Skincare And Cosmetics To Avoid During Pregnancy

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During pregnancy, it’s essential to avoid many of the things you may take for granted during your regular daily routine, as they could harm both you and your baby. For example, you might have heard that you shouldn’t drink alcohol or go out in the sun, but what about when it comes to skincare and cosmetics? Here are some everyday products to avoid during pregnancy and safer alternatives that will help keep your skin looking and feeling great during your whole pregnancy and beyond!

Ingredients to Avoid in Face Masks

The Environmental Working Group advises expecting mothers to avoid using face masks with ingredients such as different derivatives of Vitamin A and Chlorhexidine, which can cause breathing difficulties in newborns. In addition, these products are known to cause congenital disabilities in animal tests. Instead, when choosing a product for your skin, check out its ingredient list on EWG’s Skin Deep Database. Products with a low hazard score (less than 3) are generally considered safe during pregnancy.

Ingredients to Avoid in Body Lotions

Body lotions may also contain ingredients that could potentially be harmful, including parabens. Parabens are used as preservatives in many skincare products, including some body lotions. Parabens mimic oestrogen, an essential hormone during pregnancy, so it’s best to avoid the products which contain parabens. Many companies eliminated parabens from their products due to concerns about toxicity; look for labels that say paraben-free. If you can’t find an all-natural body lotion brand, be sure to review your ingredients before buying.

Ingredients to Avoid in Sunscreens

These chemical ingredients are known as endocrine disruptors, so skip them if you have any reason to believe that you may become pregnant. Retinyl palmitate is a form of vitamin A that speeds up cell turnover in the skin (kind of like an exfoliant). Because retinyl palmitate has a chemical structure similar to oestrogen, it can interfere with your natural oestrogen production. Too much oestrogen around can trigger a cascade of effects from abnormal cell growth to thyroid problems, which even result in cancer. For example, women who regularly use facial moisturisers with retinyl palmitate have an increased incidence of thyroid cancer than women who don’t use them.

More Ways To Avoid Beauty Items While Pregnant

Many skin care products can be dangerous for pregnant women. Some ingredients used in products cause congenital disabilities; some are linked to cancer in studies, while others can increase sensitivity to sunlight. Here is a list of beauty items that pregnant women should avoid using during pregnancy • Body Lotions • Hair Products • Fragrances • Makeup (foundation, mascara, blush) • Sunscreen and Tanning Lotions. All of these products include toxins that could harm your child. Even natural products like essential oils have been known to cause miscarriages. While trying to conceive, it’s best not to use any lotions or cosmetics on your body or face until you get a positive result from your doctor.

What should you use

According to Dermatology Reviews, it would be best if you used mild cosmetics or none at all during pregnancy. Oily products are a problem because they could contribute to acne, an irritating skin condition in pregnant women due to hormonal changes. However, using no cosmetics might be worse. A cream cleanser is best because it removes dirt without stripping off natural protective oils from your skin, according to KidsHealth. According to WebMD, products labelled as non-comedogenic will not clog pores.

There can be multiple skincare and cosmetics brands available in the market. However, look for that word on your skincare labels to avoid potentially dangerous ingredients such as lanolin (derived from sheep’s wool), mineral oil, petrolatum (petroleum jelly) and paraffin wax. Also, steer clear of fragrances and colourants, which may irritate sensitive skin.