The Healthy Post Natal Body Podcast
The Healthy Post Natal Body Podcast
Skincare Strategies for Pregnancy and Postpartum: Expert Advice from Master Aesthetician Natalie Bevins
This week I am joined by the amazing Natalie Bevans as we're talking pre- and post-partum skincare.
Natalie is a Master Aesthetician and she very kindly gave up an hour of her time to explain to little old me why skincare really matters when you're pregnant or post-partum.
We discuss many things including;
How being pregnant and giving birth changes your skin.
Why your skincare routine needs to change when you're pregnant.
In fact, why it regularly needs to change (my ignorance really showing through here on this bit :))
The importance of looking after your skin
Skincare starts with what you put IN your body rather than what you put ON it.
And much, MUCH, more.
You can find Natalie in the usual corners of the internet
Her website
Instagram
As always; HPNB still only has 5 billing cycles.
So this means that you not only get 3 months FREE access, no obligation!
BUT, if you decide you want to do the rest of the program, after only 5 months of paying $10/£8 a month you now get FREE LIFE TIME ACCESS! That's $50 max spend, in case you were wondering.
Though I'm not terribly active on Instagram and Facebook you can follow us there. I am however active on Threads so find me there!
And, of course, you can always find us on our YouTube channel if you like your podcast in video form :)
Visit healthypostnatalbody.com and get 3 months completely FREE access. No sales, no commitment, no BS.
Email peter@healthypostnatalbody.com if you have any questions, comments or want to suggest a guest/topic
Playing us out this week; "This long" by Shells by the Sea
Hey, welcome to the Healthy Postnatal Body Podcast with your postnatal expert, peter Lap. Not, as always, would be me. This is the podcast for the 8th of September 2024. And this week I am bringing you once again an interview I did with Natalie Bevins. We're talking skincare pre and postpartum skincare how it's about more than just your looks. Natalie is a master aesthetician. We did this a while ago, in 2023. Master aesthetician we did this a while ago in 2023 and I. It comes up every now and again to get people asking questions about skincare and I'm too busy this week, so I thought you know what? Two birds, one stone. We discussed many things how being pregnant and birth changes you're giving birth changes your skin, why your skincare routine needs to change regularly and when needs to change while you're pregnant all that type of stuff. So, without further ado, you're gonna love this one here we go. So how does pregnancy and having kids affect the skin?
Natalie:It actually affects the skin a lot. So hormones affect the skin and the change, the stress levels affect the skin. You're not getting as much sleep and you're kind of eating different all of these as from coming from being a mom, being pregnant and then watching my skin change. You're going to get so many different, like it will just act different and you won't even understand like kind of what's going on. Because of all of these factors are playing a role so you can start getting acne, you can start getting pigmentation when it's hormonal pigmentation, that's called melasma or they call it pregnancy mask. It can become more dry or it can become more oily. You can start getting a lot more sensitivities and irritations and just a really wide variety of things can happen with your skin when you become pregnant and when you are, you know you have a baby, you're nursing. All of these things. It just it can really take a toll on your skin.
Peter:And it's interesting that you say that there are that many factors, because obviously we understand that there are many factors that affect skin biome and all that sort of stuff. But especially when you say, during the pregnancy, the hormone change, the hormonal changes, the dietary changes, uh yeah, sleep habits and and all that sort of stuff, because where do you then even start with your skincare regime to actually start to address some of that stuff?
Natalie:well I think. I think it comes a lot of um skin to me is is two things you know you're going to treat it topically and you're going to do all of the things properly that you need to do topically, but then you're also going to really take care of it internally, and so I think, to start with, I think that's probably the easiest thing. I mean, you can, we can do a virtual consultation and get you the proper skincare and stuff like that. But I think you need to understand where you're at and as a mom, you're exhausted, you're completely sleep deprived, you're eating whatever you can find that's quick and easy, because you're trying to take care of a newborn baby, so your eating is a little bit off.
Natalie:I think it's really important to give yourself some grace and to kind of let go of some of that stress, because stress is a huge factor when it comes to skin and you already are feeling so much stress and so much pressure and so much of this. I don't know what I'm doing, especially if you're a first time mom. Just kind of let that go and that actually, in a weird way, helps your skin and kind of calms, calms you, and it calms your skin, because your skin is a reflection of what's happening on the inside, and if you're stressed, if you're not sleeping, if you're not eating well, it's definitely going to show up on your skin yeah, and I suppose you know, uh, it comes back to hydration and all that sort of stuff as well.
Peter:right, hydration is such a huge part of all that, and that is where I find most people really struggle. Most women tend to really struggle postpartum or even during the pregnancy, just taking on board enough water.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Peter:Because the usual rule for water and I don't know anybody listening might have listened to an old episode where I discussed hydration Usually in the UK we say 0.03 liters of water per kilogram body weight. So that means if you weigh 100 kg, which means you're quite heavy, but you should drink around about 3.3 liters of water. Um, so for most people at 60 kg you're looking at one and a half liters of water.
