Beyond those biggies, your doc will probably tell you that you don’t have to limit yourself, since there aren’t a lot of skincare ingredients proven to cause health problems in unborn babies. But many moms-to-be do try to avoid products with weird chemicals or additives. Remember, what goes on your skin can eventually go into your body and bloodstream. Think of it the same way you do avoiding junk food during pregnancy -- it’s because you want baby exposed to good, healthy things and nothing too icky. “Big ingredients to avoid are parabens, fragrances and petroleum,” says Kim Walls, CEO of Episencial, a natural skincare company. Your skin may also be more sensitive than it was pre-pregnancy, and the fewer chemicals you’re exposed to, the less likely you are to have a reaction.
Photo by Shutterstock / The Bump