Less critical, but also on the avoid-if-you-can list from experts due to irritation are harsh acids and essential oils.“They’re of concern because studies have shown that when large amounts of these ingredients are applied to skin there can be some systemic absorption—and we have data about that,” says Weinstein. “Anything absorbed systemically can get into your bloodstream and potentially affect the baby.”
Because researchers will not conduct studies on pregnant patients, the list of ingredients to avoid tends to be hypervigilant and recommendations can take a long time to change. Over time, as a more research emerges, some beauty treatments that were once avoided—like coloring hair—are now considered safe.
“I think it’s always best to err on following all the recommendations [even if they seem overly cautious],” Ciraldo instructs. “Godforbid a complication comes up, you don’t want the added pressure of second guessing your choices.”
What is the ideal pregnancy skin-care routine?
Naturally, you may feel the urge to completely overhaul your routine top to bottom, but the good news is you don’t need to fix anything that isn’t broken. “If you already have a good routine, stick to it and just eliminate the things you know are not safe—just swap those,” Weinstein says. As for the steps of a routine, simple is better: cleanser, antioxidant serum (like vitamin C), moisturizer, and sunscreen for day, then cleanser and some anti-aging product (think: something rich in peptides or retinol alternatives) for night.
How soon should you change your skin-care routine once you find out you’re pregnant?
In an ideal world, pregnancy skin care changes should already happen when you’re trying to get pregnant. But do not be too concerned if you don’t make changes until after discovering you’re expecting—the best thing to do is tweak your routine as soon as you know. Of more concern are oral medications to treat acne like spironolactone and isotretinoin, which you should stop immediately and speak to your OB-GYN.
Should you use pregnancy skin-care products postpartum?
If you’re breastfeeding, doctors recommend continuing to follow the pregnancy-safe parameters. Like many recommendations during pregnancy, this is mostly out of an abundance of caution. “The risk of systemic absorption from topical tretinoin from skin to breastmilk is very low,” says Dr. Weinstein. “But it’s still considered unsafe during both pregnancy and breastfeeding.” As soon as you’re done breastfeeding you may immediately resume all topicals.
Meet The Experts
- Dr. Loretta Ciraldo is a Miami-based board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Loretta skin care.
- Dr. Mara Weinstein is a Rochester, NY-based board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Cosmetic and Laser Surgeon.
