Carrying a bundle of joy in your belly can be such a blessing and joyous season of life! I’m here to talk about pregnancy safe skincare as many questions arise when you find out you’re pregnant, including what’s acceptable in skincare. 

Most women claim their skin either becomes lifeless and dull or, if you’re lucky, glowing. We can’t forget the dreaded possibility of hormonal breakouts either! Below are commonly used ingredients to maintain an anti aging skincare routine and control acne breakouts. Read HERE how to create a skincare routine and use this post as a guideline to create a baby friendly routine.

I’ve split this post into 3 categories: safe, ask your healthcare provider, and avoid.

We’ll start with what’s safe during pregnancy, but of course always consult with your healthcare provider to ensure highest safety for you and baby.

Pregnancy Safe Skincare

Salicylic Acid less than 2% is great to control breakouts. The acid penetrates deep into the pore and keeps the pores cleaned out. I love adding this into my mama-to-be’s routine with hormonal acne breakouts.I recommend the Neutrogena Rapid Clear Pads applied after cleansing the skin. Begin with once a day in the morning and you can increase as tolerated to twice a day.

Azelaic Acid is my favorite retinol alternative in pregnancy. It is antibacterial, brightening, and anti-inflammatory. Azelaic acid can be prescribed although you can also get it over the counter. I recommend Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid applied nightly and a good drugstore alternative is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid.

Hyaluronic Acid hydrates and helps retain your skin’s moisture. Any mama’s feeling dry or needing a little extra glow I recommend adding twice a day as your serum. Skinceuticals HA Intensifier is my all time favorite. La Roche Posay Hyalu B5 is a great drugstore alternative. 

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Niacinamide topical helps to reduce inflammation and redness, is super hydrating, and protects against oxidative damage. The Ordinary Niacinamide is a great option to use as a serum morning and night in your daily skincare routine if you are feeling dry and suffering from irritation or acne breakouts. 

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that should be in everyone’s skincare routine daily. Luckily, it is safe during pregnancy! Add in the morning or twice a day to protect against oxidative damage, brighten the complexion, and reverse dark spots. CLICK HERE for all the vitamin C products I recommend!

Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are minerals used in moisturizers for broad spectrum protection from the sun. Chemically based sunscreens are controversial not only in use when not pregnant, they are especially not recommended during pregnancy. Therefore I recommend zinc oxide (at least 6%) for your daily morning moisturizer. My two favorite are Elta UV Clear (normal to oily skin) and Elta UV Elements (normal to dry skin).

Consult Your Healthcare Provider Skincare in Pregnancy

Bakuchiol has been all the hype recently as a natural retinol alternative. It is thought to have the same exfoliative effects as retinol but is derived naturally, and thus, more safe and gentle on the skin. Because it is so new, there is very limited data and research on the newly found anti aging topical. For this reason, consult with your physician to decipher safety in your pregnancy. 

Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) has anti-inflammatory properties and is great for those red, angry bumps in acne. There is little to no research on the effects of topical BPO on a fetus. From what we know about little absorption from topical medications, BPO reaching the fetus is very unlikely although it is best to ensure your physician is in agreement with you using the topical ingredient. 

Cannabidiol (CBD) is great for reducing inflammation and redness. It does not contain THC and therefore thought to be no risk to the baby. There is little to no research on this ingredient topically therefore it is best to consult with your physician. 

Skincare Products to Avoid In Pregnancy.

AHA & BHA Higher than 2% is controversial due to potential of increasing potency of skincare products and increased absorption. General consensus is to avoid in pregnancy to be safe.

Hydroquinone topical brightens and lightens pigmentation changes. Some studies show a possibility of absorption through the skin as high as 45%. Although there are no studies on the effects of a human fetus, there are studies to have shown side effects on animal fetus.

Retinoids topically have shown a low risk to fetus in studies although we do know that oral vitamin A (retinoids are a derivative of vitamin A) have severe side effects on a fetus to the extent of abortion. Retinoids and all derivatives should be avoided in pregnancy. 

The above active ingredients are not all inclusive of what is and is not safe to apply topically during pregnancy. Consult your healthcare provider before using any topicals while pregnant!