Pregnant women have many lifestyle changes to make and the skin care ingredients they use is one of those things that need changing. There are certain ingredients in commonly used skin care products that should not be used by pregnant women. Below we will look at some of these ingredients that need to be avoided by pregnant women.
Let’s start with perhaps the most used skin care product by many women which are sunscreens used in their daily skin care routine . Certain chemically produced sunscreens may be composed of hormone disruptors such as oxybenzone or avobenzone. These ingredients can be dangerous for pregnant women. These ingredients can hinder the development of the baby’s nervous system. So, for pregnant women is best to use natural or physical sun protection than those that are chemically produced.
Another ingredient that must be avoided during pregnancy is Hydroquinone. Hydroquinone can be found in skin care products such as skin lighteners to treat hyperpigmentation. During pregnancy many women may use skin lighteners to treat problems such as melasma or pigmentation of the skin very common amongst pregnant women. Due to the risk of Hydroquinone entering the bloodstream and harming the baby is best not to use products that contain Hydroquinone.
Phthalates is another ingredient that should be avoided during pregnancy. They are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can be found in many skin care and beauty products. In animal studies Phthalates has shown to cause dysfunctions in reproductive and hormone faculties.
There are not many studies available when it comes to humans, but more studies are being done currently. Cosmetic products are known to be one the top sources of Phthalates exposure and the one most found is beauty products is diethylphthalate (DEP). It is best to avoid using products that contain these this ingredient during pregnancy.
