Wondering what clean, nontoxic products can help ease the first trimester pregnancy symptoms?? Here’s a round up and review of my top favorite nontoxic products and a few natural methods you’ll actually use during your first trimester!
Dry Skin and Lips
Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm -I almost didn’t put this product on here because I honestly don’t like this brand typically or find them a “best of the best” clean brand. Burt’s Bees is owned by Clorox and overall cuts corners and is very greenwashing. This is one of the VERY rare cases where I use a product from a company I don’t 100% approve of. I typically recommend not merely looking at the ingredients label to determine safety, but to research the brand as a whole as that gives WAYYY more insight into the safety of a product. (See a video I did explaining this more HERE) But honest to goodness this is THE ONLY lip balm I can find that actually heals and moisturizes my lips when they are super chapped and hurting! (no really…I’ve tried like 20+ brands of lip balms) I’ve had such dry lips this trimester and everything I’ve tried so far might help give moisture, but won’t actually “heal” it, if that makes sense. This is like the healthier swap to the good ol carmex brand that makes your lips sting because it’s working! lol Ingredients wise it’s “clean”, but like I said…much more to safety then just ingredients…until I can find another brand that works just as well, I’ll keep using this one! (Have any suggestions?? Comment below and tell me!) Buy it HERE
Pleni Naturals Day Squad Face Oil -my hands specifically have been on the drier side this first trimester and so have parts of my face, so this has been a lifesaver!! Very versatile and great for sensitive skin! I’ve used this all over my face, neck, back of hands, and even over my lips! My face has been on the more sensitive side the last few months, so even when my skin has been angry with me, this provided great moisture while also calming it. Because of some of it’s ingredients (like tomato), it even gives some free radical and blue light protection during the day!! Also it contains vitamin C so it’s like a vitamin C serum/ blue light protector all in one! Win win! I’ll either use it as my moisturizer for day wear (only when I’m not wearing makeup over top because it doesn’t sit well under my makeup usually), or I’ll add a few drops to my cheeks in addition to my nighttime face routine. (to see my in depth review of this company as a whole and why it meets the “clean living mom criteria” click HERE) Link and discount code for this brand on my discount codes and links page HERE!
Other products I’ve also liked and used for dry hands specifically are the: Willing Beauty on the go luxe hand cream, the Pleni Naturals barrier balm (link and review of this product mentioned above), and the weleda skin food ultra rich cream.
For overall dry skin in general: top fav is the Emogene and Co. whipped body oil mentioned below, also again the Weleda Skin Food line, and really any of the Plant Therapy Body Butters.
Stretch Marks
Emogene and Co. Butterfly Whipped Body Oil – It’s never too early to start trying to prevent stretch marks lol even in the first trimester! First off, doesn’t this name sound magical?? It also feels and smells as magical as it sounds!! I describe the scent as a blueberry muffin. haha and the feeling/consistency is like whipped icing but still airy and light. As soon as it hits the skin it dissolves into an oil consistency. In general I recommend a body oil over a “lotion” for best stretch mark prevention because that typically provides moisture for longer. Only con: just know it takes foreverrrrrr to soak in! Similar to coconut oil, the absorption rate is very high…like you could walk around for hours & still feel it. lol (probably less time if your skin is dryer though…also I live in a very humid place) I always plan to use this product when I have the time to “air dry” for a while because I hate the feeling of clothes on my oily skin. Worth it though, and that makes it all the more effective as a belly balm! Apply daily to keep the skin nice and lubricated to help avoid stretch marks. Also great for helping with itchy tummy’s due to dry skin from the skin stretching! (know there’s a lot that plays into getting stretch marks though, and most of it is hereditary) I personally like to slather this all over my torso and bottom and then use a different lotion for the rest of my body so it doesn’t take so long to soak in. Buy it HERE. For a deeper review of this company and why it meets the “Clean Living Mom Criteria” check out my Instagram post on them HERE
In general: another way to aid the body in preventing stretch marks is to add collagen into your daily routine! Collagen has many many health benefits, one of which being improving skin health. I personally love and use THIS collagen powder and add a scoop to my coffee or a smoothie or my bowl of oatmeal! (use code CLEANLIVINGMOM for 10% off your order! Link also in my discount code and affiliations page)
Headaches
Leefy Organics Prana: (not pictured here) I had sooooooo many bad headaches/ migraines my first trimester, and this was a product I reached for almost daily! The whole idea is this is supposed to replace taking a Tylenol or ibuprofen etc…I found it to be most effective when taken more so preventatively or immediately upon onset of symptoms/ feeling a headache coming on. If I took it 20 minutes after having a headache, it tended to be less effective at removing it entirely. For me, even if it only did anything half the amount of time, it was worth it, because that’s half the amount of times I had to take some sort of medication like ibuprofen to get it to go away. It’s a slightly sweet ginger tasting liquid you hold under your tongue for a few seconds and then swallow. BONUS, because of the ginger in it, it can also help ease morning sickness! I loved the third party testing this company did, and their commitment to purity of ingredients. Buy it HERE
Essential Oils: There were quite a few oil blends I used and loved that helped lessen or completely remove headaches including: the Plant Therapy Tension Release Synergy blend, doTERRA’s Deep Blue blend and Past Tense blend, and frankincense oil. I’d apply a drop of frankincense with a carrier oil to my wrists, and rub any combination of these blends on the back of my neck and temples. Copaiba is also a great essential oil for headaches. Sometimes these would help, sometimes they wouldn’t. Much like the Leefy Organics product, it worked best when applied immediately upon onset of symptoms of headache.
