Lauren Murdoch-Smith has worked at Grazia for….well, a long time! In that time, Lauren has risen the ranks from Beauty Assistant to Beauty Editor.
Whilst working with the beauty team, she’s developed an unhealthy obsession for nails, shopping and celebrities – which is useful when you work at Grazia!
Currently, Lauren is masquerading as a domestic baking goddess to keep her calm as she travels all over the world to cover all four fashion weeks every season. Oh, as well as generally conquering the beauty world to bring the best news stories and breaking trends for Grazia and, of course, Grazia Daily.
It’s funny, I’m a beauty Editor but never before have I written about pregnancy beauty, and since falling pregnant, I’ve discovered a whole new exciting world of beauty. Being pregnant during the summer brings with it a whole host of new rules and introductions to new products. Not that I’m complaining, I’m a complete beauty junkie and I’ll find any excuse to uncover new and brilliant products.
With my due date in September, I’m determined to have one last holiday, albeit to our usual haunt in Spain, so nowhere far flung or adventurous but still the last, relaxing holiday before the bambino arrives! With the enticing Mediterranean heat comes the issue of sun care during pregnancy. With pretty much every other change going on in your body, you’ll find that your skin is one of the biggest things to change which you have to adapt to pretty sharpish. Oil and super hydration aside, the sun can cause bigger problems. Thanks to all those lovely pregnancy hormones and it’s these hyper hormones that give you overly sensitive skin, which means you’re more likely to burn, so don’t even think about applying an SPF on your face unless it’s 30 plus. Look for high factors, particularly for your face, as the risk of hyper pigmentation is higher during pregnancy; this is due to melanocyte-stimulating hormone, the hormone that reacts to the sun, responsible for making your skin darker, good if you’re looking for a tan but bad news for us pregnant ladies!
Here are my golden rules for well, a golden (pregnancy) glow this summer…
- Don’t think a higher SPF means being pale for summer. It just means your skin is better protected from burning and ageing, giving you a more even, longer-lasting tan
- Look for sensitive sun care ranges. Liz Earle and Sisley are great for over sensitised skin thanks to their natural approach to sun protection.
- Avoid overheating which is more likely during pregnancy and can lead to prickly heat; again another common problem during pregnancy. Brands like Sisley are great at preventing prickly heat and but it’s also a good idea to carry around a water spray like Evian’s Brumisateur Facial Spray, for an instant cooling action.
- Wear a big floppy hat! Not only is it this season’s must-have holiday item, it’ll stop you picking up unwanted pigmentation on your face
- Slap on after sun straight after being in the sun. It’ll hydrate and keep you cool so keep it in the fridge for extra cooling relief. If you do burn, look for an Aloe Vera based lotion. I love Garnier Ambre Solaire After Sun Gel with Aloe Vera.
Top Pregnancy Sun Care
For ultra sensitive skin: Avene Eau Thermale Avène Very High Protection Cream SPF50.
Great for anti-ageing too: Sisley Facial Sunscreen SPF 50+
A good, budget option for skin that needs a little extra TLC: Nivea Pure and Sensitive Sun Range
For those of you looking for something natural: Liz Earle Mineral Sun Cream
Make sure you protect extra sensitive and easily burnt areas like your nose and ears with: Vichy Capital Soleil Sunstick SPF30
For those of you that are oil addicts, get your fix with: Lancaster Satin Sheen Oil Fast Tan Optimizer SPF30