Natalie:So do you need they need to up that intake as well as you get heavier, uh when you're pregnant, and all that sort of stuff to keep up the same level of uh of hydration, especially for for your skin yeah, for sure, because if you're not taking enough for your internal body, your skin is definitely not getting enough, and your skin I mean your body is made up of water and protein, so you need your water and you're trying to create a baby that is also made up of water and protein, and so it's really important. Definitely, I agree.
Peter:Drink drink enough water for your body and for the babies well, so then I suppose, especially what what I find with most postpartum women, so not just when they're pregnant, like you said, the hormones go all over the shop. They get a little bit more acne. Lot of women that I come across they're still working up until like the last couple of weeks before they're due to give birth. And I know in America the maternity leave sucks and all that sort of stuff. But in the UK you get a better amount of maternity leave.
Speaker 3:A little more.
Peter:So what we tend to do over here is is you tend to work up until round about your due date or just before, and then you get six months off. So you're still going out, you're still going to work and for a lot of people, uh, how your skin looks really affects your confidence levels and how comfortable you feel within yourself. So what can you do during your pregnancy from a normal skincare routine as in? What small changes would you recommend people make during that stage?
Natalie:So a few things really, but yeah, I agree, I found in working my field it's like half of the people get the acne and half of the people have this beautiful glowing skin that they didn't have before, and so then they're loving life. But the ones that do get some acne, um, there are some simple things you can do, because it is going to be hormonal, right, unless you're completely changing your diet and eating just you know, just sometimes you just let loose in pregnancy and you know that's okay, too.
Natalie:If that gets you through it, do it. So most of the time it's going to be from hormonal breakouts and so you want to use things with like benzoyl peroxide and stuff like that, because they're going to be the more puffy pustule kind of the deep sore ones in your skin and that will help get in there and really kill some of the bacteria. But then, like I said before, so that's your topical stuff that you want to look for. You want to make sure you're cleansing, of course, and using the proper skincare products. Look for stuff like benzoyl peroxide.
Natalie:If you are a darker skin tone person, just be a little bit more careful with benzoyl peroxide. Maybe a test spot at some areas because it can have some pigmentation effects on it, which you don't. So you just be careful with that. And then internally, you, like I was talking before, you want to really help with the stress levels and help kind of calm your body, and I do have a free resource that goes through things that you can. So it has 10 things that you can do and starting tonight, and it's stuff you already have at your house that you're already doing, and a lot of it is internal work. So you're going to be doing things that will calm your mind, calm your body, your breathing exercises, things like that and that actually makes a big difference on the skin. So kind of two part with with that if you're going through that during pregnancy.
Peter:Yeah, that's a phenomenal point because obviously you mentioned it earlier already stress on the skin. Now we tend to think of stress as a purely as in physical stress, but, yeah, um, the the link between, of course, what we often forget with regards to stress is that it's all hormonal. Uh, fundamentally right. Um, you have all the stress hormones, a bit of adrenaline, a bit of cortisol, all my sorts of flying through your body and that messes up the hormonal balance in in your body. And that's why because it sounds rather wooey, doesn't, if you say I need to take 10 minutes to meditate and your skin will magically improve. Yes, essentially, talking purely from a biological perspective, that will have an effect of calming it down, rather than people don't associate. People associate stress with health, but not with a physical representation of health. Yeah, it's very true, it's people.
Natalie:I have to put it in a different light and I'm like remember when you were in high school or you were in college and you were studying for a big exam and you were super stressed, you would get that zit or that you know the big pimple that would come, and it happened every time. And I mean, you cannot tell me that your body is not trying to communicate with you that you're stressed and this is how it's doing it.
Natalie:So yeah it. It is very intertwined, which you're right. It sounds wooey, but it really isn't no, exactly it's just.
Peter:It's sometimes you get these things and you're like this this sounds wooey, but it makes complete sense. Uh, on purely physiological, from a purely physiological point of view, cool. So that's then. During the pregnancy, now postpartum, we know labor has a huge effect. Actually, the process of labor has a huge effect on, yes, everything in the world. But again, you know we're talking skincare, so let's stick to that bit. How does the labor process in early postpartum? How does that affect the skin?
Natalie:I think just I mean right after labor, there are so many hormones going on and water retention and, you know, depending on how your labor was, stress levels, and I mean, like you said, there's just so much going on and so your skin is going to have a period where it is just kind of catching up. Basically, you know to say in lame terms, like it's trying to catch up, it's trying to figure out what's happening and what just happened and how to deal with it. So it can be any symptoms across the board, Like you can just suddenly be really oily, or you can be really really dry, or you can be really sensitized. And you know, there it just depends on how you were and then how your skin is trying to deal with it. So there's going to be a period, I don't know, I'd say two to maybe two weeks to a month, depending on.
