Best body ever: 5 Pregnancy skincare resolutions for 2016

Happy 2016, Mamas! With a new year upon us, it's time to reevaluate our not-so-stellar habits and commit to a better self. When it comes to skincare, all of us have bad days and lazy moments.

So for the expecting mom, here are our pregnancy skincare & beauty resolutions to take on this year.

Trash your toxic skincare & beauty products.

Tests have found more than 200 toxins in a baby's umbilical cord blood. Since everything put on your body affects your baby's health and development, it's time to purge all your chemical-laden, toxin skincare and beauty products.There's a wealth of information on the web about toxins to avoid, but here's the gist -- steer clear of anything with:

 

-  Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Harsh Surfactants
- Artificial Colors
- Petroleum Derivatives

Fill your cabinets instead with toxin-free cosmetics, pregnancy skin care and personal care items. Finding  gentle, safe alternatives will keep you, your baby and the environment happy.

Embrace your natural beauty!

The list of pregnancy skin care and beauty no-no's are long (buh-bye spray tans, adios Botox, acne meds and hair dye!); however, instead of mourning lost creature comforts, it's time to embrace your natural, God-given beauty. Even if it's just for nine months, make peace with your worry lines, pale skin and laugh at that awful pimple on your chin!The truth is, motherhood is going to be a tailspin at times -- it's best to love your flaws, laugh at the absurdity and see the beauty in all things imperfectly perfect. 

 

Get serious about stretch mark prevention.

 If we had a penny for every time a Mama told us, "I wish I knew about your company when I was pregnant with my other kids! Now my belly looks like a zebra!", we'd be gazillionaires.  

We firmly believe that prevention is the BEST cure, so we tell new Mamas time and time again to start your stretch mark prevention early. Just like exercise, proper skin care takes time to see results.

As soon as you find out you're expecting, begin nourishing your skin for the journey its about to go on. This includes a well-rounded diet full of gelatin, omega-3s and vitamins A, C and E to give yourself truly healthy skin. Give your skin an extra daily boost by using a toxin-free belly butter and/or pregnancy stretch mark oil to add hydration and lock in moisture.

Thou shalt not scratch...no matter how itchy you get. 

One of the worse skincare sins is scratching your itchy pregnant belly. As your body stretches to make room for baby, your skin can become extra dry and prone to severe itchiness. In its delicate state, voracious scratching can lead to tears and stretch marks -- yikes! 

To soothe your itchy pregnancy belly, moisturize and apply a toxin-free anti-itch cream. For an all-in-one, The Spoiled Mama's value-sized Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks uses cocoa butter and shea butter to penetrate parched skin and nourish it with vitamins and essential fatty acids.

The tummy butter is enriched with tamanu oil, which naturally helps alleviate dry, damaged and itchy skin. For a bathtime treat, a gentle soak in colloidal oatmeal  soothes dryness. Consider purchasing a humidifier for your bedroom as well, which will help add moisture to the air and ease dry skin conditions.

SPF 30+, everyday.

At this point, everyone knows the importance of using SPF everyday; however, laziness can get the best of us on this one. Daily use of a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with SPF 30+ or higher is crucial in protecting skin from premature aging, skin cancer and hyperpigmentation. For pregnant mothers who are concerned about melasma (aka "the mask of pregnancy"), daily SPF with a toxin-free treatment for melasma are your key weapons against dark spots.

Which are of these 2016 skin care resolutions will you be taking on? Is there anything we missed? Stay tuned next week for our list of New Year's resolutions for the postpartum Mama!