Don’t let pregnancy complicate your skincare! Seasoned beauty editors find themselves squinting at the complex lists of ingredients, trying to discern which formulas are fair game and which aren’t. Products that seem harmless on first impression may in fact be the opposite. But before you throw out your entire beauty cabinet and start fresh, there is some good news that will make this process a whole lot easier.
Understanding How Your Skin Changes During Pregnancy
Hormonal flux will cause many changes to your skin during pregnancy, according to Chris Tomassian, MD, founder of The Dermatology Collective and Kiehl’s Expert. You may become more acne-prone, for example, and more liable to melasma and hyperpigmentation. Visible stretch marks and dilated leg veins (known as varicose veins) are also common.
What Skincare Products Are Unsafe During Pregnancy?
Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, explains that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has already done some of the work for us to help consumers determine which skincare products are unsafe during pregnancy. The governmental organization categorizes ingredients by letters of the alphabet, ranging from safest to those that should be avoided at all costs: A, B, C, D, and X. Generally, only categories A and B are considered safe to use during pregnancy, but it can be challenging to parse which ingredients on the list are found in beauty products, and it’s up to women to scrutinize labels closely.
But the most common ingredients that all experts agree that you should generally avoid include retinol and its derivatives, benzoyl peroxide, essential oils, hydroquinone, aluminum chloride, formaldehyde, and chemical sunscreens. Though it resides in FDA category C, which technically means that risk to the fetus cannot be ruled out, Albert Sassoon, MD, an ob-gyn in Manhattan, says this family of products is to be avoided at all costs. While vitamin A is crucial to the proper development of the fetus, “getting too much can cause serious birth defects and liver toxicity,” he says.
Retinol and Its Derivatives: A Definite No-Go
Retin-A is usually associated with prescription medication and skin care, but plenty of over-the-counter formulations contain vitamin A derivatives like retinol and retinyl palmitate, both of which should be banned from your pregnancy beauty kit. Tomassian adds that vitamin A derivative tretinoin should also be avoided. He explains that because its oral counterpart isotretinoin is known to be harmful to a baby’s development, it’s safest to avoid using it either orally or topically.
Benzoyl Peroxide: A Common Acne Treatment to Skip
Though pregnancy can often cause hormonal acne, unfortunately, most zit-zappers found over the counter, like benzoyl peroxide, fall in category C. “That means there’s some possible risk to the fetus, and a majority of ob-gyns I work with would say to avoid,” says Alexiades-Armenakas.
Essential Oils: Not As Safe As You Thought
Essential oils are not assessed by the FDA, yet they are often found in beauty products marketed as safe. “In general, essential oils can be extremely harmful if not used appropriately,” Sassoon says. “Sometimes [formulations] have 50 times the concentration used in a cup of tea and can be harmful even in a nonpregnancy state. Another problem is that we don’t know how much of a specific oil is absorbed.”
Hydroquinone: A Skin Lightener to Avoid
This powerful skin lightener may be tempting to use—particularly when pregnancy brings on dark spots or full-on melasma—but this category C ingredient is a no-no, says Alexiades-Armenakas. Tomassian agrees, noting that hydroquinone can absorb through the skin, and that there is limited data proving that it can be safe during pregnancy.
Aluminum Chloride: A Deodorant Ingredient to Steer Clear Of
Found in antiperspirants, aluminum chloride hexahydrate affects the cells that produce sweat and is in FDA pregnancy category C, which means “to avoid,” says Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas.
Formaldehyde: A Chemical to Limit Exposure To
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health states working with formaldehyde may increase the chances of fertility problems or miscarriage. “The frequent change in product formulation makes it very difficult to assess potential risks,” Sassoon says. To err on the safe side, he recommends patients steer clear of hair coloring for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when the fetus is busy forming integral body parts and organs.
Chemical Sunscreens: Not the Best Choice
Ingredients in chemical sunscreens are not all classified under the FDA categories, but Engelman recommends sticking to mineral ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. “There has been some suggestive evidence of chemical sunscreen risks, but they haven’t been fully substantiated,” Engelman says. “But since there are excellent physical blockers out there that are safe, why not take the risk out of it altogether?”
Treatments to Avoid During Pregnancy
According to Love, most aesthetic procedures such as Botox and laser treatments should be avoided during pregnancy. Tomassian agrees and explains that Botox and other neuromodulators contain toxins that paralyze muscle movement; if that toxin enters the bloodstream it could have negative effects on the baby.
Products That Are Safe to Use During Pregnancy
While the hefty list of what not to use while pregnant might be intimidating, the good news is that there are plenty of alternatives to turn to so you don’t have to completely sacrifice the skin results you want. These include glycolic acid, azelaic acid, vitamin C, and niacinamide.
Conclusion
Figuring out what skincare ingredients are and aren’t safe while you’re pregnant doesn’t have to be difficult. It just requires a few tweaks and adjustments until you wait for your new bundle of joy. And as Engelman puts it: “Just like you want to be on your A-game with food and health when you’re pregnant, you have to be that way with beauty and skin care, too.”
