We know that pregnancy is full of new decisions to make. And we know that making those decisions can feel scary or overwhelming. But not all of them have to be! Choosing the best body soap for your pregnancy will be easy (and fun!).
With pregnancy comes a ton of changes to your body, inside and out. (Hello, hormones!).
From weight gain to hair growth and emotions that go up and down more than the price of gas…it can be a lot to take in.
The last thing you want to worry about is your skin. But the truth is, you might experience more than just that beautiful pregnant “glow”.
The most common skin concerns during pregnancy are:
- Dryness
- Darkening (melasma)
- Acne
- Stretch marks
Today we’ll help you choose the best body soap for your pregnancy. Your shower is a sanctuary! And we want to help you keep it that way.
The best part is that you don’t have to give up the good stuff. You can choose safe for your pregnancy, luxury for your skin and good for the planet too.
To check all of these boxes and more, we choose hemp body soap.
Read this article to find out why.
Why our body soap is safe during pregnancy
empyri’s hemp body soap uses Health Canada and FDA approved extracts from the hemp plant. One is hemp seed oil and the other is hydrolyzed hemp seed extract. We’ll talk more about the skin-nourishing benefits of these ingredients below, but for now, let’s focus on their safety.
But a quick note before we do:
You may be asking, “Why does your soap box say “cannabis sativa” on the front? I thought it was hemp! What’s the difference”?
Well, I’m an engineer so I love getting technical. Hemp is part of the cannabis plant family - hemp is cannabis.
If you need a refresher on the difference between cannabis, marijuana and hemp, check out this helpful video we made here.
OK, now safety.
Zero THC
Empyri hemp soaps do not contain THC. THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the psychoactive compound in cannabis. So our soaps will NOT get you high. THC is concentrated in the flowers of the cannabis plant, specifically in the flowers of female marijuana plants.
empyri only uses extracts from hemp seeds, which do not contain any THC. In fact, you can buy hemp seeds at the grocery store!
Zero CBD
empryi’s hemp seed oil and hemp seed extract do not contain CBD either. CBD or cannabidiol is the other major cannabinoid in the cannabis plant. CBD is non-psychoactive. While we do know that CBD has many therapeutic benefits, we’ve left it out of our soap.
Fun fact: There can be up to 100 cannabinoids in a cannabis plant! THC and CBD are just the most well-known.
OK, we’ve covered safety. Now let's look at why hemp soap is the best choice for your pregnancy.
Empyri hemp soap is the best body wash for your pregnancy
Empyri makes 3 hemp body soaps, each with a beautiful scent (more on that below). All 3 are made with hemp seed oil and hemp seed extract.
There are many benefits of using hemp soap. Let's review why it's the best body wash for your pregnancy.
It helps with back acne
empyri’s hemp body soap will gently treat back acne.
ACNE???!!!
Thought your days of back acne (or “back-ne”) were over in your teenage years? Think again!
With hormones raging at an all-time high during pregnancy, many women develop acne-prone skin. Not just on your face, but on your body too.
It’s important to treat acne gently during pregnancy. Acne treatments like isotretinoin (known mostly by the brand name, Accutane) are a big no-no.
The key is balance. (Fancy science word for this is homeostasis).
You want to cleanse without stripping your skin of it’s natural oils. This prevents oil-production from going into overdrive to compensate. Since your pregnancy acne is hormonal, this likely won’t solve the issue completely. But by treating it gently (that means no picking and popping either!) you’ll be less likely to scar when your acne clears post-delivery.
Lucky for you, our hemp body soap is full of hemp seed oil which is beloved for balancing our skin.
It heals dry skin
Our hemp soaps are jam packed with moisturizing ingredients. Other bar soaps make skin feel dry and tight after bathing. Not ours! You still need to use body oil or lotion to lock in moisture. But how you cleanse is key to hydration. You want to make sure you’re not stripping your skin of its natural oils that protect it from drying out.
Check out the ingredients that make our hemp soaps a hydration hero.
Olive Oil: full of oleic acid, olive oil is smoothing + conditioning
Coconut Oil: responsible for cleansing without stripping moisture from the skin (common in facial oil cleansers too!), coconut oil is full of fatty acids and vitamin E to moisturize
Hydrolyzed Hemp Seed Extract: clinically proven (did you hear that… CLINICALLY PROVEN) to improve skin texture by reducing the flakiness caused by dryness.
Choose hemp body soap to say goodbye to itchy and dry skin!
It prevents stretch marks
Using the right body wash during your pregnancy won’t prevent stretch marks on it’s own. But keeping your skin hydrated is the best defense against stretch marks.
Remember how I said how you cleanse your skin is key to hydration?
Yep. We’re back here again.
To prevent stretch marks, you need to choose a soap that won’t disrupt your skin barrier. In simpler terms that means a soap that will cleanse without washing away your skin’s natural lipids (oils) that keep it moisturized and soft.
Our bar soaps are cold processed with high quality and hydrating oils like olive and coconut. What makes empyri’s hemp body soap special is hydrolyzed hemp seed extract, which we’ve added specifically to help with hydration because it’s clinically proven
The scents are organic and non-harmful
Our hemp body soaps are naturally scented with essential oils. We choose essential oils instead of “parfum” or “fragrance”, a synthetic combination of thousands of chemicals, because it can be harmful and toxic. It's flagged on David Suzuki Foundation's Dirty Dozen for this reason.
Of course, some folks are sensitive to essential oils, so we made an unscented hemp body soap too.
It works with every skin type
Sometimes people with dry skin avoid bar soaps because they can be drying, but not ours!
Because our hemp soap is super gentle, it works with every skin type.
The ingredients are cruelty-free and vegan
empyri’s promise is that our products will always be vegan and cruelty-free. Our hemp body soaps are no different!
