Pregnancy has a rather impressive ability to change almost everything—including your skin.
For some women, pregnancy brings the famous "glow." For others, it brings acne reminiscent of being sixteen, a dark line down the belly that seemingly appeared overnight, or skin that suddenly objects to products it has happily tolerated for years.
And then, of course, there's the considerable amount of stretching involved.
Most of these changes are a normal response to shifting hormones, increased blood flow and the physical changes happening as your baby grows. Here's what may happen to your skin over the 40 weeks—and how you can support it both inside and out along the way.
First Trimester: When Hormones Take the Lead
Your belly may not look very different yet, but your hormones certainly haven't waited for it.
During early pregnancy, changing levels of estrogen, progesterone and other hormones can affect oil production, pigmentation and skin sensitivity.
Some women find their skin looks clearer. Others experience increased oiliness and breakouts, even if acne hasn't been an issue for years.
Skin may also become more sensitive during pregnancy. Products or fragrances that never bothered you before may suddenly cause irritation.
If your usual skincare routine suddenly isn't working, simpler can sometimes be better. Gentle cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection provide a sensible foundation while your skin adjusts.
And because some common skincare ingredients aren't recommended during pregnancy, it's worth reviewing medicated or active skincare products with your healthcare professional.
Second Trimester: Hello, Pregnancy Glow
The pregnancy glow isn't entirely a myth.
Blood volume and circulation increase considerably during pregnancy, which can give the face a warmer, brighter appearance. Hormonal changes may also increase oil production, contributing to that characteristic glow.
Whether it looks pleasantly radiant or just slightly shinier than usual is perhaps a matter of perspective.
This is also when some pigmentation changes can become more noticeable.
The Line Down Your Belly
You may develop a darker vertical line running down the centre of your abdomen. This is called linea nigra, and it's a common pregnancy-related pigmentation change.
The line was actually there before pregnancy—it's called the linea alba when it isn't pigmented—but hormonal changes can cause it to darken and become much more visible.
It's harmless and usually fades gradually after pregnancy.
Melasma and Darker Pigmentation
Pregnancy can also cause areas of the skin to become darker, particularly around the face, nipples and existing freckles or moles.
Some women develop melasma, sometimes called the "mask of pregnancy," which appears as darker patches commonly affecting the cheeks, forehead or upper lip.
Sun exposure can make pigmentation more noticeable, making daily broad-spectrum sunscreen particularly worthwhile during pregnancy.
Then Comes the Stretching
By the second and especially third trimester, your skin has a fairly substantial engineering project underway.
Your abdomen expands rapidly to accommodate your growing baby. Your breasts, hips and thighs may change too.
Skin contains an extracellular matrix rich in proteins including collagen and elastin, which help give it structure, strength and elasticity.
As the skin stretches rapidly, stretch marks—or striae gravidarum—can develop. They often begin as pink, reddish, purple or darker lines and typically become lighter over time.
Stretch marks are extremely common during pregnancy. Genetics, hormones, skin characteristics, maternal age and the amount and rate of stretching can all influence whether you develop them.
Can You Prevent Pregnancy Stretch Marks?
This is where expectations are important.
There isn't a cream, oil or supplement that can guarantee a pregnancy without stretch marks.
But that doesn't mean you can't look after stretching skin.
Keeping skin well moisturized can help relieve the dryness, tightness and itching that often accompany a growing belly. A consistent skincare routine can also help keep the skin feeling soft, supple and comfortable throughout pregnancy.
Rather than thinking of stretch-mark care as trying to guarantee that a mark never appears, think of it as supporting your skin while it goes through an extraordinary amount of change.
And that support can happen in two ways: from the outside and from within.
Supporting Stretching Skin From the Outside
As your belly begins to grow, moisturizing regularly becomes particularly useful.
Prenatal Ease Belly Therapy was developed specifically for stretching pregnancy skin, using a blend of botanical ingredients including Centella Asiatica, rosehip, calendula and borage, alongside nourishing oils and butters.
Rather than having one product that everyone has to use, there are different textures depending on what your skin needs.
Belly Therapy Ultimate Oil is a lightweight, fast-absorbing botanical oil designed to nourish stretching skin and help maintain skin elasticity and resilience. It contains apricot kernel, borage, rosehip and calendula oils along with Centella Asiatica.
For everyday moisture, Belly Therapy Hydrating Lotion provides a lighter, non-greasy option with Shea and Cocoa butters, apricot kernel oil and the Belly Therapy botanical blend. It's particularly useful if you prefer something that absorbs quickly or feels lighter on the skin.
