Pregnancy Skin care: Non-Toxic Beauty Products to Use During Pregnancy, IVF or While Trying to Conceive

A lot of people apply products to their skin and hair without giving it a second thought that an ingredient in what they’re using could be harmful should they become pregnant. A lot of ingredients could also affect your hormones, and in turn affect your fertility. If you think about it, our skin is our largest organ. Everything you put on your skin goes into your bloodstream, and yes, will go straight to your baby once you’re pregnant. That’s why when I knew I was going to try to get pregnant, it was time to switch up my pregnancy skin care routine to include all natural, hormone-friendly beauty products that are safe for IVF and pregnancy.

Beauty Product Ingredients to Avoid While Pregnant

There are some major skin care and cosmetic ingredients to avoid while pregnant. These include anything containing:

1. Aluminum chloride hexahydrate: Found in antiperspirant; check for aluminum chloride hexahydrate and aluminium chlorohydrate.
2. Beta hydroxy acids: Salicylic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, trethocanic acid and tropic acid.
3. Chemical sunscreens: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, oxtinoxate, menthyl anthranilate and oxtocrylene.
4. Diethanolamine (DEA): Found in hair and body products; stay clear of diethanolamine, oleamide DEA, lauramide DEA and cocamide DEA.
5. Dihydroxyacetone (DHA): Found in spray self-tanners; could be harmful if inhaled.
6. Formaldehyde: Found in hair straightening treatments, nail polishes and eyelash glue; look for formaldehyde, quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM), hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol).
7. Hydroquinone: A lightening agent; abstain from hydroquinone, idrochinone and quinol/1-4 dihydroxy benzene/1-4 hydroxy benzene.
8. Parabens: Keep away from propyl, butyl, isopropyl, isobutyl and methyl parabens.
9. Phthalates: Found in products with synthetic fragrances and nail polishes; avoid diethyl and dibutyl especially.
10. Retinol: Vitamin A, retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, adapalene, tretinoin, tazarotene and isotretinoin.
11. Thioglycolic acid: Found in chemical hair removers; can also be labeled acetyl mercaptan, mercaptoacetate, mercaptoacetic acid and thiovanic acid.
12. Toluene: Found in nail polishes; skip methylbenzene, toluol and antisal 1a.

How do I know if a product is Pregnancy Safe?

So, get used to reading labels while you’re pregnant, because you’ll be doing a lot of it! I read the label before I put anything in my mouth or on my skin and try to use organic everything when possible and reasonable. I found a great App that I use a lot while shopping for pregnancy skincare products and cosmetics. It’s called Think Dirty, and all you have to do is scan a product’s barcode, and it will tell you exactly whether it is harmful to you or your baby. You can check that out the app HERE.

So, what to do when all of your favorite products could potentially harm your unborn child? Swap them out! In today’s market there are a TON of all natural beauty products for pregnancy (that are effective!), that keep your pregnancy skincare and beauty routine in check, while also keeping you and baby safe. I will say that, for me, finding the right all natural products took a lot of trial and error. You have to try a lot of products before you find what works best for you (and your changing body).

So, after trying a ton of all natural and organic beauty products, below are a few of my absolute favorite all natural beauty products for pregnancy and trying to conceive.

Favorite All Natural Beauty Brands

Honest Company – Jessica Alba’s Honest Co. has amazing skincare, all natural makeup, safe cleaning products and baby items. PLUS, they sell my favorite Body Oil that I swear by for stretch marks(I ordered 4 bottles of it when I started IVF). I used it with their now discontinued Belly Balm, but they have some really great and effective options for stretch mark prevention. They list all of their ‘Mama Friendly’ products in one place, HERE! The closest thing I can find to the ingredients in their old Belly Balm is the Honest All Purpose Balm, which is worth a shot!

Juice Beauty – Juice Beauty Offers Pregnancy Friendly skincare, hair care and makeup. They’re products are amazing, and even endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow. They already have all of their Healthy Pregnancy products listed in one place, so shopping is a breeze. All of their products are SO GOOD.

Herbivore – These products just feel good on the skin. I really loved everything in the collection, especially the Cloud Jelly and Phoenix Facial Oil. All of their products are safe, but maybe avoid the Blue Tansy and Lapis Oil if you’re pregnant.

Andalou Naturals – I have been using Andalou Naturals for years since my first pregnancy and I swear by them! They’re budget-friendly, pregnancy-safe, and can be found in a ton of different stores!

*Note: Still run all products through the Think Dirty app to ensure they’re pregnancy safe. Just because a brand is all natural, doesn’t mean all of their products are pregnancy safe.

