Every pregnant woman knows that: The intensive examination of one's own body leads to a new sensibility and a different form of body awareness. At each bathing, showering or applying lotion you can feel the changes: So the daily body care offers you the ideal opportunity to get to know your body and feel how he reacts to the pregnancy. Also the way your baby enjoys the pats during rubbing or the gentle lapping of the water on her stomach in the bath or in the shower.

But remember: avoid showering and bathing the skin natural fat and moisturizing factors, and a too generous use of foaming care products enhances this effect. Especially dry skin care suffers sins. Pure water does not protect the skin but also from typical drying out, ie feelings of tension, redness, skin flakes, itching and sometimes skin blemishes. Because the skin needs help to help themselves. Choose possible mild, moisturizing products that foam little - they clean the skin very gently and protect it from drying out in front. Suitable products are available from many companies, but also with the private labels of drug stores, discount stores and supermarkets - priced, they are between 25 cents and 30 euro for 100 ml.

The shower

Short showers is generally better than having a bath for the skin. Again, not too long, not too often and not too hot. So a maximum of ten minutes and a maximum of once per day - less for very dry skin and not more than three times a week. The water temperature should not exceed 35 ° C. After only four minutes under a hot jet of water sufficient to bring the acid mantle of the skin out of balance. Soap and shower gel conventional they leach out additionally.

Gentle act washing lotions and so-called wash pieces, the pH of which approximately corresponds to the skin. The acid mantle of healthy skin has a pH value between 4 and 6.5 - a pH value of 5 is considered ideal for skin care.

but the skin compatibility of a shower gel depends not only on its pH, but also by the surfactants used - these are the substances that cause the shower additive only to foam. Rule of thumb: The more the product foams, the more it can affect the oil from the skin in its function.

• If you have sensitive or dry skin, you should opt for a so-called shower cream. It is enriched with moisturizing ingredients, that is, it contains a good amount of skin care fats, which results in that the skin while cleaning no fat is removed and the grease film remains as it is.

• For people with very dry skin shower oils are ideal - they have a particularly high proportion of refatting substances and skin care oils such as jojoba, MacAdam or almond oil, and they also use less surfactants. Often they also contain active ingredients such as panthenol, rose or borage seed oil, evening primrose, Melissa, St. John's wort, lavender, calendula or chamomile - they moisturize, improve the resistance of the skin and skin irritations and itching contrary. They often donate an additional pleasant scent. But be careful: shower oils form in the tub a thin oil film on which one can easily slip. All right, take care and clean the tub immediately after showering.

Relax in the bathtub

Good for the soul, bad for dry skin: An extensive hot bath deprives the skin significantly more fat and moisture than a quick shower. On one alarm bells ringing in the bath, you do not have to avoid during pregnancy but. If you consider a few points, the pampering program is not handicapped. Do not bathe for longer than 10-15 minutes. The water temperature should be 37 to 38 degrees, slightly cooler water is better for the skin and loads the circuit less. Remember that bubble baths particularly dry out the skin and hot tubs with bath tablets slow down circulation. Better is a back-greasy oil bath - but take into account the risk of slipping in the tub!

In especially dry and sensitive skin, it is advisable to choose an oil bath without chemical emulsifiers. They deprive the skin also fat and make the positive effect of skin care oils partly canceled out.

So you can prepare a full bath without chemical emulsifiers yourself:

Aroma baths with essential oil

The most convenient means by which your bath additive can mix themselves, are aromatic oils from the pharmacy. These essential oils are produced by the Pharmacopoeia, impurities and pollution (eg pesticides) is virtually eliminated. The low dosage makes a self-made aromatic bath also attractively priced, for a full-body bath aroma you only need six to ten drops of essential oil. Go in the choice of the aroma oil all the way to your nose or your current needs: rose oil or lavender are relaxing and balancing and soothe irritated skin. Blemished skin a relaxing bath with balm oil is right. The freshener among the oils are lemon, bergamot and orange. Some oils, such as verbena or rosemary, but are not recommended for pregnant women.

Note, however, that an essential oil should never be given pure the water. Namely oil and water do not mix, and thus the oil floats focused on the water surface, which can lead to skin irritation. That's why you need an emulsifier - that are, for example two tablespoons of cream. Alternatively, you can mix the essential oil with a fragrant neutral Pflegebad and enter into the water.

Wellness baths from nature kitchen

Finally, two bath recipes with ingredients from the kitchen or from the garden. Because these products are made from fresh food or flowers, they do not need to be preserved with chemical agents and are therefore completely natural.

• Cleopatra bath According to legend, the Egyptian ruler Cleopatra is said to have bathed in donkey's milk to nourish their bodies. Nowadays, everyone helps out with olive oil and cow's milk. Beat for a tablespoon of olive oil in half a glass of milk until frothy and add the whole thing in the bathtub. After bathing, your skin will feel baby soft and silky.

• Rose petal bath A bath with roses is pure relaxation and a treat for beauty. Enter for a handful of freshly picked rose petals in the bathtub. No real roses at hand? Mix two drops of essential rosewood oil and rose geranium oil and one drop of rose oil damascena oil and petit grain (citrus oil) with three tablespoons of cream. The bathroom provides beautiful small pores and makes the skin soft as velvet.

Gently pat instead firmly rub

After showering or bathing, you should pat dry gently with a towel. Although vigorous rubbing stimulates blood circulation, removes but also skin's natural fats and oils protective care. Afterwards you should apply cream with a rich lotion is essential - ideally as long as the skin's pores are open and still warm. Body oil can even be distributed on the still moist skin, because in this way it unfolds a particularly high care effect.