While it’s fine to use certain beauty products during pregnancy, other products are definite no no’s.

Pregnancy can be pretty punishing—on your beauty regimen as well as your body. Your regular beauty arsenal isn’t cutting it anymore, and now is not the time to experiment with products.

It’s wise to let your vanity take a back seat until you know what’s safe and what’s not. Skin, being the body’s biggest organ, absorbs topical ingredients that get into the blood stream and may pose a risk to a developing fetus.

Off limits!

Learn to read labels for unsafe ingredients before using your favorite soap, lotion or cosmetic.  The following ingredients are best avoided when pregnant:

Hydroquinone – A common bleaching agent in creams and soaps. Often found in products meant to lighten age spots and blemishes.

Papaya –. Papaya soaps contain “papain” – also found in creams, lotions, even toothpaste. Large doses of papain have been shown to cause problems in the stomach and intestines, induce paralysis, decrease heart rates, and slow activity in our central nervous systems.  It has also caused birth defects among lab rats.

Retinoids – Retinoids are Vitamin A derivatives used in acne medications and anti-aging creams. Sometimes they are used in cosmetic powders and foundation. Retinoid ingredients to avoid include: tretinoin (found in Retin-a, Renova) isotretinoin (Accutane, Isotrex) adapalene (Differin) tazarotene (Tazorac). Retinoic acid,
Retinol,
Retinyl linoleate, and
Retinyl palmitate
are other ingredients to look out for.

Benzoyl Peroxide – A main ingredient in many anti-acne products, from facial washes to creams.  Be warned that certain hair dyes also contain benzoyl peroxide, so it’s best to skip the coloring until after you give birth.

Salycilic Acid – This is another popular anti-acne ingredient that can be found in combination with many organic herbal products, so don’t be deceived. Like retinoids, the oral form of salicylic acid (SA), in high doses, has been shown to cause birth defects. However, the small amounts we are exposed to in skin cleaners and lotions are generally considered safe. But experts advise to err on the side of caution and hold off until post-pregnancy.

If by chance you used any of these products not knowing you were pregnant, you need not worry. In small concentrations and with limited exposure, it’s likely your baby is unaffected. But stop using them immediately, and consult your dermatologist for safer alternatives.

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