Top 15 Favorite Pregnancy Friendly Beauty Products

• Acne Patches – These acne patches are incredible. Not only do they work, they are completely non-toxic. Get these, whether you are pregnant or not! Just make sure you are buying the Hydrocolloid patches without Salycylic acid. Tea tree oil is fine.
• Kopari Deodorant – I have tried a TON of All Natural Deodorants, and non of them have worked… until this one. It is a 2018 Allure Beauty Award Winner, it smells amazing, it’s all natural, and it works. Enough said.
• Drunk Elephant JuJu Bar – I love a good exfoliating face wash, and what it does for my skin. I truly believe removing the dead skin cells helps prevent acne, which is important during pregnancy. This bar is simple, easy, and removes all of my makeup in one wash. 
• Andalou Naturals Resveratrol Q10 Night Repair Cream – I don’t love the smell of this cream (it smells like chocolate), but it is a fantastic night cream that really moisturizes my super dry pregnancy skin, and has anti-aging benefits, too.
• Andalou Naturals Probiotic + C Renewal Cream – This day cream smells like oranges! It is super light and lets your skin breath, while brightening and moisturizing. I chose a brightening cream to help with any skin discoloration or Melasma (or ‘Pregnancy Mask’) that may occur due to pregnancy hormones. 
• Andalou Naturals DIY Booster SPF 30 Facial Serum – I LOVE this Daily SPF! I layer it with the Andalou Brightening Cream during the day under my makeup. I love that this SPF can be layered with absolutely anything. It is unscented, super light and non-greasy, rubs in like a regular moisturizer, and is SPF 30. 
• Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum – I put this on first thing in the morning before my moisturizer and SPF. And, it works wonders for evening and toning your skin. It takes a little getting used to, but I. Am. Sold. I have freckles, and they tend to darken due to pregnancy hormones. This works wonders. I also love THIS $20 option as a more affordable Vitamin C Serum that I’ve tried and also works amazingly well for the price.
• Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel for Pregnancy – This peel/mask is super gentle to use once or twice a week to prevent pregnancy acne. It’s refreshing, and makes your skin super smooth.
• Juice Beauty Firming Body Lotion – Let’s Face it, we all get a few extra lumps and bumps during pregnancy. This body lotion is moisturizing with the added benefit of firming some of those little imperfections.
• Honest Company Organic Body Oil– I swear by the Honest brand to prevent stretch marks. I used their now discontinued Belly Balm that I swore by! I used it together with the Honest Co. Organic Body Oil at night. But, now they have even more options for bump care and stretch mark prevention in their Mama Collections. I swear by using the Body Oil in conjunction with any of them, though. I did my research, and it has every oil needed to help prevent stretch marks! The closest thing I can find to the ingredients in their old Belly Balm is the Honest All Purpose Balm. 
  
  Read more about Stretch Mark Prevention on my Stretch Mark post, HERE.
  
• Burt’s Bees Blemish Stick for Pregnancy Acne – My first pregnancy I was plagued with acne during my first trimester, and also while breastfeeding. This all natural blemish stick was the only thing I found that was safe enough to use that worked! It is a great spot treatment for blemishes! I still use it!
• Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Facial Toner – I have been using this toner since before I even started trying to have kids. It is amazing, and has gained quite the cult following. It smells incredible, is free of alcohol, parabens and propylene glycol, and it just feels SO good on your skin. This toner takes off any remaining makeup with ease. It also helps sooth any blemishes or splotchiness. Thayers is amazing.
• Everyone Soap – Yes, it is important to think about those shower products you use during pregnancy, too! I love this all natural Everyone Soap. It comes in a few different scents, you get a ton of it, and it really keeps your skin soft without leaving a soapy residue. 
• A pregnancy-safe shampoo and conditioner was one of the hardest things for me to find. Most all natural shampoos don’t lather and they dry out your hair. I found a couple all natural shampoos that lather, smell good, and are great for pregnancy. You can find the two brands that I like HERE and HERE.
• Carol’s Daughter Leave-In Conditioner – O.M.G. This leave-in conditioner smells AMAZING. I am obsessed with it! I’ll continue using it when I am no longer pregnant. It helps detangle, and keeps your hair soft.
• Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm – Pregnancy completely dries me out. My lips get so chapped and sore that I honestly don’t know what to do with them. This all natural chapstick has been a lifesaver. I mean, this goes on your lips… on your mouth… you end up swallowing some of it! So, you need it to be all natural and safe for you and baby. This is not waxy, actually moisturizes, and is organic and free of harmful chemicals. Perfect for use on your mouth;)

Well, that’s it! I’d love to hear which products other people have found in the comments below!

NOW YOU CAN SHOP ALL OF THESE PREGNANCY SKINCARE PRODUCTS AND MORE IN ONE PLACE ON MY AMAZON STOREFRONT, HERE.