Natural Fixes For Your Summer Beauty Problems

Pregnancy can be difficult at the best of times but it can be downright demanding during the hot summer months. Not only is your body changing, but a whole new crop of summer beauty problems such sunburn and sweat means your beauty routine needs an overhaul too. Luckily, that’s the one thing you don’t have to sweat about this summer - we’ve figured out the best all natural, pregnancy safe beauty fixes for all your summer beauty woes:

Summer Beauty Problem: Sunburn

We all know that sunburns can be downright painful at times. To soothe your skin:

Summer Beauty Problem: Chlorine Dry Hair

The healthiest of hair can get incredibly dry after long weekends spent swimming in chlorine filled pools or splashing around in the salty ocean water. To bring shine and lustrous texture back to your hair:

  • Use an all-natural deep conditioner in your hair, such as Nine Natural’s Mandarin + Ginger Restorative Conditioner, to tame your tresses.
  • Work a small amount of coconut oil into your hair, leave on for 20 min & wash out. For added hydration and moisture, leave the coconut oil in your hair overnight and wash it it out in the morning.

Summer Beauty Problem: Sweat

Sweat is a part of everyday life but it can get excruciatingly uncomfortable during a summer pregnancy. To combat sweat:

Summer Beauty Problem: Dry, Itchy Skin

Dry, itchy skin seems like a rite of passage with pregnancy - especially during the summer. But it doesn’t need to be. To hydrate your skin:

Summer Beauty Problem: Swollen Feet & Legs

Swollen feet during the summer is a beauty problem for all women, but it’s especially bad for pregnant women. It may not be possible to prevent swelling from developing, but you can prevent it from becoming severe:

  • Wear comfortable shoes and avoiding tight straps or anything that might pinch if your feet swell.
  • Keep your feet elevated as often as possible. Keep blood flow moving by stretching and taking walking breaks throughout the day.
  • Cool your feet down in cold water.

Summer Beauty Problem: Breakouts

Excess hormones from pregnancy and extra sweat from hot summer months can lead to the perfect acne-causing combination. To manage acne naturally:

  • Exercise as sweat detoxifies the skin.
  • Wash your face twice daily with a gentle, all-natural facial cleanser. Pat dry your skin as rubbing can irritate the skin and worsen your acne problems.
  • Use natural skincare products and makeup that is free of harsh chemicals such as dimethicone and fragrance, which can clog your pores or cause irritation.
  • Change your pillowcase often to prevent bacteria buildup on the fabric of your pillowcase.
  • Consult our Acne During Pregnancy guide for more tips!

Summer Beauty Problem: Hyperpigmentation

Although pregnancy can give your face that great glow, it can also lead to hyperpigmentation - a darkening of skin around particular areas on your face. Sun exposure can worsen this issue. To minimize hyper-pigmentation:

Nine Naturals Style Guide: Fourth of July Maternity Fashion

We know dressing for a hot summer day isn’t easy, especially while pregnant and being out and about during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. Fourth of July fashion is all about showing off your patriotic pride and dressing up in red, white and blue. Even though you have a limited color pallet to work with, the possibilities are endless! Whether you’re attending a BBQ, headed to the beach, or enjoying brunch with friends and family, we have just the right looks to keep you cool, comfortable and stylish.

BBQ Ready: Headed to a summer BBQ this Fourth of July? Time to pull out our favorite summer staple – the maxi dress. This blue and white striped maxi is Fourth of July perfect, especially when paired with a vibrant statement necklace. Grab a jean jacket in case it gets chilly and dress it up with a pair of wedges to give you added height. Complete the outfit with festive red nails for a subtle nod to the red, white and blue.

