Hospital Bag Beauty Heroes
Comfort is Queen
As someone who has given birth 4 times, I consider myself a pro when it comes to knowing what you need by your side. Sometimes it involves the grimacing father of said child, but more often it involves anything that will cool you down and make you feel comfortable, swiftly followed by a kilo of salted butter on toast. When it comes to skincare and beauty, this may be the last thing on your mind, but there are some great products out there that will bring some relief and make you feel more human. Pregnancy and giving birth are, after all, bloody hard work, and anything that makes you feel physically or emotionally better gets my vote.
Cool Mama
Hospitals are hot. Giving birth at home is hot. Your whole body is hot. Most of you know my default temperature is ‘Vesuvius’ so trust me, I have hunted down the best cooling saviours over the years. Curel’s Deep Moisture Mist is right up there in the top spot for me. The mist is ultra-fine, ultra-light and supremely comforting. Have a couple of cans handy (preferably one that is chilled) and skin irritation/heat/general annoyance will instantly subside a little. Formulated with a concentrated blend of moisturising ingredients and ceramides, it’s as good for the skin as it is for the soul and can be used with abandon across face and body for instant moisture and refreshment. It’s great both during and after pregnancy.
Cleanse Like You Mean It
Routines can (understandably and justifiably) go out of the window when you’re focused on bringing a new human into the world, so finding a brilliant cleanser that will remove everything in one step will lighten the load. Not your average gel, Skin Rocks’ The Gel Cleanser is an epic multi-texture gel that melts into the skin to gently dissolve makeup, dirt, sweat and impurities. Transforming from a gel-to-oil-to-milk texture, it cleanses everything from your face whilst leaving it soft, smooth, and comfortable.
Its barrier-replenishing formula is enriched with a fortifying six-oil blend of avocado, jojoba, sunflower, grape, argan and rosehip oils to bring supple comfort and nourishment: a brilliant one-and-done cleanse.
Root Lift
There’s something deeply unpleasant about the sensation of hair that’s been stuck to a sweaty forehead/nape of neck for hours (if not days) on end. If you’re lacking the will/energy/physical mobility to get under a shower and wash your hair, a good dry shampoo can offer an interim pick-me-up. Living Proof’s Perfect hair Day™ Dry Shampoo and Perfect hair Day™ Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo are great, because unlike other formulations, they actually clean your hair by absorbing excess oil, sweat and odour (rather than just masking the dirt like many dry shampoos). The formula feels weightless, smells good and gives a welcome boost of volume and zhuzhwhen you’re craving a real (and metaphorical) lift.
Rescue-in-a-bottle
Nothing delivers skin comfort and nourishment quite like the Skin Rocks Support Oil. Known by our customers as the ‘fire extinguisher for skin’, this is a little bottle of perfection when it comes to soothing sensitised, irritated, or uncomfortable skin. Use after cleansing/moisturising to add vital hydration and instant glow — it will elevate whatever routine you can muster into something more indulgent. Rich with jojoba, macadamia and sunflower oils in a 100% plant-derived pure squalane base, your skin will feel calm, hydrated and plump after use.
You can also use a few drops both during and post-pregnancy —on your bump to keep skin supple and nourished, to help with sore nipples, stretch marks, even perineum healing—basically any skin SOS you may have.
Small, but mighty.
Intimate Innovations
If you’ve had a vaginal birth, you are going to be feeling pretty raw down under, and you’ll likely wince at the mere thought of anything touching you. Luna Daily’s Post-Birth Soothing Spray is therefore a welcome touch-free option. Infused with Aloe Vera, Bisabolol, Calendula and Lactic Acid to help soothe intimate skin, it’s a clinically tested soothing spray that provides instant relief from swelling, bruising, or inflammation. Developed with dermatologists and gynaecologists, it’s safe to use pre- and post-pregnancy; simply spray directly onto skin, a tissue or into maternity pants to feel instant relief. Pop in the fridge for an extra cooling effect.
Body Boost
If you do have the mojo and mobility for a full shower, a gorgeously scented, sensorial gel or oil can feel transformative. I am not talking about intimate areas here—to maintain vaginal hygiene and comfort you likely just need warm water, which can be helpfully administered via a squirt bottle (saves the agony of body contortions). However, always speak to your midwife or Ob/Gyn about this depending on what kind of delivery you have experienced—and avoid anything fragranced or labelled as “feminine hygiene”. These products are often harsh and can strip healthy bacteria from the area or cause inflammation. They also send a terrible message that vulvas somehow need to smell like a Peach Melba or an Ocean Breeze—don’t fall for the BS, whatever the claims say.
For everywhere else, a divinely scented option can give you a real psychological boost. I love the Aromatherapy Associates Revive Shower Oil and the Fresh Sugar Lychee Body Washes.
Flan Club
You know how I LOVE a flannel. Especially when they are massive, super-soft and developed by moi. The Skin Rocks Flannels are as good as they get - jumbo sized, really absorbent, and weighty enough to do your entire face in a single swipe. Whether you want to use them for face, body, or both, a pack of 7 will see you through multiple pre- and post- cleansing days. Keep a few on rotation soaked in cold water to squeeze and swipe over heated faces, foreheads, under-boobs, armpits or anywhere else; they will cool, cleanse and gently exfoliate skin to bring another dimension to your hygiene routine.
Feeling Swell
Oh ankles, where did you go my friends? Subsumed in a shapeless mass that swallows any visible signs of actually having bones or joints, swollen ankles and lower legs are one of the most discomforting parts of pregnancy. Legology’s Jelly-Lite Moisturising Mask is the ultimate cold comfort therapy; instantly cooling and deeply hydrating hot, dry and tired legs.
Described by the brand as “a wobbly wonder of cold quenching love” it's a fast fix for deep thirst-quenching care with the lightness and coolness you would expect from Legology.
Just scoop out and layer on. Divine.
A wipe, but not as you know it.
This handy little spray is another of Luna Daily’s clever innovations. Dubbed the pocket-sized ‘shower in a bottle’ the Hydrating Everywhere Spray-to-Wipe (now that’s a ‘does what it says on the tin’ name) can be spritzed onto a tissue to transform it into a quick biodegradable cleansing wipe—ready to swipe wherever you need for a water-free refresh.
Great if you are too immobilised to bathe or shower, it’ll fill in as a skincare rarity: a wipe with credentials. With a gentle pH of 4 and powered by the brand’s unique THERA-BIOME+ complex (a blend of thermal water, prebiotic lactic acid, inulin and vitamins), it helps nourish and protect your skin microbiome and cool overheated skin.
Shop the full range from Skin Rocks here
Words by Caroline Hirons, Skin Rocks Founder and Skincare Expert
