Worried about what you're putting on your face when pregnant? Learn about the face cream ingredients to avoid and embrace during pregnancy. Benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, hydroquinone, and retinol are all common face cream ingredients. Some of these products are good for pregnancy, some are bad, and some are neither.

Find out which face creams to keep and which to throw away.

Table of Contents:

• Skincare During Pregnancy
• Ingredients to Avoid During Pregnancy
• Retinoids
• Hydroquinone
• Phthalates
• Ingredients for UV protection
• Pregnancy-safe Ingredients
• Vitamin C
• Hyaluronic acid
• Coconut oil
• Physical sunscreens
• Safe Face Cream Recommendations
• Wow Skin Science Hyaluronic Acid Water Gel
• Wow Skin Science Vitamin C Face Cream
• Wow Skin Science Coconut Water Full Cream With Hyaluronic Acid
• Wow Skin Science Coconut Perfecting Cream

Skincare During Pregnancy

Women's bodies change considerably during and after pregnancy. Hormonal changes are common during pregnancy, and it leads to several skin issues. However, most of them are benign, that is, not harmful. The most common example is stretch marks.

Other common skin issues during pregnancy include hyperpigmentation, skin and hair issues, vascular changes, fungal infections, and rashes.

Acne is yet another common skin problem that pregnant women face. We can attribute much of it to hormonal changes, but some are also results of general pregnancy behavior.

Pregnancy leaves a particularly lasting impact on our external features — hair, weight, skin, and nails. So, it's important to take good care of yourself during pregnancy, both for your and the baby’s sake.

You should not ignore skincare during pregnancy, but you must be more careful about the products you use. In this article, we will talk about face creams to avoid you're pregnant. More specifically, we'll discuss the common face cream ingredients to avoid.

Ingredients to Avoid During Pregnancy

Let's look at some ingredients to avoid at all costs during pregnancy:

• Retinoids

Vitamin A turns into retinol once absorbed by the skin. Retinoid is a type of retinol commonly used in anti-aging products. While some OTC products have low concentrations of retinoids, prescription retinoid creams are completely unsafe for pregnant women.

• Hydroquinone

Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening ingredient found in face creams. There are no direct side effects of hydroquinone, but our skin easily absorbs as much as 35% of it. It's safer to stay away from hydroquinone during pregnancy.

• Phthalates

You shouldn't use face creams with phthalates, even when not pregnant. Studies conducted on animals have linked hormonal and reproductive issues with phthalates. There aren't many face creams out there with phthalates, but avoid any product that has this substance.

• Ingredients for UV protection

Chemical sunscreens use active ingredients like octinoxate, avobenzone, and oxybenzone. Among these, oxybenzone is a proven endocrine-disrupting chemical. It's safer for pregnant women to avoid chemical sunscreens and go for physical sunscreens instead.

Pregnancy-safe Ingredients

The following ingredients are safe for all pregnant women to use.

• Vitamin C

If you are dealing with pregnancy-related hyperpigmentation, you should use face creams with vitamin C. Unlike hydroquinone, vitamin C does not pose any danger to pregnancy. Apart from being pregnancy-safe, vitamin C is an effective active ingredient. It helps boost collagen production, promote healing, reduce sun damage, and a lot more.

Use face creams with vitamin C to get great results while staying safe.

• Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is among the most effective ingredients for wrinkles, fine lines, and even stretch marks. Since pregnant women cannot use retinol and retinoids, they should use hyaluronic acid instead. The ingredient provides moisture and hydration and helps battle signs of aging.

• Coconut oil

Coconut oil is the most versatile natural oil. It is also great for stretch marks and dryness. Go for a face cream with coconut oil during pregnancy for safe moisturization.

• Physical sunscreens

Physical sunscreens use ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These ingredients create a physical barrier between your skin and UV light. Since zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not pose any risk of getting absorbed, they are a much safer alternative for when you're pregnant.

Safe Face Cream Recommendations

Now that we know which ingredients to avoid during pregnancy, here's a list of face cream recommendations with pregnancy-safe ingredients:

Wow Skin Science Hyaluronic Acid Water Gel

Packed with hyaluronic acid, pro-vitamin B5, and vitamin E, this face cream is ideal for pregnant women. It gives you all the necessary nutrients that your skin craves during pregnancy, apart from being 100% safe. Moreover, it's a water-based light face gel for all skin types.

Wow Skin Science Vitamin C Face Cream

We already spoke about the benefits of using vitamin C during pregnancy. Use this vitamin C face cream with hyaluronic acid to get the benefits of both ingredients. It also contains safe, natural oils like Moroccan argan oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil for added moisturization.

Wow Skin Science Coconut Water Full Cream With Hyaluronic Acid

Like coconut oil, coconut water is a safe ingredient for pregnancy. This face cream from Wow Skin Science combines the best of coconut water, hyaluronic acid, and pro-vitamin B5. Use this product to get rid of wrinkles, fine lines, and all signs of fatigue and aging.

Wow Skin Science Coconut Perfecting Cream

The Coconut Perfecting Cream from Wow Skin Science is perfect for those who want intense moisturization in a non-greasy cream. This product also comes with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and pro-vitamin B5.

Natural ingredients are often safer alternatives to their chemical counterparts. Avoid harsh chemicals at all costs — not just in your face cream but in all your hair and skin products. When doubtful about an ingredient, look for a natural alternative with the same benefits.

With so many pregnancy-safe face creams and skincare products out there, there's no reason to go for unsafe ingredients and pose unnecessary risks.