Pregnancy Safe Skincare: What You Need to Know

If you’ve just found out that you’re expecting a new addition to the family - congratulations! Going through pregnancy is an exciting time, and you’re probably already preparing for the arrival of your little one.

As you most likely already know, being pregnant means having to make a couple of significant lifestyle changes to protect your baby. Cutting back on alcohol, certain foods, and certain physical activities is all normal - but did you know that you also need to adapt your skincare routine while pregnant? 

Certain skincare ingredients can be harmful to your baby, and it’s important to eliminate them from your skincare routine as soon as you find out that you’re expecting.

In this guide, we’ve covered everything you need to know about pregnancy safe skincare, and recommended our top picks for expecting mothers. 

Pregnancy safe skincare: what to avoid

If you want to create a pregnancy safe skincare routine, you might need to do an overhaul of your current routine. Many popular skincare ingredients are hazardous for your child during pregnancy, and should be avoided at all costs.

Here are the top skincare ingredients to leave out of your routine until the arrival of your little one:

• Retinol. Retinol is a Vitamin A derivative that is used in anti-ageing skincare, as well as in the treatment of acne. While it is an effective skincare staple for many, retinol should be categorically avoided during pregnancy. Use of retinol during pregnancy has been linked to foetus deformities and abnormalities. 
• Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid. Used to treat acne, both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid should be avoided during pregnancy, as they’re too harsh when taken either orally or applied topically. 
• Essential Oils. While essential oils offer a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits, you should avoid essential oils during pregnancy. Certain essential oils can trigger bleeding, contractions and other symptoms that would no doubt be scary for any pregnant woman to experience. While these might not be serious side-effects, it can still be distressing when they occur. Save yourself a trip to the doctors and stay away from essential oils until your pregnancy is over. 
• Parabens. Parabens have been linked to miscarriage and improper fetal growth. Try opting for paraben-free alternatives if your usual skincare products contain parabens. 

Creating a Pregnancy-Safe Skin Care Routine

So, how can you make your skincare routine pregnancy safe? Here are our top tips for creating a safe, pregnancy-friendly skincare routine:

Use only pregnancy-safe beauty products

Even if you’re nearing the end of your final trimester and aching to use your favourite retinol moisturiser, don’t do it. Instead of being tempted to use unsafe skincare products, look forward to resuming your usual routine once your new bundle of joy has arrived. 

Don’t try out harsh products for the first time 

In our view, it’s best to keep your skincare routine as gentle as possible when pregnant. Don’t try out new harsh acid exfoliants or chemical AHAs and BHAs. While some glycolic acid is safe in small quantities, you’ll want to keep skin irritation to the minimum during your 9 months pregnant.

You’ll also want to refrain from trying out new skincare products during pregnancy. Even if they’re considered pregnancy-safe, your skin is most likely going to be more sensitive and volatile while pregnant (thanks, hormones!) and therefore it’s more likely to provoke a skin-sensitive reaction. For this reason, stick to pregnancy-friendly alternatives to the products you already use. 

Accept new skin changes 

As your baby grows throughout the nine months of your pregnancy, you’re likely to experience some skin changes. Most pregnant women will experience some form of hyperpigmentation, while others might deal with dry or flaky skin. Be prepared for these changes and resign to waiting until your pregnancy is over before trying to fix them. 

Plus - most skincare changes are temporary, so you should expect them to clear up once your baby has arrived. Plus, treating hyperpigmentation and acne can be harsh on the skin, so you shouldn’t be trying to treat these problems during your pregnancy.

Don’t switch to your old routine right away

It’s a good idea to keep using your pregnancy safe skincare routine while nursing. Once you’ve finished nursing, you should add in your former skincare products one by one to avoid overwhelming your skin and provoking any sensitivities. 

Use trusted brands

At Questmoor, we believe in trusting the experts, especially when it concerns a subject as important as the safety and health of your baby. For your pregnancy skincare routine, we’d advise opting for known and trusted brands, such as Clarins, Elizabeth Arden and other well-known beauty labels.

Some brands will often use misleading marketing by claiming that their products are “pregnancy safe” or use “all natural ingredients”. Not all natural ingredients are safe for you to use during pregnancy, so stick to trusted retailers and brands when buying products for your new routine.

Elizabeth Arden Pregnancy-Safe Products 

If you’re looking for trustworthy and pregnancy-safe beauty products to replace your current favourites in your routine, Elizabeth Arden is known for carrying lots of pregnancy-safe skincare.  

The following skincare products from Elizabeth Arden are suitable for use during your pregnancy:

Cleansers

• All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover
• Ceramide Replenishing Cleansing Oil
• Ceramide Purifying Cream Cleanser  
• PREVAGE® Anti-aging Treatment Boosting Cleanser

Toners

• Ceramide Purifying Toner  

Oils, serums and skin boosters

• Eight Hour® Cream All-Over Miracle Oil  
• SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster
• PREVAGE® Anti-Aging Daily Serum 2.0 
• PREVAGE® Progressive Renewal Treatment
• Vitamin C Ceramide Capsules Radiance Renewal Serum

Moisturisers and Hydrants

• Ceramide Lift and Firm Sculpting Gel
• Advanced Ceramide Lift and Firm Day Cream

Sunscreens

• PREVAGE® City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Hydrating Shield  

Capsules

• Hyaluronic Acid Ceramide Capsules Hydra-Plumping Serum 

The Bottom Line

Overall, it’s fairly easy to stick to a pregnancy-safe skincare routine if you know what ingredients to avoid. 

Be gentle with your skin, avoid all harsh ingredients, and don’t worry about fixing any pregnancy-induced skin problems until your little one has arrived.