Natalie:You know how it went for you, that your skin just is, is all over the place, and that's okay, and that's okay. Your skin's going to, it'll figure it out, It'll balance back out. Your hormones are going to balance your stress levels are going to balance your eating habits. You know all of that will balance out. But I think during that time, just work with it and be patient with it and, again, give it some grace that it's it's doing the best it can, just like you are. You both went through a lot and so it's just kind of the aftermath of what it needs to do. So you know, if you're feeling dry, put a little extra moisturizer on. If you're feeling oily, just lighten it up like, just do whatever it feels like at the time and know that it's going to change and it might change day to day for you yeah.
Peter:So so you would say, uh, because that was going to be my, my next question. So you would say still work with it, rather than just say you know what, for the next two weeks to a month, I'm just going to leave it, I'm just going to let it settle and just, rather than still, put moisturizer on. I know we put moisturizer on stretch marks and all that sort of stuff, but I'm just talking, say, for instance, on the face. Would you still then, if you find you have dry skin, you still add the moisturizer, or would you say, not actually just just leave it for now, because that gives the skin biome a chance to catch up? Because if, if you constantly put moisturizer on, then the skin might stop the production of of, of sebum or whatever it.
Natalie:There is a bit of an alteration, but I think it is important to help it and to stay, especially if we're talking dry skin, if we're talking dry skin right after, if you're feeling really dry, definitely put a moisturizer on, because what happens is, if you get drier and drier, you're actually stripping the protective barrier that your skin has. That you were talking about, the biome, and so you want to make sure that you are keeping that there. You're protecting your skin, because if you just let it go and become drier and drier, it'll be more irritated, more sensitive, and so you're already uncomfortable everywhere else. Uh, just put that moisturizer on, keep that protective barrier so it can heal and come back to balance.
Peter:Well, so any, because I tend to get caught up in the technical aspects of this a little bit too much, right?
Peter:So? And I know there will be listeners screaming now, so ask her the most obvious question Are there any particular products you would recommend at that stage? When you're talking moisturizer, can they just walk into any pharmacy and and just go give me a random moisturizer? Are there any things that you're saying? Actually, you know you need to be aware of x, y, z when it comes to this stuff at this stage you know what.
Natalie:There are so so many product lines out there, just so many, and I I work with a product line and I can do virtual consultations and so I can help anybody and we can get a regimen. But I think it's very, very important to get a specific regimen for your skin and I know, as your skin is changing, that's okay. You know I can work with the change of the skin and we can get products that are specific to you and walk you through that change. And so, as far as just saying go into into anywhere and get stuff, it's not that simple. It really really isn't, because skin is so individual. You know your genetics, your lifestyle, your skin tone, your skin issues, your skin texture, like so many factors come into it, and so you really want to make sure that you're getting something very tailored for you and that will get you through that time. So it is hard to say, just, you know, go in and grab this product because it might help one person, but it's not going to help 10, right.
Peter:Yeah, so are there any ingredients that you're like? Okay, but these are definitely the kinds you want to avoid at this stage, Because, you know, if I walk into a shop and look at all the moisturizers available and, like you said, there are a tremendous amount of them, I don't really know whether what I'm looking at there's a list of ingredients that I assume have all been tested right, so I assume they're not going to kill me, but there's a big difference between them not killing me and them actually helping me.
Speaker 3:If you know what I mean. I like the stuff that helps me.
Peter:So is there anything that you're like? Okay, at this stage, when you put moisturizer on, just avoid products with X Y, z in it.
Natalie:I think, yeah, I think the easiest way. I can just kind of very generally guide you to that. Again, there's so many other factors, I mean even just the thickness of the creams for different textures, but what you want to do and I know walking to skincare aisle can be, because before I was an esthetician it just it's overwhelming you. There's so many, and they're all telling you they're the best and they're going to fix all your problems and you're I don't know. Um, so what I would recommend is two things look for non-comedogenic or it'll say non-clogging, and that is a general rule. It's not you know hard and fast every single time, but it's a pretty good guideline to follow as far as it's not going to cause you problems as far as clogging your pores or anything like that.
Natalie:And then another one is I stay away from fragrances. So because you don't know what is in there and, uh, under the word fragrance it can have hundreds to thousands of ingredients. So it's just try to stay away from anything with fragrances. Um, if you can find something hyperallergenic, that's a little bit better. Just because they are not with that label, they can't put anything that is a known allergen. So a lot of times that includes fragrances. So I would say, those two things Look for non-fragrance and then non-comedogenic or non-clogging, and that can kind of really broad spectrum guide you a little bit for that?
Peter:yeah, because, like most, most listeners will of course think okay, they're going to boots or tesco or same piece of walmart or whatever tomorrow. Uh, you can tell I'm a bloke, right, that's where I would buy that sort of stuff. There's all women listening to this and thinking that's not where I buy any of my skincare products.
Peter:But it's like you walk in in there and they'll at least have one or two things that they know to stay away from. And it's interesting that you mentioned the fragrance thing, because we had that on before with and the listeners might remember the interview I did with T Thornton Barnes about household products and all that sort of stuff that fragrances. That's the problem. Anything that smells particularly nice unless it's an actual flower yeah, you have to wonder where that, where that smell, actually comes from.