Sprigs Life Deep Tissue Salve: Smells exactly like the doTERRA deep blue lotion rub, but what I like about this product is it doesn’t use essential oils, it uses extracts. So, if your’e unsure about essential oils during pregnancy or wish to avoid them, this is a great option! (for whatever it’s worth though, clary sage is still generally excepted as safe in the first trimester) Less concentrated but still effective! It’s very very thick and you can feel your skin tingling after a few seconds of applying it. This in combination with a neck rub was very helpful at reducing headaches for me! It helps relaxes muscles, and because of the thick consistency, stays on a while and continues to tingle. BUY IT HERE and use code cleanlivingmom20 for 20% off your first order!
In general other natural remedies include:
- DRINK WATER! The best way to prevent or lessen headaches is to drink insane amounts of WATER!! Like way more then you think…honestly I find this to be the answer to most pregnancy problems. haha Even when I think I’m drinking enough, turns out when I drink more, most of the time water cures 90% of my issues. haha
- Also a huge one for me is going to the chiropractor regularly. I have found that I carry a lot of my stress and tension in my neck and shoulders, so getting adjusted every few weeks greatly reduces my headaches!
- Taking a hot bath, maybe with some epsom salts also has helped me! Turn out all the lights, get an ice pack for the back of your neck or a cold washcloth over your forehead, and deep breathe in a hot bath! I also like to add some CBD bath soak salts sometimes, which has helped as well! Here’s my favorite one from Unplugged Essentials. This can also help with cramps and round ligament pains! (use code SOAKFAM for 10% off your order!)
Morning Sickness
Essential Oils: Ah, the classic pregnancy first trimester nausea! I’ve personally had it way more this pregnancy especially in the morning and night…and sometimes at random times throughout the day…so you know, all the time. lol Here’s a blend of a few essential oils I loved to use to ease nausea during the first trimester!
- 1 glass roller bottle (I use THESE available in my amazon storefront under home section)
- fill anywhere from half way to three fourth’s of the way full with fractionated coconut oil
- equal parts of ginger, peppermint, and dill (the dill is optional)
That’s it; super easy. I applied that whenever I started feeling nauseous and sat there deep breathing it in to get it into my bloodstream fastest. Personally my favorite brands of essential oils currently are Plant Therapy and Rocky Mountain Oils because they are way cheaper but equal in quality and purity. (use code cleanlivingmom on rocky mountain oils for 10% off your order!) After extensive research, I personally don’t believe doTERRA and Young Living are the only pure and high quality oils out there…if you want more info in depth on that, check out this post HERE. I also have more in-depth videos on these brands individually on my YouTube Channel.
In general other natural remedies that worked for me include:
- Drinking water!
- Eating before you get too nauseous and eating smaller snacks throughout the day. I found that when I ate something first thing in the morning and/or before I let myself get too hungry, it helped prevent nausea
- That Leefy organics product mentioned above helps because of the ginger in it! You could always add some fresh ginger to your water too! I do NOT recommend adding a ginger essential oil to your water however…more on that topic about the safety concerns on my post HERE
Cramps
Perfect Supplements Magnesium: taking a tsp of this everyday really helped in limiting my cramps I’d get! I saw the most difference when I took it regularly everyday sometimes even twice a day. This would also help with promoting regular bowel movements and sleeping better at night! I liked the lose powder form at first to be able to control how much I take easier, however after tasting it in water straight up, it tastes gross and I’ll be getting the capsules next time haha (they carry both). You could also always add it to a smoothie or juice to hide the flavor more. This brand is my brand of choice because of the next level safety testings they perform on their ingredients to ensure purity and quality, but feel free to get whatever brand works for you! BUY IT HERE and use code CLEANLIVINGMOM for 10% off your order!
