Avoid These Skincare Product Ingredients During Pregnancy

Life Keep Up

 Nine months of drastic body change may occur to pregnant women. Skin changes are one that 99% of women may endure. So future moms should be knowledgeable and prepared for taking care of their skin while being pregnant. Some of the skin changes that may occur may include acne, pimple marks, pigmentation, or high skin discoloration, which is due to the increase in androgens in your body when you get pregnant. You may experience papules and pustules along your hairline and even dark underarms. You need to know what can be a remedy or cure to these skin changes without harming the precious little one inside.   

Well, every pregnant woman is lucky as your skin is brilliantly designed to serve as barrier protection to effectively keep things out, including substances that we put on it. Topical skincare products cannot easily penetrate the skin because the top layer of the epidermis is called the stratum corneum, which is made up of flattened cells surrounded by lipid-rich fatty material. It looks like a brick wall is made, or the stratum corneum is a part of the epidermis with very little vascularity compared to the dermis below. This combination of very efficient skin barrier protection and a lack of vascularity ensures that penetration of anything we put on your skin is not easy. In general, most of the skincare products that you use in your daily lives, such as your facial cleansers or moisturizers, are formulated not to be systemically absorbed in your bloodstream, and they will not reach your babies. 
 
For those women who are fortunate enough to have no problems when they are pregnant are very lucky. Bare minimum requirements or recommendations to keep your skin looking young and healthy are the followings:
 

1.  A good soap-free mild cleanser that effectively removes all the dirt and grime in your face without compromising your skin barrier protection.

 

2. Always prepare a pack or canister of baby wipes. Use fragrant free baby wipe products, because it has lesser chemical ingredients. It is designed to remove dirt gently. And it is very mild so as not to irritate skin sensitivities. 

     
Wet Wipes are made of spunlace nonwoven fabric that is not woven. Raw fiber materials for Spunlace nonwoven fabrics used are cotton, polyester viscose that is entangled using water jets.  
 

3. Exfoliant serum, alpha hydroxy acids, or vitamin C ingredients on your favorite exfoliant are safe for pregnant women. Sunscreen is also a vital part of your skincare routine process. It should be maintained because pregnant women experience a lot of pigmentation problems. 

 
However, in some cases of pregnancy-related skin conditions, you need to avoid these ingredients at all costs:
 

1. Hydroquinone. Are widely used around the world. It is the gold standard to lighten skin, which is very effective in addressing pigmentation issues. However, hydroquinone fully penetrates the skin barrier and enters our bloodstream with measurements ranging from 35% to 45% immediately after topical application; no studies prove that it has your placenta; however, the size of the molecule is small enough to do so.

 

2.  Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A, and they come in oral and topical form, and they are prescribed to treat acne. Retinoids include your tretinoin or retinol, bexarotene, adapalene, and tazarotene. Oral retinoids are proven to cause congenital disabilities, including heart problems and nervous system defects, and should be avoided when you're pregnant. 

 
Conflicting medical research advises that some topical retinoids may cause congenital disabilities, while some study says there is none. Whichever is the case, reserve the use after giving birth to your baby.
 

3. Oral tetracycline, which are antibiotics used in the treatment of acne, includes doxycycline and minocycline. They are not recommended to be used while pregnant because they can inhibit bone growth in your unborn child. 

 
It is best to contact your OB Gynecologist before using any skin care product to ensure safety in the entire pregnancy.