Claiming to have fabulous new mom beauty tips to keep us lookin’ hot all most of the time with a newborn is kinda like saying you’ve trained a dog to speak Spanish… it’s just not going to happen. But what’s that old saying? Oh yeah. Never say never, nothing is impossible. (But yes, I know, teaching a dog to speak Spanish IS kinda impossible…)
So did I look hot at all times when I was a new mom? Um. Absolutely NOT. At least I don’t think I did. But I was told I looked surprisingly good and more ‘together’ than many expected me to be just after having a baby. A part of me is convinced those kind folks were lying, a part of me believes that may be my secret superpower in this life. Some of you have even seen my TV segments about it.
Truth is, I fooled a lot of people by faking my way through it and using some of the sneakiest tactics available to us all today:
Dress to compress. I hid Belly Bandit tummy wraps and all sorts of undergarment contraptions under my clothes at all times (for 40 days post birth) to suck me in and make me feel tight and together from the inside out. I also looked 5-10 pounds thinner instantly, because of the compression involved. (More about Belly Bandit here.) Find me someone who doesn’t appreciate that kind of effortless beauty.
Sip ZICO Coconut Water. Dehydration is a one way ticket to zapping us into an out-of-sorts universe… and hydration is a one way ticket to fabulous skin. Nursing and non-nursing moms need as much fluid as we can get with a new baby around just to keep our bodies running (because new babies fall under the ‘manual labor’ category and make you sweat, even though you’re not on a treadmill… hint: you actually are and just don’t know it). I’m not going to lie, coconut water is definitely an acquired taste for some (although my husband is genuinely obsessed with it naturally)… but it’s also incomparable when you look at what it can deliver: as much potassium as a banana (in 1-2 servings), no weird additives and low sodium. (Worth mentioning: ZICO is 100% coconut water with no sugar added… not all coconut waters are created equal.) FAB TIP EXTRA: Pound a glassful in the morning the second you wake up just to kick things off (yes, it’s ok if the baby cries for 10 extra seconds while you’re drinking… IT’S OKAY, everyone will live.) Prices vary according to size. Available at grocery stores.
Get serious sleep. Decent sleep means better skin, we all know that. No, new moms don’t quite enjoy long and luxurious zzz’s once that baby makes it’s way into the world, so you’ve just got to get your zzz’s when you can and make the most of them… no matter how few and far between opportunities might be. 
(Hint: Getting your babe on a rotating play-eat-sleep schedule as soon as possible — I did around the 2-3 month mark — will help A LOT. Although my younger daughter has been an ongoing challenge in the sleep-training department, I won’t lie there.) These days, we’ve got the Marpac Dohm‘s high quality white noise keeping us all a bit more restful (which I truly do love — who knew they’ve been around for 50 years, before sleep was trendy). Looking back, I wish I got myself set up with one of these while I was still pregnant and into my brand new mom days… even if you’re only scoring 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there, let the sound machine enhance your experience for the better. FAB TIP EXTRA (actually, I read this somewhere else but it’s too good to not pass on): Grab yourself a heavy-duty sleeping mask to pull over your eyes and keep all light out when you need sleep in the middle of the day during baby’s nap. $44.95-49.95.
Don’t bother washing your face… but only if you’ve got Aveeno® Positively Radiant® Makeup Removing Wipes. These babies take off eye makeup, dirt, oil and anything else that might be stuck on our face (spitup? other?) — although no one really opts to rock a smoky eye with a new baby attached to their hip, but you get my point. These cleansing wipes are so gentle and make maintaining healthy skin so easy and fast it’s ridiculous. FAB TIP EXTRA: Skip the makeup efforts altogether the first 1-2 months (assuming you’re at home) and just cleanse and moisturize your skin to let it breathe. $6.99 for a pack of 25, available at drugstores nationwide.
Smell nice. Pretty people smell good. New moms usually opt out of showering daily altogether (hello, we’d just rather lay down and rest). 
How to fix this? Accept that you’re cool with skipping the shower and spray yourself instead (I mean, you’ll have to shower at some point, but that time doesn’t necessarily need to be now). Via Nature Natural Fragrance Sprays are blended from 100% natural essential oils, vegan, cruelty-free and gluten-free, presented in recyclable packaging and don’t have anything toxic, dangerous or undisclosed in them at all. You can even use them around your home: bathroom, bedroom, nursery. (And they’re made in the USA! Yay!) FAB TIP EXTRA: Don’t feel strange about requesting a few new mom essentials like these on your baby registry or when a friend says, “Do you need anything?”… because yes, these things help you to care for baby more comfortably too.
Take care of your hair. I know, the last thing new moms worry about is covering our gray hair roots… or even washing our hair. (How shallow and stupid this tip is!? Nonsense. It’s real, I tell you. And you know it too.) Don’t tell me you don’t look in the mirror — with your gray roots and oily hair — and get antsy about how noticeable those yucky traits actually might be to others. (I DO. ALWAYS HAVE.) 
Faking a root color cover-up proved to be my most easiest option before baby, during baby and after baby. L’Oréal Paris Root Cover Up is the first-ever root cover-up available in six shades with zero stickiness and zero weight. Ammonia free, peroxide free, sweat proof…. and will last until your next shampoo. $10.99, available at drugstores nationwide. 
Oh wait, we’re skipping a few shampoos here and there with Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Cleanse Extend Dry Shampoo: Sugar Lemon. (Why yes, it smells like sugar lemon!) This translucent dry shampoo absorbs oil, product build-up and impurities to extend the life of your hair with no powdery residue. It contains Bamboo Extract which instantly boosts hair’s intrinsic strength, flexibility and sustainability. No parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic color, paraffins, gluten, DEA/TEA, mineral oil or petrolatum involved. $22 at Sephora.
So go, new moms. And look hot. Because you can. Fool ’em all… fool ’em all. (Because you can!)
DISCLOSURE: I was provided complimentary samples for some the products mentioned above for purposes of media consideration and possible mention on this blog. All experiences and opinions are authentically mine.
