Court Scott-Gold: how I look after my skin as a new mom
We spoke to working mom and testing panellist for THE PILL Court about the challenges of motherhood on routine, from the mental health impact to how she cuts corners while still getting results.
On the cusp of her return to work, we spoke to Court Scott-Gold following the birth of her first child about how motherhood has affected her approach to both skin and self-care, and how our new all-in-one serum is helping her to maintain routine in a fraction of the time.
What does your skin mean to you?
So about 6 years ago I was using all sorts of different products and fortunately for me, I’ve always had a good complexion so I’ve never really struggled with adult or teenage acne, however I’ve always suffered from eczema and rosacea. At one point when I was working in New York City and working very long hours, I was getting flare-ups on my face. I remember going to a dermatologist who prescribed me some topical ointments that didn’t necessarily help, and after looking into some of the ingredients, I found out that some of were very harmful and that 60% of what goes onto your skin can be absorbed into your body.
At that point, I decided to stop the topical cream he had given me for the flare-ups and I started to look into cleaner, cruelty-free, vegan options. Once I did that, my skin really cleared up, so I decided I was going to stick with clean skincare as it made me feel more comfortable with what I was putting on my skin and what was going into my body. It made me feel better about myself as I didn’t want ingredients that were irritants or that could negatively impact my hormones.
How have your skincare priorities evolved throughout adulthood?
I’m 33 years old so hydration is key for plumping and smoothing my fine lines, as well as anything to exfoliate and brighten. I do try to maintain optimum skin health through what I’m putting on my face, the supplements I’m taking and what I’m eating, so it’s really about taking a holistic approach for me.
What impact did hormones have on your mental health and your skin during/after pregnancy?
After pregnancy it’s been a whirlwind for me; my skin and hair all of a sudden were much drier—and in terms of mental health, you bring a baby home and it’s like “Okay, what’s next?!” You don’t realise how much time you will or won’t have depending on the needs of your baby. I very quickly realised that you have zero routine anymore so everything I was used to doing before—my morning workouts, my lymphatic drainage, my coconut oil pulling, lemon water—all of that changed and I had to adapt to that very quickly. Because I’m such a regimented person, it was a struggle for me. It took about six weeks to get used to and tell myself that I might not be able to do one of those things today, but that’s okay.
When I started using THE PILL, it was a godsend for me. Shortly before my daughter’s birth, I had adopted a new skincare routine with a European brand because the EU’s tighter rules around ingredients than the US’s appealed to me. I had a face wash, toner, three serums to layer, an eye cream and a moisturizer, which was all fine and dandy to do until she was born, but once I brought her home, I realized that I couldn’t do this 7-step skincare routine unless I did it at 11 o’clock at night which just didn’t work for me.
How has becoming a new mom affected your skincare routine? Do you manage to make time for yourself?
Now we’re in more of a routine where I know her sleeping patterns and that she wakes up between 6 and 8 a.m., if I wake up at 5 a.m., I can at least have an hour to myself where I can workout and make my lemon water and smoothie, so I’ve slowly started to incorporate those things back in. In terms of skincare, I know I have time to use THE PILL and take my supplements alongside it. The first six weeks were mentally draining and during that I started taking the MOOD supplement which really helped me; I noticed a spike in my energy levels while feeling calmer.
How does stress impact your health?
It definitely impacts my energy levels—when I’m stressed, I feel like I don’t have time and tend to get easily flustered.
What makes you feel better on a bad skin day?
When I had my daughter Millie, my skin was very dry so I think a little bit of self-care made me feel better like doing a hydrating mask or taking a eucalyptus shower. My husband is always so positive with me and was so reassuring when I was struggling with post-partum blues and weight loss. When I had dry patches on my face, he was always telling me how beautiful I am, so the support of my husband definitely helped.
It’s so much more mental than it is about using a bit of concealer on top of a blemish. It’s about working out because when I physcially feel my best, I mentally feel my best, and the boost of endorphins really helps my mental health when I’m having a bad skin day to not focus on it too much. Especially now that I have my daughter, I’ve shifted my priorities and really realise what’s important and that’s not a 7-step skincare routine, it’s looking after myself by taking a minimal approach that’s also effective.
What do you look for in skincare products?
As a woman, it’s so important for me to maintain optimum reproductive health and I’m a vegan so if I’m eating clean, I want to make sure that I’m reflecting that ethos in my skincare routine.
When I saw THE PILL being teased on The Nue Co.’s Instagram, I looked into it and saw the ingredients are clean, it’s cruelty-free and it’s vegan, and all of those are important for me—but what was most important was that it was designed and clinically-proven to replace a few ingredients in your skincare routine. I’ve noticed since I’ve been using it that it’s so much easier to include in my routine because you only have to use it once a day so I can either do it during the morning or at night when I have time and it replaces everything that I don’t necessarily have time to use while still being effective.
What does good skin look and feel like for you?
It makes me feel amazing. After two or three weeks of using THE PILL, my mom was like “Your face is glowing, you look amazing!” and I didn’t have a dab of concealer or any makeup on—that made me feel really great. It’s compliments like that when you’re not even trying.
At the same time, we’re always on Instagram which has all these filters, we’re looking at models, and a lot of what we’re seeing isn’t realistic, so it’s nice to have people in your circle of family and friends who see you for who you really are, flaws and all. That’s what makes me feel good; it’s not necessarily posting a picture and having everyone see it, but it’s talking to people and being with them in person and relishing those organic interactions.