Your Complete Guide To Safe Skin Care During Pregnancy

When you first learn you are expecting, it can be both an exciting and overwhelming time. There will be so many changes you will begin to go through mentally and physically well before the baby arrives. Advice will be thrown at you left and right from both loved ones and strangers. But one piece of advice you will want to heed is to carefully consider what you put on your skin and into your body as you grow another human. Keep reading for everything you need to know about safe skin care during pregnancy.

Avoid Endocrine Disruptors:

Endocrine Disruptors are chemicals found in everyday household products including skin care products that can seriously disrupt our bodies. In large enough doses, these chemicals can increase the production of certain hormones while decreasing the production of others. A few of these disruptive chemicals found in skin-care products are parabens whichareused to preserve the products; phthalates which are the fragrances used; BPA which is often found in the plastic packaging; and triclosan which is antibacterial.

Parabens have been found to cause low birth weight in babies, as well as shorten women’s menstrual cycles outside of pregnancy. There is also some research linking phthalates to thyroid dysfunction and endometriosis. Not only should all pregnant and non-pregnant women avoid these chemicals, so should men, as there may also be a link between phthalates and lowered sperm count.

Avoid Skin Irritants:

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a chemical found in a wide range of personal care products including shampoo, soap, detergent and toothpaste. While it is a very inexpensive, and effective cleaning and foaming agent, it can seriously irritate skin resulting in eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. At the very least, it can cause your skin to be dry, coarse or incredibly sensitive.

During pregnancy, your skin can become quite sensitive, even if it is not usually. But thanks to your changing hormones, your skin, scalp and even gums can become sensitive. Avoid using SLS in all skin-care products as well as in your laundry detergent. Many natural baby products avoid SLS due to the sensitive nature of baby skin, so consider switching to these products during pregnancy.