Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The best pregnancy-safe skincare products that are non-toxic and eco-friendly

Sarah Prager
By

Your skin may be glowing during pregnancy but it still needs TLC. That “glow” may come from all of the extra fluids in your body and you should keep drinking lots of water to keep your body hydrated especially during pregnancy. Your skin is stretching and going through changes like every other part of your body, and you may notice and want to treat dry skin, acne, or darkening spots. Finding the best pregnancy skincare products can make all the difference. Your skin also absorbs every product you put on it, so it’s just as important to check all of the ingredients in your skincare brands as it is to check the ingredients in the food you eat. When looking for pregnancy-safe skincare brands, you’ll want to make sure you aren’t putting any harmful chemicals on your skin that could enter your bloodstream and reach your developing baby.

According to dermatologist Dr. Orit Markowitz, any beta or alpha hydroxy acids (like salicylic acid), Retin-As, and retinol are unsafe for pregnancy and many serums like vitamin C have not been tested for pregnancy safety. A 2013 study concluded that systemic tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, and isotretinoin should not be used to treat acne during pregnancy. There is a whole list of potentially harmful ingredients that can be inconclusive and confusing, but one resource you can trust is the Environmental Working Group’s database called Skin Deep. Their online guide (also available as a mobile app) will give you easy-to-understand ratings for hundreds of products.

We’ve also rounded up six of the best pregnancy skincare products right here for you.

BELLA B Foaming Face Wash

Minimize oil on your face with this tea tree foaming facial cleanser. This gentle foaming wash uses pharmaceutical-grade tea tree oil with no parabens, benzoyl peroxide, alpha-hydroxy, or salicylic acid. Instead, it uses natural emollients like shea and aloe and organic pomegranate, green tea, and acai berry. It’s recommended for use twice a day.

Related

Belli Healthy Glow Facial Hydrator and Moisturizer

This moisturizing cream nourishes skin to leave it feeling soft with an orange scent. It uses Vitamin C, grapeseed oil, and chamomile for their anti-wrinkle and anti-aging elements to lock in moisture, increase collagen, and reduce dark spots. The chamomile keeps skin clear by unclogging pores. Tested as safe for pregnancy, this cream contains no synthetic fragrance, parabens, phthalates, or preservatives.

Evereden Sheer Botanical Face Sunscreen SPF 30

Protecting your skin from UV rays is even more important while pregnant. This SPF 30 pregnancy-safe sunscreen is good for sensitive skin and intended for facial use with its soothing rose extract and antioxidant-rich jojoba oil that won’t clog pores. The broad-spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30 oxybenzone-free sunblock protects against UV rays and blue light while providing the benefits of organic ingredients, and it’s also reef-friendly!

A pregnant woman applying sunscreen on a beach

Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream

This hydrogel cream is not only Environmental Working Group certified but is also vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in tree-free packaging. It helps soften and firm skin and is made without parabens, silicones, petrolatum, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, or dyes. Infused with jojoba and squalane, it feels refreshing and cool when you put it on.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks

Use this non-greasy lotion all over your body to help your skin’s elasticity during pregnancy as you stretch to accommodate your growing baby. The natural cocoa butter, shea butter, natural oils, collagen, elastin, and lutein help allow the skin to stretch more easily without leaving stretch marks. By leaving your skin soft and hydrated, your skin will feel great whether or not stretch marks are a concern.

Burt’s Bees Mama Belly Butter

Another option for your belly during and after pregnancy is this naturally hydrating lotion made with cocoa shea and jojoba butter. It’s fragrance-free, non-irritating, and safely moisturizes your skin as it stretches. Formulated without phthalates, parabens, petrolatum, or SLS, this belly butter is safe for you to pamper yourself with during pregnancy.

It can be hard to tell exactly which ingredients to avoid during pregnancy because testing has not been thoroughly conclusive, but the natural products above can all help keep your skin radiant through pregnancy without the harsh chemicals. Remember to use non-chemical sunscreen and to keep pampering yourself any chance you get before giving birth!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Having pregnancy cramping at 19 weeks? We can help you deal with it
What to do if you're experiencing 19 weeks pregnancy cramping
Pregnant woman on couch experiencing cramps

With pregnancy comes exhaustion, a constant need to pee, cravings for random food, mood swings, and a bulky belly. Sometimes, you may even experience pregnancy pain. One thing you may not be expecting, however, are cramps. Cramps are a common contraction of muscles many women experience during their menstrual cycle in their lower abdomen. It's also a symptom commonly associated with miscarriages in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Do you have 19 weeks pregnant cramping? That's probably not something you'd thought you'd be feeling, especially in the second trimester. Of course, you may immediately worry that the cramping is a symptom of a second-trimester miscarriage, but actually cramping at around 19 weeks can be completely common.

Read more
How old do you have to be to wear makeup? What every parent needs to know about this rite of passage
Advice for parents wondering how old a child has to be to wear makeup
Mother and daughter playing with makeup

Giving out your personal makeup tips to your teenager may be a rite of passage — but what about the younger ones? What about children? When your child transitions into their pre-adolescent years, they’ll start to express themselves in different ways. It can be a safe and healthy way for your child to build their personality if supervised by an adult. One of these ways involves experimenting with makeup.

As a parent, you're probably wondering: How old do you have to be to wear makeup? Take a look at our helpful parenting tips below as a guide for how to talk to your child about makeup.

Read more
Is your toddler’s hair growing slowly? Here are some tips to promote hair growth
Hacks that include nutrition that promote healthy toddler hair growth
Brushing a toddler's hair

You've read the books and learned early on why it's important to brush your baby's hair regularly, as it has many benefits. However, as you draw near the 1-year-old mark, you realize your toddler's hair is growing slowly, or not at all. Now there’s a wide range of what's "normal" for baby and toddler hair growth. Some babies are born with a full head of hair while others come into the world with a bald head. This is because of a baby's individual DNA, so there's no need to stress either way.

It’s completely normal for babies to have very little to no hair during their first year, but after their first birthday comes and goes, you may wonder why there's no active hair growth. Many factors determine how fast hair grows, so if your baby is still sporting wispy strands by the time they are in the toddler stage, there's probably no need to worry. However, consult your pediatrician if your child's hair is falling out in patches or if there are circular areas of loss.

Read more