Pregnant women: Which cosmetics to use during pregnancy?

Today, we sat down with Kenza Keller, founder of talm, the skincare brand for moms during pregnancy and beyond. This clean skincare expert explains which products to use in your routine when you're planning a baby, pregnant, or postpartum.

The Genesis of the Brand

Gapianne: Hello Kenza, thank you for speaking on Gapianne about a topic that is close to our hearts: pregnancy and postpartum. You founded TALM in 2020 after having your daughters. Can you tell us a little about the genesis of the brand?

Kenza Keller: It was when I became pregnant with my first daughter that I realized how complicated it was for a woman to find products that were truly suitable and reassuring for her and her baby at that time in her life. Despite 10 years of experience in beauty, when I became pregnant, I spent a lot of time trying to decipher the composition of products. Trying to understand what I was allowed or not to apply to my skin. For example, I learned that it was dangerous for a pregnant woman to use essential oils or that there were endocrine disruptors in certain formulas that could be harmful. So this idea germinated and I wanted to offer a skincare range that could be 100% safe from the first day of pregnancy. But I also wanted to support them after childbirth, throughout the postpartum period, during breastfeeding, and which could both meet the real needs of women and support them in their hydration, in the elasticity of the skin, etc. That's how it all started!

Pregnancy care: find your ideal solution >

What cosmetics during pregnancy?

Gapianne: TALM is a cosmetics brand designed for pregnancy. Can you use cosmetics during pregnancy and which ingredients should you choose?

Kenza: Yes, it's totally possible to use cosmetics during pregnancy. I would say to favor natural, organic ingredients, but also to opt for short and minimalist compositions. I would advise trying to lighten your skincare routine and reduce the number of products you use in your bathroom, making sure they don't contain unwanted or controversial ingredients.

Conversely, what are the ingredients to ban from your bathroom when you are pregnant and why?

Kenza: You have to try to remain vigilant about the compositions and ingredient lists, called the “INCI list,” found on the back of packaging. For example, it is not recommended to use certain essential oils, overly stimulating ingredients like retinol, fruit acids, or petrochemical ingredients like mineral oils. What I would recommend is to avoid some of these molecules but also to favor natural and organic products.

In your opinion, what are the areas that you should pay particular attention to while pregnant?

Kenza: Obviously, the belly is a very important area at the beginning of pregnancy, but also throughout the postpartum period. However, it's not the only area that can be taken care of. The chest, hips, and generally the entire body and face will have significant hydration needs. So I would say to have a holistic approach, which is why talm products can be used for both the body and the face. For example, opt for a routine that provides suppleness and elasticity to prevent the appearance of stretch marks, tightness, and itching, but above all, make sure that you feel comfortable in your skin before, during, and after pregnancy.

Stretch marks on the stomach and breasts are often thought of, so why recommend using oil rather than cream to avoid them?

Kenza: At talm, we strongly believe in alternating hydration, which is actually a skincare routine that alternates two phases, two complementary galenics: water and oil. In the morning, we favor the application of a serum and a balm to deeply nourish the skin and provide it with all the elasticity and hydration it needs to function all day long, and we alternate in the evening with oil to protect the hydrolipidic film and seal in the skin's hydration. For me, more than one texture or another, I really recommend alternating between these two oily and aqueous phases.

What advice would you give to stressed-out mothers-to-be to help them relax? What are some substitutes for essential oils and herbal teas?

Kenza: I believe that the way to relax and unwind is absolutely personal. I would recommend learning about relaxation and stress management practices like sophrology. Today, there are many experts in sophrology and perinatal care who can really support women in their mental preparation before giving birth, but also after. If possible, you should try to take time for yourself, get a massage, treat yourself to moments of pleasure, for example, through a food you like, music that comforts you, a film that makes you feel good... I think that this well-being also comes from these little things. We are living in a rather complicated and anxiety-provoking period, we must try to create little moments of breathing every day.

How do you transition your pregnancy and postpartum beauty routines? What can you reintroduce into your routine, and when can you return to a normal routine?

Kenza: Generally, when you want to have a child, when you're trying to conceive, or at the beginning of your pregnancy, you change certain habits that will last and stay with you even after giving birth (we see this with our clients at Talm).

Finally, I recommend always thinking about skin comfort and hydration, promoting suppleness and elasticity by giving it plenty to drink and continuing to massage. Dry brushing is also an extremely beneficial technique that helps boost blood and lymphatic circulation. I would say that a transition between a pregnant and postpartum cosmetic routine does not necessarily have to take place, it can be the same, there is not necessarily a difference in my opinion. Furthermore, we can integrate massages that will restart the machine at the circulatory and lymphatic level and perhaps also integrate practices like the infrared sauna for example, which cannot be practiced during pregnancy or breastfeeding, but which can also allow for a transition after the arrival of a baby.

Find the Talm selection on Gapianne.