Skin care products while pregnant

Can anyone recommend safe and effective skin care products to use while pregnant? Seems like everything I look at has something in it I am not supposed to be using! Thanks :-)

What aren't we supposed to be using? I just use whatever

I've just been using my normal products and moisterisers Johnson and Johnson, Bio Oil etc- do you mean medically based ones? If so check with your m/w!

wow- didn't know about Vit A! It can't get through the skin though, can it?
I heard about the essential oils thing though. Luckily I'm cheap and my moisterisors etc don't have real essential oils.

Believe or not, Vitamin A can easily get through the skin, which is why they warn pregnant woman to stop using skincare products with it in.

Q10 plus is fine, as co-enzyme q10 is an essential antioxidant for energy transportation, fat metabolism, and heart function.

There are a couple of essential oils that are abortificants, but when you are pregnant, never put essential oils directly in the skin, rather use a carrier/base oil and mix in a couple of drops of your favourite into it. Essential oils in skincare are very dilute, so will not affect you.

The essential oils to watch out for when pregnant are: basil, clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, jasmine, juniper berry, marjoram, myrrh, peppermint, rosemary, thyme. Most of the oils mentioned are good at regulating menstural cycles, so are likely to induce labour and/or miscarriage. It is ok to use the plant form (if used in cooking), but stay away from the oils, as they are highly concentrated.

When it comes to perfume, just see what oils have been used. I know I have a particular perfume I do not use at the moment, as it has juniper berry in it. You can always ask at the store what the notes are in the perfume, so you can make the right decision.

But it best to stay away from perfumes when pregnant anyway, as your skin is more sensitive and receptive to chemicals.

Thanks Lady_Aset - that is super helpful!