IVF medications work by deliberately raising your hormone levels — often well beyond what your body produces naturally — and skin tends to respond the way it does in early pregnancy: more sensitivity, occasional breakouts, dryness, or patches of flushing. It's a hormonal response to treatment, not a sign anything is wrong, and for most people it settles down once that phase of the cycle has passed.
General information, not medical advice — always check with your GP, midwife or pharmacist about your own skin and any product you're unsure of.
Why Skin Changes During Fertility Treatment
The stimulation medications used in IVF raise oestrogen and other hormones quickly, and skin is genuinely hormone-responsive tissue. Oil production can shift, the skin barrier can feel thinner or more reactive, and some people notice a flush across the cheeks similar to what's sometimes called the "pregnancy glow." None of this reflects how treatment is going — it's simply your skin responding to the same hormonal signals as the rest of your body.
What This Might Look Like
Every cycle is different, but common changes include tightness or dryness, small breakouts around the jaw and chin, or skin that feels more reactive to products you've used for years without issue. It's a lot to process alongside everything else IVF involves, and it's completely okay if skincare is the last thing on your mind some weeks. When you do have the energy for it, less is more — this is not the time to trial new actives or start anything with retinal, which isn't appropriate without professional advice if there's any chance of pregnancy.
A Gentle Way to Care for Your Skin Through It
Because you can't always predict when a transfer might happen, many women going through IVF choose to treat their whole routine as if it were pregnancy-safe from the stimulation phase onward — it removes the guesswork and means there's nothing to swap out later. Our guide to skincare while trying to conceive walks through exactly what that looks like, and the pregnancy-safe skincare checklist is worth bookmarking too. To be clear, none of this is about improving fertility outcomes — skincare doesn't influence treatment success. It's simply about being kind to your skin, and your routine, through a hormonally intense time.
Questions Mums Ask
Is it normal for skin to break out during IVF?
Yes — hormone stimulation can trigger breakouts in people who don't normally get them, and it's a common, temporary response to treatment.
Should I stop my usual actives during a cycle?
It's worth checking with your fertility clinic, but many women pause retinal and strong acids from stimulation onward and switch to a gentler, pregnancy-safe-style routine as a precaution.
Will my skin go back to normal after treatment?
For most people, skin settles again once hormone levels stabilise, whether that's after a cycle ends or once pregnancy is confirmed.
Where to Start
If you'd rather not think about what's safe and what isn't, The Pregnancy-Safe Routine ($185) is formulated to be appropriate through TTC, IVF and pregnancy, so there's nothing to reassess later. If your skin is leaning more sensitive and reactive than usual, The Barrier Repair Set ($188) is the calming alternative. You can see the full range at our collection page.
Edwina x
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