BBQ

Spaghetti Strap Empire Waist Maternity Maxi (Jessica Simpson), Vintage denim jacket (J. Crew), Pledge Leather Espadrille Wedge Sandals (Jimmy Choo), Give It A Swirl Triple Strand Necklace (Kate Spade), American Beauty 5 Free Nail Polish (Priti NYC)

Beachy Style: Just because you have a growing bump doesn’t mean you can’t flaunt it at the beach this summer! Show off your bump with a solid blue one-piece bathing suit that features ruffles along the neckline for a touch of added flair. Go bare or cover it up with a simple white tunic. A classic wide-brimmed straw hat and your favorite pair of shades will protect your face from the beaming sun. Don’t forget to throw in Mott 50’s sun protective scarf and Nine Naturals Natural SPF Sunscreen 32 in your nautical beach tote!

Fourth of July Maternity Fashion

Pleated Maternity Swim Cover-up (A Pea in the Pod), Dot Bow Straw Hat (Ann Taylor), Ruffled Maternity One Piece Swimsuit (A Pea in the Pod), Classic Square Sunglasses (Ralph Lauren), Nautical Striped Tote (Daily Look), Sun Protective Shawl for Birchbox (Mott 50), Patent Thora 2 Sandal (Tory Burch)

Daytime Brunch: Fourth of July weekend is a time for family and friends, but don’t forget about the food! If you’re heading into town for a delicious meal, think casual yet sophisticated. Throw on a comfortable pair of white maternity jeans to show off that summer style, topped off with a loose fitting patriotic red blouse and a navy blazer for a classy, yet chic touch. Finish the outfit with a leather sandal so you’re ready to walk around town for a little shopping after brunch!

Maternity Fourth of July Fashion

Maternity Skinny Jeans in White (LOFT), Blue Depths ‘Abree’ Open Front Blazer (BCBG), Convertible Sleeve Button Front Blouse (MISOKA), Donddi Sandal (Steve Madden), Jeweled Quill Earrings (J. Crew), Lydia Tote (Tory Burch)

Our 9 Favorite Uses for Nine Naturals Simply Natural Lip Balm + Repairing Body Balm

Nine Naturals Lip Balm Body Balm

We’ve been keeping a secret from you that we can finally share! The Nine Naturals team has been using our NEW Simply Natural Lip Balm & Repairing Body Balm for months and we are absolutely in love with these versatile products. We use them for everything.

Here are our 9 favorite uses for the Simply Natural Lip Balm & Repairing Body Balm:

1) Soothe Sunburn: Sometimes even careful sun protection practices can sometimes fail to completely prevent sunburns, especially if you have fair or sensitive skin. The Nine Naturals Repairing Body Balm, made with moisturizing butters and soothing calendula extract, can help heal and protect sun damaged skin.

2) Make Natural Make-Up: Mix a little bit of Simply Natural Lip Balm with your all-natural powder blush or eye shadows to make long lasting cream-versions of your favorite makeup products. Bonus: Depending on the color, these new creams can also double as tinted lip balm!

3) Cure Dry Cuticles: Dry cuticles are a season-less issue for us. We love the stick feature of the Repairing Body Balm to use on our cuticles without making our fingers a greasy mess!

4) Soothe Your Achy Nose During Allergy Season: Are allergies causing you to constantly blow your nose and irritate your skin? Soothe the chapped, irritated skin around your nose by dabbing some Repairing Body Balm to relieve the pain of red, tender skin.

5) Heal Dry, Cracked Heels: You don’t hear many women talking about it even though dry, cracked heels are a common symptom of pregnancy! Mongongo oil, the main ingredient in the Repairing Body Balm, has been used for centuries to help heal and moisturize skin. Apply the balm to your feet morning and night to help protect the skin and restore moisture.

6) Control Flyaways: We love using Nine Naturals Mandarin + Ginger Restorative Conditioner to tame flyaways in the morning. However, if you are battling frizz and static hair when out and about, just rub a little bit of Simply Natural Lip Balm on your palms or finger tips and comb through your hair. It’ll smooth out your tresses immediately!

7) Smooth Brows: Use the Simply Naturals Lip Balm to shape your brows in the morning. No need for a special brow gel with this trick - it saves both money and precious space in your make-up bag.

