This one is for the soon-to-be mama’s! Navigating pregnancy seems more like memorizing an extensive list of no’s. While keeping them straight can be a challenge, your pregnancy skincare checklist should be easy.
When checking ingredient safety for pregnancy a good place to start is our NEVER EVER list (scroll to bottom). Most ingredients deemed unsafe are harmful whether you’re pregnant or not, (ie. Ammonia, Diethanolamine, Hydroquinone, Lead, Parabens, Phenoxyethanol, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Synthetic Dyes, Synthetic Fragrance, Talc, etc.), and companies like ours don’t use them. If you’ve already adopted a pretty “clean” routine, it’s likely that most of your products are going to have a pregnancy green light. That said additional ingredients which are normally ok need to be paused like Salicylic Acid, (especially in oral or high dose form), and Benzoyl Peroxide.
The short list of hard no’s (which you probably already know) are botox, fillers, laser treatments, intensive peels and all retinol products (Retinol/Retinoids/Retin-A/Retinyl Palmitate or any Vitamin A derivative), stop these immediately. If you need help combatting acne, which often comes with pregnancy, try incorporating low dose Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, or Azelaic Acid in forms of toners, essences, gentle peels, or spot treatments.
A good routine to follow during pregnancy is to limit cleansing to twice per day using a very gentle non-stripping cleanser. Your skin will tend to feel drier and more irritated so lean into good moisturizers and oils like our DRFO. Actives that can remain staples in your routine are Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, and Vitamin C. Sunscreen is also key as your skin will be more prone to hyperpigmentation and melasma during pregnancy. Prevention is easier than attempting to reverse damage so don't skimp on SPF, reapply regularly throughout the day. Go for the mineral (non-chemical) options offering broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection at a minimum of SPF 30. You can read our sunscreen guide here.
Your skin will definitely be more sensitive so tone down the exfoliation, and if you’re going to use a peel make sure it’s super gentle and only AHA based like our FFEP. Avoid fragrance filled products, pure undiluted essential oils, and be prepared for reactions, sometimes even to products you’ve been using for ages. It's honestly all manageable, it just takes a little more awareness!
We’re proud to say that our Daily Renewal Facial Oil, Fresh Faced Exfoliating Peel, and Weekly Reset Mask are all pregnancy and breastfeeding safe. Our founder used them during her first, and now currently through her second pregnancy! It's just another thing you don't need to worry about when using Essentialist. Wishing you a safe and healthy pregnancy xx
The NEVER EVER List
We’ve put together a list of ingredients that you will never find in an Essentialist product. Though there are thousands of chemicals we will simply never use, this list encompasses the most common dirty culprits found in skincare and cosmetic formulations.
NO ALCOHOL DENAT (DENATURED)
NO ALUMINUM SALTS (BENZOPHENONE, HOMOSALATE, OCTINOXATE, OCTYL- METHOXYCINNAMATE, OXYBENZONE PADIMATE-O, PABA,)
NO BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE
NO BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE AND BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE
NO COAL TAR INGREDIENTS (DIETHANOLAMINNE (DEA), TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA), MONOETHANOLAMINE (MEA)/ETHANOLAMINE (ETA))
NO ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS
NO ETHANOL
NO ETHANOLAMINES
NO ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETIC ACID (EDTA)
NO FORMALDEHYDE
NO FRAGRANCE
NO GLYCOLS
NO GMO’S
NO HYDROQUINONE
NO ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
NO M- OR O-PHENYLENEDIAMINE
NO MERCURY
NO METHANOL
NO METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE
NO METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE
NO NANOPARTICLES
NO PARABENS
NO PEG COMPOUNDS (POLYETHYLENE, POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, POLYOXYETHYLENE)
NO PETROCHEMICALS
NO PETROLEUM DISTILLATES
NO PFAS
NO PHENOXYETHANOL
NO PHTHALATES (DBP, DEHP, DEP, ETC.)
NO RETINYL PALMITATE
NO SILICONE
NO SODIUM LAURYL SUPLPHATE OR SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE
NO SULFATES
NO SYNTHETIC DYES
NO SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES
NO TALC
NO TOLUENE
NO TRICLOSAN AND TRICLOCARBAN
Photo @alpasvm
