Pregnancy & Skincare: What's safe? What's not?
During pregnancy, many expecting mothers naturally pay attention to what’s going into their bodies. There are prenatal vitamins to take, caffeinated drinks to avoid, and of course foods that worsen morning sickness to cut out. But did you know it’s also important to pay attention to what’s going onto your body?
The good news is that the vast majority of skincare products are fine to use during pregnancy as you would normally. So it is actually more useful to talk about what is not safe, which boils down to six major ingredients:
Retinol
Retinol is famously good for your skin, but certain concentrations of retinoids in a mother’s body are closely linked to congenital disabilities and severe birth defects in infants. The highest concentrations of retinol lead to a pattern of birth defects called fetal retinoid syndrome.
Needless to say, it is recommended that expecting mothers avoid retinol completely. Instead, focus on keeping your skin moisturized and consider using complexion-improving serums with non-retinol ingredients.
Hydroquinone
You may already feel familiar with the terms “retinol” and “retinoid,” but this one might be new to your vocabulary. Hydroquinone is a common ingredient in products that are used to lighten one’s skin tone. Even if you don’t use any products whose main purpose is to lighten your complexion, the safest route is to check all your skincare products to make sure it’s not hiding somewhere in there!
Phthalates
Any ingredient with the word “phthalate” in it is an endocrine-disruptor, meaning that it interferes with your body’s hormone production. Since hormone levels naturally change in important ways during pregnancy, phthalates have been connected to various birth defects and pregnancy issues, such as preeclampsia and preterm birth. Phthalates are commonly found in personal products, such as soaps, shampoos, and hairsprays, or in makeup products.
Formaldehyde
Now we’re really getting deep into the ingredient list. Formaldehyde itself probably won’t make an appearance on the labels of any of your skincare products. (It has been linked to increased cancer risk and pregnancy loss, so if it is in anything, you definitely want to get rid of that!)
Instead, what you want to watch out for is a group of chemicals that fall into the category of “formaldehyde releasers”—meaning they eventually release formaldehyde as they break down inside your body. Those chemicals include:
diazolidinyl urea
DMDM hydantoin
5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane
bronopol, also called 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
imidazolidinyl urea
quaternium-15
hydroxymethylglycinate
Phew, we’ve got quite a list to cross-check with our cosmetics and skincare products at this point! But don’t worry, there are only two more things to watch out for: chemical sunscreens and salicylic acid in high doses.
Oxybenzone (Chemical Sunscreens)
You probably know “chemical sunscreens” as just sunscreen. The vast majority of sunscreens on a given shelf in the convenience store will be chemical, meaning that they rub or spray onto the skin and leave only a sheen behind (rather than remaining white). The problem with these sunscreens is that they contain an ingredient, oxybenzone, that disrupts hormones and can cause damage to a fetus.
Instead, pregnancy is a time to embrace mineral sunscreens: the ones that leave a bit of white residue on the surface of your skin. Mineral sunscreens are becoming more popular for being considered healthier for all people (it’s not great to disrupt your hormonal system even when you’re not pregnant!) and better for the environment (chemical sunscreens tend to harm plants and creatures in the bodies of water we’re swimming in).
Salicylic Acid…in high doses
The word on the street for salicylic acid is more mixed than for the previous ingredients. High concentrations of salicylic acid, such as the amount you’d get from a chemical peel or an oral medication, are dangerous for a growing fetus. However, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated that the low doses of salicylic acid that are generally available in over the counter products—like face washes and creams—are safe to use.
So there you have it: as long as you’re skipping the above ingredients, your skincare routine should be fully pregnancy-safe.
And if you find yourself needing to set aside a certain cream or serum for now, our team at Adorn Aesthetics is happy to help you find a new product to help keep your skin healthy and glowing! Give us a call at (681) 282-5591 or fill out our contact form today to start your pregnancy skincare journey.