Safe Skin Care During Pregnancy: What Helps and What to Avoid
Which skincare ingredients to avoid in pregnancy, why dark patches appear, and what a daily routine can realistically do for skin that is changing.
Some Mamas get the clearest skin of their lives. Others get dryness, dullness, breakouts and patches turning brown.
There is no predicting which you will be, and the routine below works either way. Before it, one thing worth settling.
What a routine can and cannot change
The darker patches, melasma on your face or the line down your belly, are hormonal.
They usually fade on their own after the birth, though it takes months.
What daily care does is keep your skin hydrated, reduce irritation, and protect it from the sun, which is the factor that most changes how dark those patches get.
What it cannot do is change your underlying skin tone. Claims about "whitening" are better read as keeping skin hydrated and even rather than dull.
What to avoid
Retinoids (retinol, tretinoin). Avoided in pregnancy.
High-dose salicylic acid, particularly as a peel. Low concentrations in a rinse-off are generally fine, and worth checking with a doctor.
Hydroquinone. No clear evidence of harm to your baby, and so much is absorbed through the skin that most doctors say leave it until afterwards.
Phthalates and formaldehyde, both easy enough to avoid.
Oxybenzone in sunscreen, which deserves a level answer: the evidence is limited and does not show definite harm. Some Mamas choose mineral sunscreens as a precaution, which is reasonable.
What is not reasonable is skipping sunscreen altogether. The risk of burning and of pigment darkening from UV is real and immediate, unlike the thing you were avoiding.
Sun protection is the lever
Melasma and darker patches worsen with sun and improve when it is limited.
- Every morning, cloudy days included
- Reapply every two hours outdoors
- A wide-brimmed hat
- Less time outside between 10am and 4pm
Without it, every other product is working at half strength.
The routine
Cleansing. Gentle Face Wash uses rice extract and hydrolysed collagen on a mild base.
Twice a day. More leaves your skin dry and easier to irritate.
Moisturising and protecting. Daily Protection Face Moisturizer SPF 20 PA++ is moisturiser and mineral sunscreen together, with rice extract and hyaluronic acid.
SPF 20 for everyday indoor life. Out for hours, go higher.
Dry and cracked skin. Intensive Nipple Cream is food grade, so it is safe if your baby takes in a trace. Beyond nipples, it works well on chapped lips.
The changes that are simply common
Melasma, uneven darker patches on your forehead, cheeks or upper lip.
Linea nigra, the dark line running down from your navel, which fades after the birth.
Acne, which can improve or worsen, and both are normal.
Dry itchy skin, particularly across a stretching belly.
Darkening at your underarms, neck and inner thighs, also hormonal.
Almost all of it is temporary.
Trying something new
Your skin is more reactive than it used to be.
- Patch test on a small area, inner arm, for two days
- One new product at a time, so you know what caused a reaction
- Read the ingredient list, particularly for the word "fragrance"
- Stop if redness, heat or itching appears
If you are unsure about an ingredient, our ingredient dictionary lists what is in each of our products.
When to see a dermatologist
- Acne that is severe and not settling
- A rash very itchy and spreading
- Severe itching with no rash, particularly palms and soles, which can point to cholestasis of pregnancy
- A mole changing size, shape or colour
- Dark patches that have not faded well after the birth
Melasma that persists is treatable, and the treatment is usually best started after breastfeeding under a dermatologist's guidance.
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This article is for information only and is not a substitute for diagnosis or medical advice. Please discuss your own situation with your midwife or doctor.
