I wrote a post on breastfeeding safe skincare last week and I wanted to touch on another super popular topic: pregnancy safe skincare! I’ve written posts on this before but here is a more comprehensive post. I summarized some of the key findings from the 2014 Dr. Murase et al JAAD paper located here for pregnancy (See Figure 1) and here for lactation and the Bozzo paper on skincare products here.
Key takeaway: Don’t use topical retinol or retinoids, Rogaine (minoxidil), or hydroquinone while pregnant. Do not take oral spironolactone, Doxycycline antibiotics, or Accutane while pregnant.
- Retinol or Retinoids: Few very early case reports showed birth defects in babies who were exposed in utero, but later larger studies of hundreds of women did not show an increased risk. However, because the risk/benefit ratio is still unclear, we do not recommend usage during pregnancy.
- Hydroquinone: Hydroquinone is a bleaching agent used to lighten dark spots. When used topically, 35-45% has been found to be systemically absorbed into your body. Because of the high rate of absorption, we do not recommend usage during pregnancy.
- Rogaine (Minoxidil): Rogaine is used topically on the scalp to stimulate hair growth in male and female pattern hair loss. Because of a few case reports demonstrating birth defects, we do not recommend usage during pregnancy.
- Benzoyl peroxide: BP is commonly used to treat acne and folliculitis. A 5% BP wash is coverted to benzoic acid within the skin, which is actually a food additive. It is safe to use in pregnancy
- Alpha hydroxy acids / Beta hydroxy acids: These are generally safe to use during pregnancy due to low absorption through the skin. I advise patients to look for AHA < 20% and salicylic acid < 2%. Avoid medical grade high strength chemical peels in office while pregnant.
- Sunscreen: A few recent studies (the most recent one published in JAMA in Jan 2020) showed that chemical sunscreen ingredients are absorbed systemically into the bloodstream. The jury is still out on whether or not chemical sunscreen ingredients like oxybenzone are actually toxic to humans, but I say why take the risk? I advise mineral zinc or titanium based sunscreens while pregnant (and in general).
- Self tanner: Dihydroxyacetone is the material that binds to amino acids in the top most level of your skin, the stratum corneum, and only 0.5% is absorbed, so this is safe to use during pregnancy.
- Insect repellent with DEET: Studies have shown that it is safe to use in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy up to 20-30%.
Any questions?
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