Peter:and there's a lot of stuff in there that is like you said. There's a long list of ingredients and let's say that the whether that actually works to your benefit is rather debatable. I'm going to be very nice. I don't want to get sued by L'Oreal. Yes, exactly, but you know, stay away from that stuff. Awesome. So we've had the first week, the first sorry, the first month postpartum, right, and our skin has settled down a little bit. So where does it tend to move? Move next, skincare wise, does the skin usually go back to it? Because this is a question most women are thinking about getting pregnant, but does the skin go back to the way it was beforehand, or is it like life is just different now?
Natalie:it really depends on the person. So it is important to understand that all through your life your skin is changing, it is constantly changing. I mean, like we talked about stress, hormones, food, all that but also your environment. If you move to a new climate, if you start a new job, all of these things are going to change your skin and it can be a dramatic change or it can be a slight change. So after about a month your skin's kind of settled down and it kind of knows where it needs to be.
Natalie:But you're nursing at that point, right, and so your skin is still. Your body is producing a lot of hormones that you normally previously were not, and so your skin isn't going to be normally, it's not going to be the same as it was previously. It usually if, if it does return to exactly the same, it's going to be after you are finished nursing and then again you're going to give it an adjustment period depending on how long you nursed and stuff like that. Um, but it can kind of settle down and go back to more how it was previously, but it's it's never going to be identical, right? Because again, your skin is always changing and I can't say you know it's going to be more dry or it's going to be more oily, because it just is again. It's very dependent on that individual and how their skin reacted to everything.
Peter:And that is fascinating. Sorry, I muted there to clear my throat, um so uh. And that's fascinating because most women I know and admittedly this is from a very limited, white, middle-aged male perspective, right, so people listening to this might be thinking yeah, pete, we know you're full of shit all the time when it comes to this stuff. But most women that I know that I see around me, including my wife and I, they've had the same skincare routine for the past. I don't know 10, 15 years, and I won't mention my wife's age, but I'm a middle-aged man and she's not that much younger than I am. So you're saying that it actually makes a lot more sense going through life to regularly reassess whether your skincare routine is actually working for you or not yes, exactly, and that's actually where I specialize.
Natalie:That is what I love to do for women is so if they enter into my program, we, we teach them, you know we give them all the right products, you know they recommend all the right products for them that are for their skin exactly how it is now.
Natalie:And then they have three months with me and learning and kind of moving through this, so that the end of three months, when they come out, is they understand their skin and how it's changing and when it's changing and why it's changing. And so, as they you know they're out of the program for three months they know their skin and so for the rest of their life they understand. Oh hey, my skin is just changing a little bit and I can recognize that right now it needs a little moisturizer or, you know, I'm having some hormonal breakouts or something like that, and so it kind of, like you said, women have used the same products as they have. You know, their mom showed them what to use in their, you know, teens and that's what they use now, but it's not serving them now and it may or may not have served them then either, and so it's really important to understand your skin and how to kind of change the products up as needed, and so that's kind of where I really specialize in is teaching women about their skin specifically.
Peter:Yeah, because that's a fascinating thing, because I remember this and I saw this ages ago. I did a chat a long time ago with Dr Hugh Farmer about the skin biome and all. So he's a fascinating guy and clearly very knowledgeable about that field and I think it came up during that conversation as well where the differences in skincare in different communities, different countries, for instance. So they found a long time ago that French women, women in France, spend the same amount of money on beauty and makeup products as British women do. The difference between the two because, generally speaking, very generic and I don't want to get any complaints, but generally speaking, french ladies' skin is significantly better than British women's skin is. And that seems to be because in France, roughly at the time and this will probably be outdated data they spent 80% of their budget on moisturizing type products and only 20% on makeup, whereas in the UK it's the reverse.
Peter:And as Dr Vaughan was saying because I'm interested to get your perspective on this, am I right in saying that? What he was saying is that what makeup does? It just reflects light. Basically, right, you put a foundation that reflects light, you're covering up the skin issues. You're not actually preventing them. You're not actually helping. Helping you're not improving your skin, you're just temporarily putting, putting a mask on. It is kind of what I'm saying.
Natalie:Yeah, no, I 100% agree with that. Good skin is the best makeup, and you cannot buy enough makeup and proper makeup to hide a bad skin issue. And so really, exactly that. If you were going to put your money somewhere, I would put it into skin care, not makeup. And a lot of times, these makeups are not helping your skin. They're actually making it worse, depending on what makeup you have, because there's a lot out there as well and they can cause problems. And so, yeah, it's, it's very important if you are going to choose, choose your skin's health yeah, because, because that is and and again, because that is for our own health.
Peter:We know the skin biome is important and all that sort of stuff, but you're listening to this now, so I'm really big on skin biome, gut biome and and all that sort of stuff.
