protein intake from 45 grams to 70 grams. During pregnancy you can also swap out your regular hair care products for homemade natural versions. For example, a mashed avocado can moisturize your hair. Add two egg whites to the mix for extra shine. Leave the natural hair mask on for at least 15 minutes, and then wash it off. Other natural options include using aloe for conditioning or fighting frizz with a combination of 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin.
Polishing Your Skin
Your face is prepped and glowing. But now you need to make your body match. A homemade body scrub can exfoliate your skin and keep you glowing. Coarse sugar will help to remove old dry skin.
You can mix half a cup of sugar with a few teaspoons of oil to make an exfoliating scrub, suggests natural skin care product line creator Lauren Burger on the Women’s Health website. Use olive oil to help firm the skin and add moisture. You can also use olive oil on its own as a natural moisturizer. Other oils, such as grapeseed and sunflower, will also help your skin feel soft and smooth.
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