Natural Treatment for Acne During Pregnancy

Many women experience breakouts during pregnancy, as fluctuating hormones can wreak havoc on the skin. Unfortunately, just at the time you need them most, many common acne treatments are off limits for expecting moms because their ingredients may have the potential to cause problems for your growing baby. Fortunately, there are several natural ways to treat acne during pregnancy. Does this Spark an idea?

Treating Breakouts

If you're bothered by pimples, herbal remedies for acne that are safe while you're pregnant can help.

To treat an existing blemish, you have several options. Crush mint leaves and apply the crushed leaves directly to the blemish to reduce inflammation. Alternatively, you can mix lemon juice with rose water and apply the mixture to the pimple and its surrounding area to fight bacteria and reduce swelling. You can also use aloe vera by splitting open a leaf and applying the naturally antibacterial sap directly to your blemish.

Diet Tips

Changing your diet can also help prevent pregnancy acne from flaring up.

Eliminate trans fats from your diet like processed snack foods, fried foods, margarines and other spreads. Trans fats increase production of hormones in the body that cause inflammation and may increase acne.

Eat more fatty fish---try mackerel, tuna and salmon. They are full of omega-3 fatty acids that naturally reduce inflammation. (If you don't like fish, you can also find omega-3 fatty acids in smaller amounts in flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil.)

Add more low-glycemic index foods, including whole grains, lean meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, to your diet. In addition to being good choices for fetal development, low-glycemic foods decreased incidents of acne by 51 percent according to a 2007 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

If you notice that your acne flares up after eating a certain food, cut that food out of your diet to see if it improves your skin.

Prevention

To stop breakouts before they appear, clean your face every day with a gentle cleanser. Exfoliate every other day with a mixture of prepared oatmeal and honey used as a facial scrub. This exfoliation will prevent the build-up of dead skin cells that cause pores to clog and blemishes to appear on the surface of the skin.