Natalie:But if we know that is important with us, if we to our health, then we know that not taking care of it is going to have negative health impact yes, yeah, for sure, and and not only I mean your skin is a reflection of what's happening on the inside, like I've said, and so if there's something going on with your skin and you're not addressing it, you're just covering it up, that problem can escalate and you're not serving your body or your skin by just putting makeup on.
Peter:Yeah, of course. No, that makes complete sense. So we've just gone through the whole pregnancy, postpartum, early postpartum, sort of type stuff and we kind of know, let's say we are, let's say I'm a young woman who just had her first child and we know second baby is coming, and we know third child is coming. Right, why is it and I know a lot of have three or more children why is it that after your third child, skincare becomes so much more difficult? Is that just an aging thing? Or is that just a the body's empty thing? Because I've had this question before from one of my clients. Uh, she could, just couldn't get her skin under control anymore after her third. The first two was still okay, but after the third it just went mental I think I don't know if that's a general rule, I definitely.
Natalie:I mean I know that it happens. I realize that I think that would be something to investigate individually. I think there might be something else going on. It is my perspective that there is something else going on, maybe like in the gut or in the body or something else, hormonally or, you know, stress levels. Maybe her eating has changed because of the stress. I know a lot of times we're so stressed and we're just kind of running, we're feel ragged, you know, especially if you've gone back to work and you're, you know you still have to take care of kids and you're not getting the sleep, and so our diet changes because we're just grabbing whatever we can in the time, and so I think a lot of that has something to do with it. Maybe it was a situation where the hormones just couldn't balance back out and, depending on how close she had the babies, I mean, there's just so many factors that would come into that that it would be hard for me to say specifically. But I mean I would guess there's something else going on.
Peter:I wouldn't say it specifically because of the birth and the you know, the labor's deliveries, all of that of the birth and the you know, the labors, deliveries, all of that right, because the main reason I'm asking is because a lot of the time, what women think postpartum is well, it's just the way it is. Now. I think it's right, this is, this is my life now, this is this kind of, but it's always. They think that after child number one and child number two, and then child number three, because every it seems to be a um, to be a little bit blunt but uh, a gradual decline is is what they are sold.
Peter:Right, that is kind of well, you have one baby, then that means your body's a little bit worse and etc. Etc. Yeah, and it's a little bit the same with, you know, premature aging and and all. Can you prevent it? Because I know that a lot of moms will really struggle with this, uh, with with that aspect of it, um, but they, just because their life is so much more stressful, like you said, and and they're one or two kids down and and they're a bit more tired and and all that sort of stuff, they have the feeling that they're aging rather quickly and you know, something I hear a lot from, from clients that train with me the early 30s.
Peter:They're like oh, my mom now looks better than I do. My mom was in her 60s. Do you know what I mean? So how is there anything we can do about that side of things?
Natalie:the premature aging for sure. Yeah, I think a lot of times. Um, I kind of go back to my, my free guide, just because it is tiny steps to improve your skin and it also is going to help prevent some premature aging because it's how you are viewing your skin. I know, again, this kind of sounds a little wooey, but if you're, if you're telling yourself you're old and you look old and you feel old, you will be old, and so I think it's a matter of flipping the switch and flipping your perspective. And then, of course, you want to to take the time to do your skin care and to do just some self care for yourself, because you feel guilty, you feel like, oh, it's taking away from the kids and I'm not that important, but really you are and it doesn't take that long to give you know, to take care of your skin at night. Five, 10 minutes is the amount that you need and and that's all you need, and that will make a huge difference on how you see yourself, first of all your self esteem, and then also your actual skin and how it's the health of it is doing.
Natalie:And so, as far as premature aging, mentally you've got to flip that switch. And then, physically, you've got to internally be doing those things you know breathing, meditating. Take care of yourself, like doing things for you that you love. Get back to the person you were before you had kids, because you don't need to identify as completely a mom, like you're a mom and you love your kids, but that's not your only identity. And so just remember who you were and start doing the things that you used to do, that you loved. And then, topically, you're going to want to make sure that you're hydrating your skin, make sure it's moisturized Really, really important. If you're moisturized, your skin is going to function better, and so find the correct moisturizer for your skin for the issues you're having. And then, the number one topical thing for premature aging to prevent it is sunscreen. Wear a sunscreen every day. The sun's rays cause 80 to 90 of premature aging you know that's.
Peter:That's a very topical point, because everything I know, I mean I know America is a mess right now with heat warnings and all that sort of stuff, but Europe isn't much better. Italy and Spain are also. People are baking of clients sending me messages saying it's 45 degrees where they are and that's the center of the Celsius so I don't even know whether it is a Fahrenheit.
Peter:It is brutal. So I don't even know whether it's a Fahrenheit. It is brutal. I don't either, but it's yeah, if you're in that heat to go out without sunscreen. You're just out of your mind, right?
Natalie:Yeah, and when you're in that heat, also hydration internally and externally, sure, because your body can't function very well if it doesn't have the hydration internally and externally. So yeah, both for sure.
