Skin Care During Pregnancy
There are so many suggestions and rules when it comes to what’s safe during pregnancy.
Some ingredients are blacklisted on some lists, and completely ignored on others.
The reason for that is no pregnant women is likely to say “Yes please test these ingredients on me and my unborn fetus to prove that they are safe”. As a result a general caution is applied to most active ingredients even if there is no actual data.
Then you get those that say natural is the way to go, the only problem being that essential oils are mostly contraindicated for pregnancy as well. Not all of them, but most of them. It still leaves most botanicals as viable options, but if we’re talking strictly acne, there’s not a whole lot those can do for it.
So what’s a girl to do?
First off, always talk to your doctor. They should know the most current research or at least know where to point you.
There’s a lot of scare tactics out there today, so it’s important to really take a look at the actual research and decide with your doctor what you are comfortable using.
These are some of the ingredients that commonly come up:
Accutane: This one is absolute not to be used during pregnancy. No questions. There are lots of studies showing links between it’s usage and birth defects
Retinol: A vitamin A derivative like Accutane, this is topically applied. Usually used as aggressive anti-wrinkle or anti-acne treatments, they should be avoided during pregnancy.
Benzoyl Peroxide: Some say usage has caused birth defects in animals, some say there’s absolutely no research indicating so. Either way, if and when it’s used it should be nothing more than spot treatment so it would be used in teeny, tiny amounts. This one is up to you and your doctor.
Salicylic Acid: If and when it ends up on the No List it’s because of it’s association with aspirin. The concern is if a lot is applied topically it could be absorbed and amount to the same thing as internally ingesting an aspirin. However this ingredient can be found in face washes, which means you would get the oil dissolving qualities and it wouldn’t be left on the skin. Like benzoyl peroxide, discuss with your doctor.
Essential Oils: There are many that should not be used during pregnancy and a few that are okay. Make sure you really trust your source, maybe use a few different ones to confirm it. Tea Tree oil is one that is to be avoided.
AHAs: These are effective exfoliants that seem to be safe and may be the best option for those that are experiencing breakouts. As with anything else, consult your doctor. Also remember that these make the skin more sun sensitive and require a sunscreen for daily use.
Here are a few different resources for you to take a look at.
The Beauty Brains: Everything they do is based off of the most up to date peer-reviewed research. So they are are great resource for those that like science based reviews.
Paula Begouin, Cosmetics Cop: Most estheticians don’t like her because she critically looks at ingredients and judges the product based entirely on that and not necessarily HOW the product uses those ingredients. But the woman knows her ingredients. She’s a great resource for any skin care enthusiast.
Skin Care and Beauty: This is a very thorough article about pregnancy and skin care. She has some great information.
There will always be multiple opinions on this, so it’s best to inform yourself and make the decisions with your doctor.
Tags: maternity skin care, pregnancy
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