Essential Oils: A few I used and liked were, lavender, roman chamomile, frankincense, majoram, and clary sage. I know clary sage is somewhat debated as “safe” when pregnant…feel free to do your own research on that or just listen to your body, but personally I don’t believe there’s any current studies done to back up this claim. If you are high risk, I could understand using more extreme caution on that. You do you! Typically the main concern is “it could put you into labor” lol but I rubbed that stuff alllllll over me for days at 38 weeks with my first and absolutely nothing happened haha If you have a healthy, normal pregnancy, and your body isn’t ready to go into labor…it’s not going to go into labor lol Again, do your own research and feel free to share anything you find with me in the comments below!
Hot Bath & Epsom Salt: this was a natural remedy that definitely helped me! As mentioned above, my favorite soak has CBD in it and is from Unplugged Essentials! This one is my favorite!
Insomnia
Plant Therapy Nighty Night Essential Oil Roller Blend: Hands down this stuff is GOLD and my first go to. I often (even while not pregnant) will wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep…sometimes for hours. Whenever I rub this stuff on my wrists in the middle of the night…95% of the time I fall asleep within 15 minutes. I’ve also tried a few other sleep blends from PT and doTERRA that also were great, but this one has worked almost every single time without fail! It smells soothing; I’ll lay there just breathing it in for a few minutes to get it into my bloodstream faster. Plus, I love that this is in an already diluted roller bottle so its fast and easy to apply in the middle of the night! Highly recommend! BUY IT HERE
*Something to note about this oil blend: it does contain clary sage which the use of is controversial during pregnancy because it’s been linked to stimulating labor. I personally believe it’s a bit over-stated, but if you’re wanting to be on the cautious side here’s two other great sleep oil blends I also use and love that work just as well that don’t contain any clary sage… Pant Therapy’s Sweet Slumber Blend and Rocky Mountain Oil’s Counting Sheep Roller. (use code “cleanlivingmom” for 15% off!)
Perfect Supplements Magnesium: Same review as above…taking magnesium can help with insomnia! I do notice that I typically slept better when taking this daily. I love this brand, but feel free to use whatever one works for you! BUY IT HERE
In general: you guessed it…drink WATER! haha I can’t believe how many times drinking a gallon a day helped me sleep better at night!! I’ve also heard some say hot baths before bed and going to the chiropractor also helps them with insomnia while pregnant!
Prenatal Vitamins (for any trimester)
Sprigs Life Mama Bear Prenatal: I’ll highlight a different brand every trimester, but for this first trimester I LOVED this brand and vitamin! I know chosing a prenatal is a big deal…much more so then doctors make it seem like!! (eye roll)…I remember one doctor my first pregnancy telling me “just take a prenatal daily…it doesn’t matter what brand, they are basically all the same.” Yeah ok lol Here’s why I trust and love this brand/product…
- These prenatals are 100% plant and food based, NOTHING synthetic at all, making it very bio-available for our bodies
- I love that they are a family owned & operated small business dedicated to teaching & promoting a holistic lifestyle, especially through the use of herbs
- Their ingredients are wild crafted & mostly all organic/ they are careful with their sourcing
- They consult with/ have on staff master herbalists that help formulate their products (many of which are recipes past down for generations)
- They do both third party & in house microbial testing on their individual ingredients for possible contaminations etc & test the product as a whole again before it hits the shelf (so 3xs tested ensuring 100% safety)
- Their facilities are FDA inspected & approved plus they follow all regulations as prescribed by the FDA under the dietary supplements CFR Chapter 21 part 111 & 117
This is huge for this being a small company & I greatly appreciate their dedication to safety! You only take 4 capsules daily. The only thing to be aware of is that it’s slightly lower in magnesium…hence why I supplemented a little extra as mentioned above, which worked out great! (Some may find they don’t need that, but I certainly felt better when I did!)
Well, there’s my round up of my first trimester must have clean products!! Hope that’s helpful to you! (Obviously you can use any of these products or natural remedies outside of the first trimester as well haha) Comment below with some products you loved and used!
*I linked a lot of products in this post…some of which I make money off of if you use the link, some that I do not. To see a list of the affiliations I have, check out my Discount Codes & Affiliations page.
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