Peter:That's just hot, that's just really hot yeah, absolutely, and that I suppose you know, because it's interesting, because I remember these commercials that tend to come out once every six months when the seasons change in. Uh, in the uk tends tends to be. The commercials for skincare that come out in the winter, for instance, are different from the ones in the summer, and in the winter they seem to deal a lot more with dry skin than in the summer. So, and you know, for me that's all because I live in Scotland and the winters are just wet, they're not particularly cold, they're just wet. So you know it me that's all, because I live in Scotland and the winters are just wet, they're not particularly cold, they're just wet. So you know, it's a different beast altogether. Yeah, but do you, would you recommend people change quite a lot when the seasons change.
Natalie:Yeah, actually, every season you need to readdress your skin and take a look at it and see okay, you know, am I starting to get more oily? Do I need less lighter moisturizer? And what I usually recommend is in the summer you're going to use a little lighter moisturizer and in the winter it's going to be a little bit thicker. But again, like you said, it's where they live, it's their lifestyle, it's their habits. You know, even if you're in a house and your house has a humidifier, that's going to make a difference on you know what kind of skincare you change to. So, yeah, for sure, you're going to be reassessing your skincare each, each season actually, and that's that's a useful tidbit.
Peter:Like I said, I come at this as a white guy. Right, I admit, I'm just a middle-aged guy. I'm of the generation of, born in 74. I'm lucky. I know what skincare is. I'm lucky to show up on the moisturizer after shaving.
Natalie:You're ahead of the game Good job.
Peter:Yeah, because when I grew up believe it or not, that wasn't the thing there were still commercials on television basically going you put moisturizer on after shaving man, you're a wimp. And they used a different word back then because it was allowed and it was not except and it was not accepted. It was just, basically, jesus, do you see how soft this guy is? He puts on moisturizer after shaving.
Peter:So you know I'm of that generation. I buy the moisturizer. That's pretty much where I am. So when you mention the skincare regimen, the skincare routine, that takes about five to ten minutes in the evening. So what should one, just generally speaking, what should one look like?
Natalie:Generally speaking, you're going to want to do at the very bare minimum. You're going to do four things. So you're going to cleanse, you're going to exfoliate, you're going to moisturize and then, if it's the morning, you're going to sunscreen, and so you're going to cleanse twice at night, once in the morning you're going to exfoliate. Again it comes into what you're treating, what type of exfoliator you have, how strong it is. All that it's going to be one to two times a week maybe, depending again a lot of factors. And then you're going to moisturize and that is the absolute bare minimum. But you want to have at least those four steps in your regimen. And I say five to 10 minutes, but really I mean two minutes if you're in a hurry. Wash your face for a minute, rinse it off, wash it really quick again, dry it and put your moisturizer on. So it really, it really is a very simple step.
Natalie:But I've seen a lot of changes in my clients who like especially mothers, that just don't feel like they have time for this and it's just one extra step and they feel frazzled.
Natalie:But adding this in and I think the key is to know that you have the right products for your skin and so then you like your products and you want to use your products. And it's not just something you grabbed at the grocery store and thought, oh, because I have to clean my face, so I'll use this. But knowing you were going to get results and knowing you're going to use the entire bottle of this product because you like it and you know that it's for your skin, because you like it and you know that it's for your skin, um and and just doing that tiny thing for those women has made such a difference in their perspective of themselves. And it seems simple, it seems very simple just wash your face and moisturize. But it starts to change something in them and they see themselves different. They, they have stronger self-esteem, they are, they become more of who they were yeah, sure, and and again, I am really big on this postpartum.
Peter:When you're talking about returning to the workplace, postpartum and all that sort of stuff and a lot of the time I'm not going to go all jordanie peterson here, um, but it's a lot of the time when women return to the workplace postpartum. Part of the reason I and I've come across this in several corporate environments where I've worked and consulted is on postpartum return to work is if you lack confidence when you return to work Because indeed, like you said earlier, part of your identity has changed. You are now, I don't know, sam's mom rather than your actual name, right for ages. You drop your kid off at nursery.
Peter:Oh, you must be sam's mom, and that becomes your name for the next god knows how many yeah, it's who you are it becomes a thing and um, then if you go back to work and you already don't feel right within yourself because you're postpartum recovery and it could be diastasis recti, it could be some pelvic floor issues, could be skin issues and all that sort of stuff. It is really difficult at that stage If you're not confident, to ask for the pay rise, to apply for the promotion, to speak up when you think you need to be heard and all that sort of stuff. So there's a lot more to. I'm a big fan that's what I'm saying of saying I'm doing this and it will boost my confidence as well. It's not just a purely aesthetic. Oh, look at me, I'm pretty sort of yeah, oh, yeah, yeah.
Natalie:And I think a lot of times we, as as humans, we view, view skin as aesthetics. Right, we don't view it as the largest organ of our body, which it is, and so we don't think that taking care of it muscles and our hearts and our love, like all of these other organs. But our skin is just kind of under the whole, you know, umbrella of it's. It's vain, it's just aesthetics and if you pay too much attention to it, then in your vein. But it's completely opposite. It is an organ trying to serve you, trying to function, and, yeah, it's really it is important to take care of.
