What I Learned About Pregnancy Skin (And Why Silk Didn't Make the Cut)
I expected many things to happen in pregnancy - swelling, gaining weight, changes in food choices (big one!), or appetite (big one for me again, ha). But what I didn’t expect was such a significant change in the way my skin behaves.
Research confirms I’m not alone. A 2024 review found that pregnancy induces profound physiological changes in the skin, driven by hormonal, mechanical, and immunological factors - affecting up to 90% of women (NIH/PMC, 2024). My skin got so much drier, more sensitive. I experienced redness. And on top of that, I had a major polyester allergy which completely surprised me. I would wear a microfiber bra (again, an artificial fiber) and get so many red spots, massive itching, and discomfort.
When I first started designing the ROBE maternity set, my obvious choice was silk -timeless, durable, beautiful. Then I remembered all those sweaty postpartum nights, the leaking breastmilk. And after talking to other women, I decided to pivot to Micromodal. Why, you may ask?
Just to go back to artificial fibers for a moment - because especially in pregnancy, this can be really tricky, and awareness is growing.
Synthetic fibers carry chemical residues. A 2023 study in Science of the Total Environment analyzed 120 new clothing items for pregnant women, newborns, and toddlers. They found traces of bisphenol A (BPA) - an endocrine-disrupting chemical- in every single polyester sample (Herrero et al., 2023).
Here’s what stopped me: pregnant women showed higher dermal exposure to these chemicals than children, despite toddlers having a larger skin-area-to-body-weight ratio (Herrero et al., 2023). Our bodies, already growing another human, become more vulnerable to whatever we wear.
Synthetic fibers aren’t just uncomfortable - they can carry chemicals we don’t want near a growing baby (Herrero et al., 2023). Natural fibers offer benefits, but only when thoughtfully processed. And silk, for all its wonder, struggles with moisture - a dealbreaker for breastfeeding mothers.
This is why Micromodal became my non-negotiable.
It's a regenerated fiber made from sustainably harvested beechwood in a closed-loop system that minimizes chemical residues. Research confirms its suitability for intimate wear - a 2019 study published in Materials Testing found that micro-modal fibers excel in vertical wicking, water vapor permeability, and drying rate, making them ideal for garments worn close to the skin (Gocek, 2019). The fibers are exceptionally fine, creating a smooth surface against sensitive skin while actively managing moisture.
Your skin during pregnancy is more permeable, more reactive, more vulnerable. What you wear against it for 12–16 hours a day matters.
For you, it might be something else. But it’s worth asking: what are you actually putting against your skin?
Your body is working hard enough. Your clothes shouldn’t add to the load.
References
NIH/PMC. (2024). Cutaneous Changes During Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus, 16(9), e69986.