BY JULIA BENITO
Yup, it’s a thing.
With all the responsibilities and trials of pregnancy, like maintaining a proper diet, maternity clothes, overall comfort, and prepping your home for your newest addition to your family, it’s easy to forget about seemingly small things — like the makeup and skincare you’re putting on your face. However, much like it’s advised to skip alcohol and certain dangerous food, you’ll probably want to avoid these beauty ingredients as well for the next nine months (and perhaps longer if you’re breastfeeding).
Remember that every pregnancy is different! It’s best to consult with healthcare professionals about your circumstances should you have any concerns about specific ingredients or products.
Beauty Ingredients to Avoid
Retinol
While vitamin A is vital for your baby’s development, ingredients such as retinol and retinyl palmitate which serve as vitamin A derivatives should be avoided as an excess of these derivatives can negatively affect the development of your baby, potentially leading to fetal malformation.
Salicylic Acid
Acne during your pregnancy is common, but it’s important to choose your acne treatments and creams carefully during this sensitive time. Though it is recommended to avoid salicylic acid, you can try salicylic acid in lower strengths (no stronger than two percent) given it is also washed off completely and immediately if necessary.
Hydroquinone
This ingredient is a common skin lightener that might be tempting to use to combat melasma while pregnant, but it should be avoided. Because it has a high absorption rate than other topical chemicals, it is more likely for larger amounts of the ingredient to enter your bloodstream and affect your growing baby.
Formaldehyde
You may have heard of this ingredient before in many nail polishes and hair products. However, you should still limit your exposure to products containing formaldehyde while pregnant as it has been linked to fertility problems and even miscarriage.
Chemical Sunscreens
We know how much we emphasize the need for sun care — that part hasn’t changed. However, some chemical sunscreens may use possible hormone-disrupting ingredients such as oxybenzone and avobenzone, which can interfere with your baby’s nervous system development. Instead, perhaps switch to physical or natural sun protection.
Parabens
Typically found in a slew of makeup and skincare products to keep the products from harboring bacteria, parabens such as propylparaben, butylparaben, isopropyl paraben, and methylparaben, have been associated with developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disruptions in babies as these can be passed to the fetus.
Aluminum Powder
This ingredient may be coveted as it makes your eye shadow shimmer, but the aluminum powder can be absorbed by the skin, causing neurotoxicity and respiratory issues.
Products We Recommend
It’s always best to do proper research before buying products, especially now that you’re pregnant. Never hesitate to reach out to your dermatologist and healthcare professionals should you experience any adverse effects from beauty products or have general inquiries on what products are safe for you to use.
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