Pregnancy is no easy feat for anyone—for first-time and long-time moms alike. Filmmaker and lifestyle creator Jazmin Reyes-Sotto is no exception, even though she carries her journey with the grace and humor that we know and love her for. But behind what she shares online, there are still some things she’s had to change and learn how to embrace fully.

In an exclusive interview with Allure Philippines, Reyes-Sotto bares the beauty struggles of her pregnancy journey—plus new beauty and wellness routines she has embraced and the changes she’s learned to accept over the past few months.

Jaz Reyes-Sotto’s first-time mom essential: Staying active

If there’s one thing that Reyes-Sotto has learned throughout her pregnancy, it’s that staying active is important—be it through low-impact activities like walking or pregnancy-safe YouTube workout videos. “Not only does it help you become a little bit stronger or stretch out certain pain points in your body, I think it also makes the process a little bit easier,” shares Reyes-Sotto. 

But before undertaking any kind of physical activity, Reyes-Sotto recommends talking to your OB-GYN for more information and guidance. 

Her dermatologist-recommended skin care routine for her belly

Stretch marks were a concern Reyes-Sotto had going into her pregnancy—a worry she shares with many pregnant women. So she asked a dermatologist friend what to do, who put her on to The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 serum. 

She applies it on her belly as the first step, and once it dries, she puts on a body lotion from brands like Aveeno and Avène. Afterwards, she applies a body oil to lock in the moisture. Her recent favorite? Body oils from the Thai brand Pañpuri. 

Her other wellness must-haves: an air purifier and a gua sha

Beyond her skin care routine, Reyes-Sotto keeps a couple of smaller but equally important tools on hand. First is an air purifier, which helps alleviate the nasal congestion she experiences and makes it easier for her to breathe.

Second, she also keeps up a nightly gua sha routine—a habit her parents have passed on to her. Her favorite move: gliding her gua sha from her jaw and lower ear down to her neck. Her parents also taught her how to do gua sha using only her fingers, massaging her face and neck with light pressure and oil to help the tool or her fingers glide smoothly on the skin without any pulling. 

Navigating through bodily changes 

Throughout pregnancy, women can experience anything from acne and bloating to entirely new physical changes. In Reyes-Sotto’s case, it was the growth of two extra nipples.

“When I saw this new change in my body that I couldn’t explain, I went straight ahead to a friend or a confidant,” she shares. The reassurance was immediate and empathetic. “She’s like, ‘Girl, that’s normal. Girl, I have it.’” 

For Reyes-Sotto, that moment pointed to something bigger than the physical change itself. “The mental stability you can get from that emotional connection with other people—I think that’s so important,” she says. “It’s making me survive the hard days.” 

What does beauty mean now for Jaz Reyes-Sotto

Reyes-Sotto’s pregnancy also brought up a battle she used to fight when she was younger. “I had trouble with weight gain throughout my life,” she shares. “This body dysmorphia thing is really probably the most difficult thing I had to go through with my pregnancy.” 

Still, it’s the very thing that shapes what beauty means to her now. “My beauty change is the beauty of being kind to yourself and accepting incredible changes that your body is doing and making,” she says. 

In the end, Reyes-Sotto’s pregnancy essentials aren’t just about the products and routines that got her through it as a first-time mom—they were about learning to be kind and patient to herself and her body through all the changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

On her dermatologist friend’s recommendation, Reyes-Sotto applies The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 serum to her belly, followed by Aveeno or Avene lotion, then seals it in with a Pañpuri body oil.

Low-impact activity like walking or pregnancy-safe workout videos can help ease pain points and make the process more manageable, says Reyes-Sotto. She recommends consulting an OB-GYN before starting any physical activity.

Reyes-Sotto uses an air purifier to ease nasal congestion and breathe more easily during pregnancy, keeping it alongside her nightly gua sha routine as part of her wellness essentials.

Yes—Reyes-Sotto developed two extra nipples during her pregnancy. A close friend confirmed it was normal and had experienced it too, illustrating a lesser-discussed but common pregnancy body change.

Reyes-Sotto calls body dysmorphia the hardest part of her pregnancy, rooted in a lifelong struggle with weight gain. She’s redefined beauty as being kind to herself amid the changes.

More Like This