I know the challenges pregnancy can bring. The good. The bad. And… the skin changes. 

It’s extremely normal for pregnancy to cause hormonal breakouts and brown discoloration sometimes in a patch like pattern called melasma or chloasma.

I’ve experienced both of these in full swing, which means I can confidently say it’s going to be ok. Your skin will improve, and I’m here to help show you how and what to do during pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

Obviously these are both a pain and you want to manage them as best you can. Safely. 

But, the odds are, you’ll never be given a magical list of products that are safe to use for your skincare needs while you’re pregnant. Which is why it's so important for moms to know which products are pregnancy/nursing safe skincare products and which aren't. 

I’m here to tell you that you can do more than you think!!! 

 let’s get to it.

Two Skincare changes you MUST make while pregnant or breastfeeding

There are plenty of things that you have to change while you are pregnant. Your skincare routine is one of those things!! There are two ingredients that you absolutely positively must avoid while pregnant/nursing and those are:

• RETINOID
• HYDROQUINONE

Skincare you CAN do while pregnant or breastfeeding

Take heart, there are plenty of skincare practices and ingredients that you can continue during your pregnancy. There's actually more you can use than not, and it depends on the strength aka percentage concentration of these ingredients.

Here’s a quick breakdowns of components that are generally considered safe: 

• salicylic acid (2% or less)
• glycolic acid (10% or less)
• lactic acid (5% or less)
• benzoyl peroxide (5% or less)
• bakuchiol (at all strengths)
• azelaic acid (15% or less)
• vitamin C serum (at all strengths)

Pro Tip: Bakuchiol or azelaic acid are both good options to replace the retinoid that you would usually use in your everyday PM skincare routine.

I always, always recommend for you to make your OB aware of ALL skincare products you’re using throughout your pregnancy! While these are generally considered safe he or she has the final say. Remember there are no set guidelines since there's no official testing on pregnant women.