As the beauty editor for Vogue, Sigourney Cantelo has learnt a thing or two about anti-ageing wellness. However, after becoming pregnant, Cantelo decided to put her wellness wallet where her mouth is, and try going chemical-free with her skincare regimen during her pregnancy.
She explains, ‘As a beauty editor, I spend my life testing cosmetics, offering my face and body up like a lab rat. But now there’s a baby growing in my tummy, that doesn’t seem so wise.’ Concerned for her baby’s wellbeing, Cantelo went natural for the first time in her life. ‘Some skincare ingredients can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream (which, of course, developing bub also shares),’ she says. ‘Many women choose to have as natural a skincare regimen as possible when they are pregnant and breastfeeding. That sounds like a prison sentence to me, but in the interests of research, I decide to do the first three months in the skincare slammer – as chemical-free as possible – and then maybe I’ll get a pass out for good behaviour.’
To start her chemical-free experiment, Cantelo first needed to get rid of any temptations still lurking in her bathroom cabinet. ‘I open up my heaving bathroom cabinet and throw out anything that contains salicylic acid, vitamin A, artificial colours, fragrances, preservatives, parabens or petroleum,’ she recalls. ‘I spend the next few months scouring the cosmetics at organic supermarkets. I fall in love with the heavenly Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Leg and Foot Crème ($24.95, 1300 855 478). And I discover Aeos, a new skincare line from the UK. The Aeos Enriching Moisturiser, $98, (02) 9779 1501, smells incredible, is packaged in beautiful glass jars and feels as glamorous and indulgent as La Prairie. I also use Miranda Kerr’s I use Kora Organics Luxurious Rosehip Body Oil, $59.95, (02) 9979 5672, every night instead of moisturiser. Most of the other creams I try smell like compost or feel as though I’ve dived into a tub of tahini.’
Although Cantelo found love with some natural skincare products, this didn’t stop her from slipping back into her old ways. ‘When my three months of purgatory are finally up I need chemical help,’ she admits. ‘I miss the slip and texture of a luxury cream and the sting of an acid as it breaks down clogged up pores and reveals clear, radiant skin beneath. To add insult to injury, I’m getting dreaded dark spots, known as melasma (or the mask of pregnancy) from the sun and I don’t know if it’s the hormones or the products, but I also have breakouts.’ Therefore she found herself calling a few dermal experts for help, and here’s what they recommended:
Alexia Shinas at Next of Skin clinic: Dermaminerals Breathable Coverage Mineral Foundation SPF 30 ($78, 1300799 709), a mineral foundation sunscreen that uses zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and provides just enough coverage to hide the spots and is low on chemicals. She also recommends the super serum Aspect Exfol l 15 ($79.20 1800 648 851), which uses lactic acid, which is safe for pregnancy, to reduce breakouts and pigmentation.
Emma Hobson, Education Manager of the International Dermal Institute: Dermalogica C12 Concentrate ($165; 1800 659 118), which works to suppress the melanin production that leads to pigmentation. She adds that Cantelo needs to watch her stress levels: ‘Stress hormones have the ability to trigger melanin formation too, so book in for a relaxing pregnancy massage or a professional skin treatment.’ When Cantelo took this advice, she found the best of both worlds: ‘As I lie tummy-down for the first time in months on a special pregnancy bean-bag, two therapists work in tandem to knead out my knots and, at the end of a blissful hour, I float out the door. I finally have that pregnancy glow and for once, it’s not thanks to skincare.’