8) Comfort Skin After Shaving Nicks: Next time you cut yourself shaving, ditch the piece of toilet paper for a clear coat of Repairing Body Balm instead.

9) Ease In To New Shoes: Wearing a fabulous new pair of shoes is fun, but breaking in those new heels can be downright painful. Protect the back of your feet and help prevent blisters by using the Repairing Body Balm to reduce the friction from new shoes when not wearing hose or socks.

Babymoon Fashion - Our Favorite Looks for Every Type of Vacation!

Earlier this week, we posted about some of our favorite babymoon locations. Of course, once you start thinking about vacation, the natural next step is to start thinking about resort wear, new vacation clothing and shopping! Whether you are headed for the beach, a beautiful spa, or the hustle and bustle of a big city, Nine Naturals has put together a list of some of our favorite babymoon looks for every vacation type - all the inspiration you need to book that trip and get your shopping list ready to go. Enjoy!

Beach Bum Babymoon: When you’re heading to the beach (avec bump) for your baby moon, there are a few easy ways to feel both comfortable and sexy. Show a little leg with a short tunic and embrace your bump (literally and figuratively) with a stylish bathing suit. Then find a simple scarf and a chic pair of shades to give that “effortlessly beautiful” bottomline to your look.

Maternity Resort Wear

Luxury Lover (Canyon Ranch Spa) Babymoon: This is the babymoon that is all about you. Your relaxation, your indulgence. Think “loose-fitting” so you can glide into a robe for a massage, into the pool for a swim or onto a lounge chair for a nap. Focus on accessories to tie the outfit together. Few things make us feel more stylish and mysterious (thank you, Ms. Hepburn) than a fabulous pair of sunglasses. Add a classic, wide-brimmed hat and a terribly fashionable pair of wedges to bring it all together. And -remember - you’ll want everything that adds to your relaxation from magazines to tablets to books to your Unscented Moisturizing Body Cream - so don’t forget your favorite spa tote.

Maternity Resort Wear

City Slicker / Globe Trotter Babymoon: If a city is your babymoon destination, we tip our hats to you. We admire your adventurous spirit and we also happen to totally agree that cities are a great place for a babymoon. And, if you’re taking on a city, you’re taking on walking, museums, shopping, eating and more! Focus first on the brands, patterns and designs that will make you feel like one of the city’s haute fashion jetsetters. And then filter for comfort. A Bateau top means style in any language and originates from the comfort and flexibility that sailors once needed to scurry around boats adjusting the sails (so it should meet the comfort standards for moms-to-be!). Comfortable jeans (such as these Rag and Bone demin looking designer sweatpants), patent leather flats along with your favorite bag will round out a great look whether you’re in Milan, Pars, New York or Santa Monica.

Maternity Resort Wear

Things We’ve Read – Week of January 6th

3 Under 3: (New Yorker): Whatever your expectations of your unborn child … raise them.

Higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy could help babies become stronger: (University of Southhampton): Children are likely to have stronger muscles if their mothers had a higher level of vitamin D in their body during pregnancy

New Mom’s Uncensored Photos Reveal The Beautiful, Messy Reality Of Home Birth (HuffPo): A must-read. Not just for the photos. For the thorough and honest narration.

Copying Other Cultures: A Questionable Parenting Strategy (NY Magazine):Great article about about taking parenting trends from other cultures, particularly the problems citing of more “authentic” cultures as automatically more knowledgeable about babies.

Experts recommend universal diabetes testing for pregnant women at first prenatal visit (The Amalgest): As many as one in five women may develop gestational diabetes – a form of diabetes that has its onset during pregnancy. Experts say the test should be done before 13 weeks’ gestation or as soon as possible thereafter.

EWG’s 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in (EWG): The Environmental Working Group makes it easy for you to eat fruits and vegetables. Fearelessly. This report outlines the foods you should buy organic and the foods that are aok to buy conventionally grown.