The hemp body soaps that we have
Hemp Body Soap with Lavender + Orange Blossom
This soap is for the spa junkie.
We said you wouldn’t have to give up luxury for your skin during pregnancy. This hemp body soap is the reason why. It features empyri’s signature scent of lavender + orange blossom. A little dose of indulgence every time you bathe.
Lavender essential oil has numerous aromatherapy benefits, like promoting relaxation and soothing stress for a more restful night’s sleep.
Neroli essential oil gives this bar its orange blossom kiss. It's another calming scent. Perfect for unwinding after a long day of being on your swollen feet. (Oh yes, that part is coming...). Neroli oil also has antioxidant properties to help with that glow.
Hemp Body Soap with Bergamot + Chamomile
This soap is for the nature lover.
Bergamot essential oil shares a citrusy tone, but its deeper and more grounding. Paired with chamomile, this hemp body soap is perfect to relax.
Pro tip: use with our hemp washcloth 1-2x per week to gently exfoliate dead skin cells.
Hemp Body Soap with Oatmeal + Cocoa Butter
This is our unscented bar.
Made with oatmeal + cocoa butter for extra sensitive skin. Pregnancy itself can sometimes increase sensitivity, even to gentle ingredients like essential oils. So if you’re flaring up at the slightest scent, choose this hemp body soap. You’ll still get all of the skin nourishing benefits of hemp seed oil and extract.
The oatmeal + cocoa butter combo is so gentle that some of our customers use it on their face too! Check out the reviews:
Our extra tips for skincare during pregnancy
Tip #1: Level up your sun protection
You should be wearing an SPF (at least on your face, neck and hands) every day. If you’re not, use your pregnancy to start. And then don’t ever stop!
One of the most common pregnancy skin concerns is melasma. Melasma is a darkening (hyperpigmentation) of the skin. During pregnancy, your skin can become extra sensitive to sunlight and sometimes pigment-stimulating hormones increase.
Tip #2: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
We’ve already talked a lot about hydration during pregnancy. That’s because all the water in your body is eager to nourish that new little life inside you. That means it’s being pulled away from… you guessed it… your skin.
So up your daily water intake and remember to moisturize skin after bathing. Not only will this help with pregnancy-related dryness, but it will help prevent stretch marks too.
Tip #3: Avoid (some) actives.
The truth is, there isn’t much data on the safety of active skincare ingredients during pregnancy. Of course we don’t test on pregnant women and their fetuses. The general consensus is to avoid active ingredients like:
- Retinol
- Salicylic acid
- BHA’s (beta hydroxy acids)
Best practice is to speak with your doctor and dermatologist.
Tip #4: Clean beauty catalyst.
As women, we often need a reason other than ourselves to take better care of our bodies.
Back in June, I hosted a Zoom call for women in our online community of skincare enthusiasts. We asked the group, "What does clean beauty mean to you"? Many included why they were inspired to learn about clean beauty in the first place.
The answers went something like this:
"I started reading labels more carefully for products I was using on my kids".
"I looked for natural skincare alternatives when I had my first baby".
"Once I started choosing clean products for my children, I started choosing them for myself too".
So what does this tell us? The catalyst for choosing clean skincare products is often our children. We choose it for them and so we choose it four ourselves.
And that choice can start in pregnancy. Start by simply switching to a 100% natural, gentle body wash like our hemp body soap.
We want to support your journey to choose clean beauty with confidence. To get started, check out empyri’s Clean Beauty Ethos.
FAQs
Can you use a body wash with a scrubbing ingredient in it?
We recommend avoiding anything abrasive like a body was with a “scrubbing ingredient” or mechanical exfoliant. You may find that this aggravates your sensitive pregnant skin.
Thankfully, our bodies do a great job naturally of shedding dead skin cells. To support the process, use a natural washcloth 1-2x per week to gently exfoliate.
What products should be avoided during pregnancy?
Prescription acne treatments like isotretinoin and tretinoin should be avoided during pregnancy. This one is a biggie so we’ve mentioned it a few times in this article. There is data to support that products like Accutane can cause birth defects.
Is it necessary to use body soap during pregnancy?
Our rule of thumb for using body soap, whether you’re pregnant or not, is to only use it where you need it! You do not need to lather every inch of your skin every day.
Why is skin sensitive in pregnancy?
One word. Hormones!
Can I follow my regular skincare routine while pregnant?
You might be able to follow your regular skincare routine while pregnant. It depends on what your routine is! The best thing to do is to show the products you use to your doctor and/or dermatologist.
But generally most skincare is OK during pregnancy. The “big NO’s” are retinol (and other vitamin A derivatives) and beta hydroxy acids as well as acne treatments like Accutane.
And if your “regular skincare routine” doesn’t already include sunscreen, add it now and keep it forever!
In conclusion
With pregnancy comes a new set of choices to make. Choices for you and choices for your baby. It can be overwhelming, especially when you’ve got endless amounts of (often unsolicited) advice being thrown your way.
Choosing a safe body wash for your pregnancy can be easy.
Hemp bar soap will leave skin hydrated, nourished and confidently clean. Plus you’ll get a little dose of luxury. Because you definitely deserve it, and
You Are Loved.
Author Bio: Jennifer is the president and founder of empyri. Jennifer’s passion for formulation and product development was set ablaze in 2019, when she incorporated the healing power of cannabis roots into her long-standing three-step skin care system. Armed with scientific evidence on the actives in cannabis roots and seeds, a clean and conscious brand was born. Using her masters degree in bio-chemical engineering, Jennifer is forging a path to ...READ FULL BIO |
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7769/13-uses-for-lavender-oil-the-only-essential-oil-youll-need.html
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/neroli-oil
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=pregnancy-and-skin-changes-134-7