According to The Sun (2025), over 90% of pregnant women experience skin changes, including increased sensitivity, due to hormonal and immune system shifts.
In this episode, our GP Advisor Dr. Raj Arora discusses increased skin sensitivity during pregnancy and postpartum: explaining why it happens, and sharing expert tips on how to soothe, protect, and care for your skin through these stages.
What Causes Skin Sensitivity During Pregnancy & Postpartum?
Skin sensitivity during pregnancy and postpartum is very common, as highlighted in the statistic above. During pregnancy, your hormones fluctuate significantly, leading to noticeable changes in your skin’s behaviour. In the postpartum phase, estrogen levels drop rapidly, which can further impact skin balance and sensitivity. As a result, you may find that skincare products you loved before pregnancy no longer agree with your skin - both during your pregnancy journey and after giving birth.
What Can You Do To Soothe Sensitive Skin During Pregnancy?
If you notice that your skin no longer tolerates your usual skincare routine, it’s best to pause products high in actives, exfoliating acids, or strong retinoids. Instead, switch to gentle, barrier-supporting, and hydrating formulas that help restore balance - preparing your skin to gradually reintroduce your previous products when it’s ready.
Professionals specifically recommend products like SKN TO SKN's Multi-Tasking Face Serum. This is because they contain the ingredients your sensitive skin needs most during this time, such as:
- Azelaic Acid
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Peptides
Why Do These Ingredients Work?
Azelaic Acid – A gentle yet effective ingredient that helps to calm redness, reduce inflammation, and minimise breakouts without irritating the skin. It also works to even out skin tone, making it a great choice during pregnancy when pigmentation changes are common.
Hyaluronic Acid – A powerful humectant that draws water into the skin, providing deep hydration and helping to restore suppleness. During pregnancy, skin can become dehydrated due to hormonal fluctuations, and hyaluronic acid helps maintain moisture levels without clogging pores.
Peptides – Short chains of amino acids that signal the skin to produce more collagen and elastin. They help to strengthen the skin barrier, improve texture, and enhance resilience- ideal for sensitive skin that needs extra support during hormonal changes.
Treating & Soothing Sensitive Skin: Final Thoughts
The key to soothing sensitive skin at this stage is to step back from strong actives, exfoliating acids, and retinoids, and instead focus on gentle, hydrating, and barrier-strengthening formulas. Ingredients like azelaic acid, hyaluronic acid, and peptides are particularly effective - helping to calm redness, hydrate deeply, and improve resilience without causing irritation.
It’s important to remember that your body is going through many changes during this journey - not just your skin. We understand you want to feel in control of as much as possible, and we’re proud to say that SKN TO SKN delivers a product range designed to give you exactly that - providing the reassurance your skin needs at every stage of your motherhood journey.
