New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS): In the process of bringing a new life into the world, a woman goes through many emotional and physical changes, and following a self-care routine will help you take the best care of your skin during and after pregnancy.

According to health experts, for healthy skin, the first step is to adopt a pregnancy-safe skin care routine.

"Your old skin care routine might not be suitable anymore because of the changes your skin undergoes during pregnancy. Most women are bound to experience skin changes likes dry and itchy skin, rashes, acne, skin redness and stretch marks," said Subhashini, an ayurveda expert with The Himalaya Drug Company.

"With your skin being the most delicate during this phase, what you need is a skin care routine that is safe. This and a good massage and regular moisturisation are the easy ways that can help manage common skin concerns," Subhashini added.

Subhashini also shared a few tips for your daily skin care routine: Indulge in a light massage and moisturise in the morning.

"Massage helps improve blood circulation and manage dry skin. It also helps relieve pregnancy pain and stress and helps rejuvenate your skin. Indulging in a massage every day, either before bed or bath with an oil infused with Aloe Vera and Ashvagandha, helps take good care of your skin," Subhashini said.

"Moisturising your skin in the morning will help keep your skin nourished throughout the day. It is advisable to use a body butter cream that is safe and enriched with natural ingredients like Cocoa Butter and Glycerin," she said.

"When the moisture balance in the skin is maintained, it results in hydrated, softer, and supple skin. It reduces itchiness due to dryness too," she added.

With the above two tips, one can manage stretch marks as well, a common skin concern faced during and after pregnancy.

While looking for a product that can manage stretch marks, you can never go wrong with products that are infused with an herb-oil-butter complex.

They have the right blend of herbs, oils, and butters, which help intensely nourish the skin, relieve skin dryness, and itching associated with stretch marks, the expert said.