And when your skin wants something richer—particularly as the belly becomes increasingly stretched or dry—Belly Therapy Ultra-Nourishing Cream provides more intensive moisture with Shea and Cocoa butters alongside the same key botanical ingredients.
You don't necessarily need all three.
The simplest approach is our two-step Belly Therapy routine:
Step 1: Apply a few drops of Ultimate Oil after your shower or bath to nourish the skin.
Step 2: Follow with either the Hydrating Lotion or Ultra-Nourishing Cream to help seal in hydration and moisture.
Choose the Lotion when you want something lightweight, or the Cream when your skin is craving richer moisture.
Simple enough to actually do every day—which, as pregnancy progresses, becomes an increasingly important feature of any routine.
Supporting Your Skin From Within
Skincare isn't only about what you put on your skin.
Your skin is living tissue, and good nutrition provides the raw materials your body uses to maintain it.
Adequate dietary protein is particularly important because proteins provide amino acids that the body uses to build and maintain tissues.
Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation, while a varied diet provides the vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and other nutrients involved in maintaining healthy skin.
And then there's collagen itself.
Where Does Collagen Fit Into Pregnancy Skin Health?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and one of the primary structural proteins in skin.
Think of it as part of the framework that helps give skin its strength and structure.
Hydrolyzed collagen has been broken down into smaller collagen peptides. Once consumed and digested, it provides collagen-derived peptides and amino acids, including glycine and proline.
Research into oral hydrolyzed collagen has explored its effects on skin health, particularly skin hydration and elasticity. Several clinical studies and systematic reviews have reported improvements in these measures following collagen peptide supplementation, although the quality of the available research varies and further independent research is needed.
For pregnant women, this makes collagen particularly interesting as a nutritional way of supporting healthy skin during a period of considerable physical change.
Prenatal Ease Hydrolyzed Collagen contains 100% hydrolyzed Types I & III bovine collagen peptides, with no added flavours, fillers or unnecessary ingredients. Its unflavoured format makes it easy to add to hot or cold drinks, smoothies or everyday foods.
Think of collagen as supporting your skin nutritionally from within, while your Belly Therapy routine nourishes and moisturizes stretching skin from the outside.
Third Trimester: When Skin Can Feel Stretched to Its Limits
By the third trimester, your skin may feel tighter, drier or itchier—particularly across your abdomen.
This is where maintaining your routine can become especially useful.
After showering, apply Belly Therapy Ultimate Oil while the skin is still freshly cleansed, then follow with the Hydrating Lotion or richer Ultra-Nourishing Cream depending on what feels best for your skin.
Meanwhile, continue supporting your skin from within with adequate protein, hydration, a balanced prenatal diet and, if it forms part of your routine, hydrolyzed collagen.
Try to avoid very hot showers if they make dryness worse, and choose gentle products if your skin has become more sensitive.
However, not every pregnancy itch should be dismissed as stretching skin.
Severe or persistent itching—particularly itching affecting the palms of the hands or soles of the feet without an obvious rash—should be discussed promptly with your healthcare provider because it can sometimes be associated with a pregnancy condition called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.
What Happens to Your Skin After Baby Arrives?
Your skin doesn't immediately return to its pre-pregnancy state after delivery.
The abdomen gradually reduces in size, hormone levels change again, and skin and connective tissues continue adapting during postpartum recovery.
Stretch marks generally fade with time, although they may not disappear completely. Pigmentation such as linea nigra and melasma can also gradually become less noticeable.
This is also why your pregnancy skin routine doesn't necessarily need to disappear the moment baby arrives.
Belly Therapy can continue to moisturize and nourish the skin as it changes postpartum, while Hydrolyzed Collagen can remain part of your nutritional routine—particularly as skin, hair and nail health become increasingly relevant after pregnancy.
Inside and Out: A More Complete Approach to Pregnancy Skin
Pregnancy skin can glow, break out, darken, stretch, itch and occasionally do several of those things before lunchtime.
There isn't one product that controls all of it.
And perhaps there shouldn't be.
A more realistic approach is to support your skin in several ways:
Protect it. Use appropriate sun protection, particularly as pregnancy can make pigmentation more noticeable.
Nourish and moisturize it. Use a consistent Belly Therapy routine to keep rapidly stretching skin hydrated, supple and comfortable.
Support it nutritionally. Eat a balanced diet with adequate protein and consider Hydrolyzed Collagen as an additional source of collagen peptides and amino acids.
It's an inside-and-out approach to caring for skin through pregnancy and beyond.
Because your skin isn't simply covering a growing belly.
It's adapting alongside it.
Explore Prenatal Ease Belly Therapy Skincare
