MANILA, Philippines—I’ve noticed that I now have craters on my legs that weren’t there before. I even have zits, which I thought I wasn’t prone to.

Well, I thought wrong. In fact, I have them where I thought you could never get them— like the neck! Last I counted I have at least eight.

I have other “things” growing and appearing simultaneously on my skin that I’m at a loss about. Actually, come to think of it, I have been eating so much junk food and drinking soda, which I never really enjoyed before. Well, things are different now.

I asked a friend who is going to be a dermatologist why all this is happening. She said it is part of pregnancy.

There are things I am aware of now that everyone, pregnant or not, should take into consideration.

First, when it comes to zits and those bumps that they say are white heads: When shampooing, it is good to bend over, so that when rinsing your hair the suds don’t pass your back and even your chest. They can irritate skin and cause outbreaks. My friend says clear shampoos are best, like Neutrogena or Johnson’s baby shampoo.

Second, when it comes to conditioners, the clearer, the better. Again, it is advisable to bend over and make sure the suds don’t hit any body part. The more fragrant and colored the conditioner, or if its consistency is like a lotion’s, then keep it as far from your skin as possible. Conditioners can block pores!

Another friend of mine who has to-die-for skin says her dermatologist’s advice is just condition the hair tips if possible.

Now I’ve realized that many hair products are harmful to our skin, so be very aware of this while in the shower.

Going back to cellulite, which I wrote about recently, I bugged as many people as I could about it because the sight of it really bothered me. Some told me to drink lots of pineapple juice since it is rich in antioxidants. Others said I should exercise and of course change my diet.

The saying you are what you eat has never felt so real. I love cheese, and now I have them in my thighs!

Another one told me that Nivea’s toning oil really works, plus it’s less pricey than other anti-cellulite products.

After deep thought, what I’ve decided to do is to get spray tan in Emphasis or slather Lancome’s self-tanning lotion. It seems that the darker the skin, the less visible the craters and creases.

More than anything, these stuff that erupt on skin even if you aren’t pregnant are caused by stress, according to my dermatologist. Stressing out about it can’t be good and may even aggravate the situation, so I try to do things that relax me the most. I walk down the aisles of Essenses and check out products that address my current issues. But if you know of other remedies, I am most willing to listen.

E-mail me at rbeauty@inquirer.com.ph