Natalie:And yeah, and like you said, returning to the workforce, there's so many factors that are involved as a mom, and your mindset has changed and and your identity, you kind of lose it for a while. And that's okay. If your identity changes, that's perfectly. You don't have to go back to who you were. But, yeah, that confidence, it's like you lose it because you've been home and you know you're taking care of this baby in this life, which is a beautiful thing, but somehow we lose the importance of it as a mom and I, just because it's the day to day and I've been through it too, and so I understand how you kind of lose a little bit of yourself every day doing this, even though it is really incredibly important. You don't see it at the time, and so you kind of lose yourself, and so, yeah, returning to work can be a struggle for a lot of reasons, like you said. I agree with that yeah.
Peter:So you know, it makes sense when you, when you're talking about because I, I look at all these things, especially health related stuff right, if we're discussing skin as a health issue, much more than purely an aesthetic issue, aesthetics matter, right, let's not get ourselves into it. Aesthetics are really important. And to anybody listening, just in case it isn't clear, it's perfectly fine to go to the gym to look better and only care about your skin because it makes you look better. There is nothing wrong with going. I am vain enough to put the effort in. That is fine in the sense. That's that's why I go to the gym.
Peter:I go to gym not because I want to be ripped, I just don't want to be fat. Right, it all depends on how high you set the bar. Yes, even though low bar is a bar, um, yeah, but it's completely fine to say no, I want my skin to be healthy because that way I look better. But if you're looking at from us from a health perspective purely a health perspective, purely a confidence perspective taking care of your skin is an investment in the same way that that that a gym membership is. Or?
Peter:yes, talking to a psychiatrist or whatever you do for your health is it is not purely a an expense, is what I'm saying. So, and you know, as as I'm sure you would, it matters buying the right products, even if they're a bit more expensive. It's significantly cheaper in the long run than buying a lot of the wrong products yes, yes, and I find that a lot is is.
Natalie:I mean even me. Before I became an esthetician, I would buy, you know this, I had some acne and so I would buy things that said acne because I was like, oh for sure they're going to help me because it says acne. I have acne. You know, one and one equals two, and so I just buy all these things.
Natalie:And if you go into any I am, I am betting almost any woman's bathroom, you are going to see products galore and most of them you know they've used half the bottle, a little bit of the bottle, one pump, like just the amount of money that we spend on products that don't work, you don't like they didn't give you the results, that irritated your skin, like so many reasons that you stop using them. It is 100% cheaper to actually get a consultation with somebody who's going to guide you to specifically the products and then you're going to use the whole product and you're not going to have a cabinet full of products because you know you have the right stuff. It's cheaper in the long run, for sure yeah, and so how long does it take?
Peter:for most? Because it's interesting, because, like you said, I mean what you're talking about. There is very much, uh, my experience with my, with my lovely and I'm not trying to the wife's makeup cupboard because there's a lot of stuff in there and she has bags.
Peter:Yes, bags, I'm telling you, there are suitcases under the bed that are like travel cases not just one that are like a makeup bag. That is the size of my desk. It is brutal and I'm fairly sure that half of that stuff could end up in the bin. But you know, again, what do I know and I'm, but it's just that that is very. What you're describing is very much the experience, uh, but when you're talking about one or two little pumps out of out of the thing, how long does it take for a skincare regimen to actually get people results?
Natalie:uh, that that depends, you're gonna know. So the the line that I work with what I always constantly hear from women is sorry is that they start their skin feels softer, smoother and more radiant within a few days. And so, no matter where they start, like if they have progressive acne or rosacea or, you know, a lot of pigmentation, whatever the case may be within just a few days they're already noticing a change in their skin. And then, of course, if they're dealing with acne or pigmentation, then it's going to take a lot longer. You're going to, you know, three to six or like three months is going to be a really good time, but within a month you're going to know oh yeah, this is really really working.
Natalie:Yeah, um, and then rosacea so rosacea, you can really start getting it under control. So, of course, it's not something that's curable, but it is manageable. And so, again, you're going to start noticing uh, results and kind of calming of the skin and stuff within a week or two, and then it kind of progresses from there. So really depends on the condition, but with the line that I use and that I recommend, within a few days they are noticing a texture and look difference to their skin appearance well, and and I think that you also, especially with castor rosacea and all that sort of stuff you also immediately recommend all the usual avoid all your triggers and all that sort of stuff right.
Peter:Yes for sure, Because I have one, one of my family members has it and you know it pops up whenever there's some alcohol has been consumed.
Natalie:Let me put it that way it immediately did, like that that whole gin look yeah, yeah, and that is one of the biggest triggers of rosacea is alcohol, tobacco and stuff like that.
Peter:Yeah, yeah, and we know that alcohol, I mean in america it's better. In the uk there's a little bit of a drinking problem, uh, so I'm not talking every brit, but they're really. The drinking culture in the uk is different from most countries. Um, so you know, alcohol is not good for your skin. People right. The amount of the amount of people I train, um, that drink wine or whatever regularly as in by regular I mean almost every night that have that puffy look that you get from alcohol, is astonishing, and it's really difficult to get any skin problems under control if you're still You're dealing with that inflammation.
