7 Beauty Products to avoid during Pregnancy

This is a guest post written by Swapna, mommy blogger and a longtime friend from Delhi, India (our hometown). She has a wonderful blog The Mom Views in which she shares parenting tips, activities for kids, product reviews and other interesting news for parents. Being a mommy to a 2.5 year old girl, I am a big fan of her blog and find her tips quite useful! Welcome to BeautyTidbits Swapna! Now on to the post…..

Hey BeautyTidbits readers, I am Swapna, a mommy blogger and beauty enthusiast. I am really excited about doing a guest post on Harshleen’s wonderful blog!

Most women when pregnant, turn into health junkies and maintain the best lifestyle, diet and fitness routine to ensure a safe pregnancy. Women easily give up on alcohol, cigarettes and anything else that might be harmful for their little bundle of joy. However, we generally forget that the beauty products we use also might affect pregnancy and the health of the baby.

Research studies have shown that the effects of mother’s chemical exposure may permeate the placenta, affecting the chances of a healthy and normal baby, especially in the first trimester. Although there are no conclusive reports to isolate beauty products that might cause miscarriages or birth defects it is always better to err on the side of caution. Remember, consequences of many chemical ingredients are still unknown and although the FDA has banned nine chemicals from cosmetics, the European Union has banned more than 1000. Here are seven beauty products that you might like to avoid during pregnancy :

Acne Treatments
Acne is a common fallout of pregnancy due to the hormonal changes and generally adult acne tends to get worse during pregnancy. Topical creams or lotions for acne contain beta hydroxy acids like Salicylic acids and also the active agent for many acne creams is Retinoid A. Accutane, Retin A and any Oral derivatives are a big no -no as they have been known to cause birth defects. So don’t use any acne prescription meds when you are expecting. Although topical creams do not pose any palpable danger it is best to avoid these creams during those nine months.

If you have a serious acne condition and are using creams for the same it is best to consult your ob-gyn before you start using the products.

 

Hairstyling
Hair products when applied on your scalp have a minimal risk of being absorbed into the skin. However, chemicals from hair products used in hair coloring, hair straightening and hair sprays may include p-phenylenediamine whose high exposure has not only been linked to reproductive toxicity but it is also considered a neurotoxin.
Revel in your natural hair and try to use home remedies for your hair problems like natural henna, eggs, oil etc to keep your hair healthy and nourished.

 

Scented cosmetics and perfumes
Okay, this one really scares me and I am not even pregnant! Most cosmetic products use fragrances to hide the unpleasant smells of their chemical constituents. What the companies fail to tell us is that these fragrances use phthalates as carriers. Phthalates can imitate the hormones responsible for the growth and development of the fetus and unnatural levels of these hormones could be dangerous. Even if a perfume has a dangerous phthalate as its ingredient it might not be listed on the label due to the laws which protect the secret formulation of fragrances.
If you cannot go fragrance-free, try to use products which are not so heavily scented as they will have less concentration of phthalates.

 

Anti-aging products
Anti-aging products like wrinkle control creams have retinoids as their ingredient which helps the breakdown of collagen. Retinoids with vitamin A when used in large quantities can cause dangerous levels of Vitamin A for the baby. Anti-aging products also contain parabens which can disrupt the body’s hormone systems and in fact methylparaben has been banned or deemed unsafe to use in European Union.
Be au natural in your pregnancy because wrinkles only go where smiles have been.

 

Tanning sprays
Although DHA (Dihydroxy Acetone) used in chemical tanning is approved and is considered safer than Suntanning (which can cause cancer), it is still not clear whether inhalation of the spray particles is harmful or not. There are clinical studies to suggest that DHA might be mutagenic and cause DNA damage. Tanning beds are also a strict no-no as the elevated temperatures can cause fetal damage.
Flaunt your porcelain pregnant skin which will anyways be glowing due to the inner happiness that you feel.

 

Nail Products
Many nail products like nail polishes, cuticle strengthener, polish removers etc. have Toluene and Formaldehyde in their ingredient list. Toluene is an industrial solvent which poses reproductive toxicity and can cause brain cell damage. Formaldehyde is a preservative and hardener which has been linked to cancer and developmental toxicity. Nail products can cause fetal damage because your hands come directly in contact with what you eat, which goes into your bloodstream. Also, you tend to inhale fumes from nail products and studies have shown that there is an increased risk of spontaneous abortion among nail salon employees.

It is better to have naked nails during pregnancy than risk inhaling these toxic chemicals into your system. But if you are painting your nails, make sure to choose nail laquers by brands like Zoya and OPI that do not have the harmful chemicals stated above.

 

Tattoos
There is a very rare chance of you finding a tattoo artist who will be willing to tattoo a visibly pregnant woman and there is a good reason for that. Even if the tattoo equipment is sterile and clean there is a chance that the inks used for the tattoo will be absorbed into your skin. The effect of these tattoo dyes on the growth of the baby have not really been studied but they may cause allergies and are definitely not worth the risk. If this is your first tattoo, the pain might cause you to go into a shock and high blood pressure which is surely not good for the baby.
Moreover, the body goes through so many changes during pregnancy that post-baby your tattoo may be completely unrecognizable. So hold on to the thought of the tattoo and once the baby is here may be you can get his/her name tattooed for posterity.

Pregnancy is an emotional roller coaster for most women and add to the mix shooting hormones, the ever-changing waistline, stretch marks, pigmentation etc. and it is a potent mix enough to make anyone crazy. So, don’t spend the nine months in fear about your baby but just use common sense and medical advice from your doctor to protect your unborn child from any chemical danger.

Do visit my blog The Mom Views  for parenting posts with tips and activity ideas for kids.

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