This second pregnancy has wreaked havoc on my skin. Is this a girl thing? Because, when I was pregnant with Grayson, my skin was flawless. I could get away with not washing it, and not using any kind of skin care regimen–and I totally did. Because your skin tends to get used to certain products, I have always regularly changed up my skincare routine. After researching several products, I wanted to share my Pregnancy Safe Anti-Aging Skincare Routine (that’s also pretty budget friendly!) That is super important to me: Affordable Beauty. *This Post Contains Affiliate Links*.

As I near my 30s, anti-aging products are so much more important to me than they were in my teens and twenties. That being said, this routine has a heavy anti-aging focus, though I will also be sharing some of my favorite acne fighting products! While all products mentioned are pregnancy safe, you don’t need to be pregnant to use them. They’re suitable for all skin types. My skin type is Normal/Oily and Dehydrated. To read about the difference between Dry and Dehydrated skin, check out this post I made back in 2016 (Dry Skin vs. Dehydrated Skin–What’s the Difference?)

Removing Makeup

Removing makeup from the eye area is one of the easiest ways to accidentally give yourself wrinkles. Especially when these days we are loving and using bulletproof eye makeup–we want it to be waterproof, but honestly you don’t want it to take that much effort to remove. The eye area is so incredibly delicate (and the skin is very thin!), that you really need to take great care to be gentle.
To remove my eye makeup, I use coconut oil–that’s the first thing that I do. Since with this pregnancy I’ve been prone to acne breakouts, I don’t use it to remove the rest of my makeup, and I wouldn’t recommend using it all over the face it you’re acne prone or extremely oily. The coconut oil breaks up waterproof eye makeup so easily though, and it slides right off, without any pulling or tugging! The coconut oil that I use is Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

Cleansing

With the coconut oil still around my eyes, I hop in the shower to cleanse my face. For cleansing, I use the Mario Badescu Seaweed Cleansing Soap. The formula is very rich and creamy, and is easy to rinse. One thing that I love about this soap is that it provides gentle daily exfoliation–it contains tiny grains of seaweed which buff the skin and remove dullness and impurities–which I love since my skin has been acne prone with severely clogged pores. It’s also extremely vitamin and mineral rich, which helps to keep the skin feeling soft and rejuvenated!
And no matter what, I always always use my Clarisonic Aria to cleanse my face–I’ve been using this for years (since my Sephora days). Currently, I use the Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Attachment, but you should use whichever suits your needs. My Clarisonic can not be replaced in my skin care routine, I am so satisfied with how clean it makes my skin feel, no matter what face wash I’m using currently.
(Clarisonic no longer makes the Aria model, here is the link to a newer and way cuter/compact model that I totally want now– It’s the Clarisonic Mia FIT Sonic Facial System)

Toning and Serums

As someone who regularly wears a lot of makeup, and also has dehydrated skin, a toner is essential for me. Toning the skin after cleansing basically helps to remove any dirt or grime left on the skin that the cleanser may have missed.

There are millions of toners out there with specific purposes, but Thayer’s Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner is one of my favorites. This product was actually recommended to me, and I’m so glad that I found it! Rose petals are actually full of natural sugars and oils that are beneficial in rejuvenating dehydrated skin, and leaving it glowing. Of course, Witch Hazel is known for tightening pores and controlling oil production in the skin. And Vitamin C aids in collagen production, fading acne scars, and strengthening the cells of the skin.

While I love that this isn’t a super harsh toner, I’m not a fan of florals so the rose smell can some times be overwhelming. I plan on trying the Coconut Water Toner that they have coming out soon. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for that.

After toning, I apply my Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant, which means that it grabs and holds on to moisture so that your skin can absorb it. When our skin ages, it loses moisture and it’s ability to remain supple. (Babies are born with tons of hyaluronic acid in their skin cells, which is why they are so soft. “Soft as a Baby’s Bottom”, anyone?) Applying Hyaluronic Acid topically can help diminish wrinkles, firm and tone the skin, and boost your skin’s defenses. I’m loving the Asterwood Natural’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum right now, and it’s what I’ve been using for the last few months.

Face & Eye Creams

After your serums, you should be adding any facial/eye creams. These are like the icing on a perfectly baked cake.

My face cream is the Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream It’s extremely light-weight, and I never feel like it’s too heavy or oily on the skin. It contains collagen and elastin which helps to enhance the tone and texture of your skin overnight.
The eye cream that I use is the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream. I already touched on the benefits of hyaluronic acid above, but this eye cream also contains botanicals (Euphrasia Extract and Aloe Vera) meant to brighten the skin–perfect for my tired mom under eye area. Not only is this cream great for night time, it can be used under your makeup as well. It’s super lightweight whipped texture is doesn’t weigh down the skin.

During the day, I refresh with Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Rosewater, Aloe, and Herbs. This just helps to keep my skin feeling hydrated and fresh. It’s absolutely perfect during the Summer, and seems to be a cult favorite in the beauty community.

I promised to mention some of my favorite acne fighting products, and this is what I’ve currently been using:

I use the Mario Badescu Drying Mask 1-2x a week as needed. The mask contains colloidal sulfur (which is pregnancy safe–of course!), calamine, and cucumber extract. The combination of these ingredients helps to dry up breakouts, absorb pore clogging impurities, and also eliminate shine while calming the skin.
For years, I have used the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, and am a loyal loyal follower of that product. I wanted to try the mask because it seemed like the lotion but on a larger scale, and it is!
(Check out this Mario Badescu Acne Repair Kit which contains the Drying Lotion, Buffering Lotion, and the Drying Cream! You’d just need to pick the mask up and you’ve got an acne fighting arsenal at your fingertips!)

Mario Badescu is one of my favorite skincare brands because they contain quality ingredients at an affordable price. I’m not the 21 year old single chick who can afford a $100 serum anymore, and I’ve gotta keep it budget friendly! I recommend this brand a LOT, and I encourage everyone to look into their products to find ones that fit your specific needs. If your skin is like mine, give these a try! They have been working wonders for me.

This is typically what I do every single night, and in the morning I cleanse, tone, serum, and apply sunscreen (if I’m going outside) and eye cream. The routine may seem like a lot if you’re not used to a regular skin care routine, but once you get used to it it becomes second nature.

I’d love to hear what your favorite product to use in your skincare routine is! (Or products, if you have more than one).