Safe Skin

Because some topical ingredients get absorbed into the bloodstream, there are some you want to avoid," says Leslie Baumann, a professor of dermatology at the University of Miami and author of The Skin Type Solution (Bantam, 2006)http://www.babycenter.com/0_safe-skin-care-during-pregnancy_1490031.bc .

"Everything you eat, apply, or come into contact with may affect not only you but also your baby," says Sandra Marchese Johnson, a dermatologist with Johnson Dermatology in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Most pregnant women are careful as to what they eat, but not so cautious when it comes to what is applied on their skin, our largest organ. As Dr. Leslie Baumann stated these beauty creams may pose a danger to your fetus if absorbed through your bloodstream. Throughout my pregnancy my skin has been a catastrophe. I went from oily all over to flaky dehydrated dry skin. My skin has an overwhelming amount of black heads and pimples on my chin and jaw line. In my quest for perfect skin, I asked my doctor if there are ingredients I should avoid. Perhaps I did not ask the right doctor because she said, “Any cream that is not safe while pregnant shouldn’t be used when you are not pregnant.” I was really bewildered. What about all these things people say to avoid? I did my own research.


Retinoids:
Avoid products that contain vitamin A and it's derivatives (retinals, including Retin-A, and retinoids). A vitamin-A derivative in Accutane, which can cause major birth defects. Vitamin A in high does can be toxic pregnant or not.

Salicylic acid/ Benzoyl peroxide:
BHA, or beta hydroxy acid, is a form of salicylic acid and is used in some topical exfoliants to reverse signs of aging. Salicylic acid as well as Benzoyl Peroxide is used to kill bacteria for acne/break outs. Even though pregnant women get hormonal breakouts, this ingredient seems to be the only ingredient unanimously across board that we need to steer clear of. However, Alpha hydroxy acids, sometimes listed as AHAs, glycolic acid, or lactic acid, are said to be safe, but I find dubious.

Soy:
"Soy can make the 'mask of pregnancy' (dark splotches on facial skin) worse.” Although soy creams are plant based there is an ingredient called isoflavones which cause estrogenic effects in the body. One of my favorite skin care lines called Fresh is soy based, which I will now avoid during my pregnancy.

Essential Oils:
There again no evidence suggesting that oils are dangerous, but oils tend to penetrate deeper into the layers of the skin. I even read Almond oil can be toxic. My favorite body products from L’occitane are the Almond Shower Oil and Almond Supple Skin Oil. Now, I am in search of body products that will hydrate and help with stretch marks.

Hair removers:
Avoid depilatories (cream hair removers) because these chemicals seep deep into the pores.

Self-tanners:
Self-tanners are not dangerous per say, but layering chemicals that will sit on the skin for hours may not be a good option for the baby.


Hair dyes:
This is the one thing that is a biggie for me since my hair turns gray every two weeks. I waited till I was almost five months to dye my hair. There are no studies that concretely state that hair dye are harmful, but these chemicals can absorb through the scalp. Hair dye is so controversial because some believe it is not safe for women who or aren’t pregnant. I even heard there is a link between hair dyes and cancer. However, this one practice I may not be able to give up.

Nail polish:

Three ingredients to avoid in your polish are DBP, formaldehyde or toluene . “Try colors from Sally Hansen -- last year, the company announced plans to remove all three chemicals from their products.”