Peter:Yeah, yeah, yeah, cool, just wanted to. You know, know, I always like to throw that sort of thing out there because I get emails on the back of them, right, because I always get that. Oh, but I drink a glass of wine and I said I'm perfectly fine, right, that always happens, and it's called audience engagement. People, I love that, I like emails, but people just call me a jerkass because it means they're listening and they're engaged and I know I don't mean any of it. Um, cool, so the big things, the two or three big things, just to finish off. But then you say everybody should be aware of this or should even just do this. This is where you, however, if you could have, you know, you have just a short three things everybody should do. Generally speaking, what would you recommend?
Natalie:I think, firstly, I would recommend change the view of how you see your skin. It is an organ, and the healthier your organ is, so the more that you take care of it internally and externally, the better it's going to look, and that's what we all want. We want our skin to look good, but we can't just think it's topical. It really depends on what we're putting into our body, how we're taking care of our body, and that's how our skin is going to look, and so I think that's really important to make sure you flip that switch in your head so you see it as an organ that you are and it's trying to function. It is trying to serve you as you're, as you know, a whole, and then, uh, as far as topically, make sure you're hydrating your skin. I know a lot of times that's the step that people skip, just because they don't know what to use. They think there's it's going to be the greasy feeling, or you know, they're oily, they don't need one.
Natalie:There's a lot of reasons, but moisturizer is often skipped. But but, that's a really critical, critical step right, cool.
Peter:Well, I think that is because I think we covered quite a lot of ground there. I know, for instance, that I should not pick up stuff at Boots the Camish anymore, and that my wife probably should get rid of at least half of her bag because it's not actually working for her Most of that stuff is five plus years old, right, that stuff has been in her bag for ages.
Peter:She's not going to throw it out because it costs a fortune, so why would you throw it out Exactly? So it's yes, yeah, she feels guilty enough. I haven't bought it and it's not working. So like I said, there's no judgment, it's just. It is what it is. I think almost everybody can relate to that. Everybody has hundreds of pounds of stuff that oh yeah they'll just never use again.
Peter:and that is why exactly what you're saying it's it's cheaper to get a consult with someone who knows what they're doing, who can just tell you listen, this is what you need. In the short run it's a little bit more money, but in the long run you save yourself a bundle.
Natalie:Yeah, you really do. And as far as products, make sure you're going to find, you know the line that I use. There's no fillers added to it. It's incredibly potent, they're pharmaceutical grade and so you use a tiny bit and so really the cost is is it ends up cheaper than what you would use anyway.
Peter:So yeah, because that's because that's a good point. A lot of this stuff you are almost using too much just from the get-go. Um, I had a chat with one of my one of my friends. He works for, uh, colgate the, the toothpaste guys, and he said most people use way too much toothpaste oh yeah, you don't need that much, is it?
Peter:you smack it all on your, on your uh, on your toothbrushes, and you cover the thing in the toothbrush. Now the stuff is designed. Because I asked him why colgate's so much more expensive? Now, right, because it's. It's like double the price that it used to be. Is it because it's better? Now, you idiot and I I knew that that was, but I I was hoping for we've decided to rip you people off. He said but you're using too much. Yeah, half the amount you're using. Just by using the better quality product, like you said, um, and use less of it, it'll work better, because there's a reason the cheaper products are cheaper.
Peter:And it's not because they don't contain the same quality ingredients. Yeah, exactly, exactly, lovely, I'm not happy. Was there anything else you wanted to cover?
Natalie:I think we're good, unless you have any more questions for me.
Peter:No, that's all good, so I'm not happy. No, no, I will press stop record here, and press stop record is exactly what I did. Thanks very much to Natalie for coming on. I always love it when people come on and basically explain to me loads of stuff that I know absolutely nothing about, take an hour of their time. I will, of course, link to her Instagram and her website all that type of stuff. Speaking of things I know nothing about, next week I am doing a wonderful conversation. I'm bringing you a wonderful conversation that I had about chronic fatigue syndrome and how to manage it, me, how to manage it long COVID, that type of stuff, a great conversation. So you know, look out for that one next week, peter at Healthypostnatalbodydotcom, if you have any questions. Here's a new bit of music, a great conversation. So you know, look out for that one next week, peter at healthy postnatal bodycom, if you have any questions. Here's a new bit of music. All right, take care of yourself.
Speaker 3:Bye now my mind keep holding on. Are you surprised? It's been so long and I keep asking myself How's the time flown by? Give me your hand, we'll soar the skies. My eyes on you as we start to fly, and I keep holding on to you so you'll never leave. Has it been this long? Has it been this long? Has it been this long to love you? To love you, guitar solo, might and might. Keep holding on. Are you surprised? It's been so long and I keep asking myself How's the time flown by?