Pregnancy comes with many changes, and the list of things to avoid can seem overwhelming. Alcohol...sushi...deli meat...just to name a few! While many people think in terms of unsafe drinks/food, it's important we're also aware of unsafe topical ingredients. Although we're not ingesting skin care, the products we apply to our skin can prove harmful to the fetus. 

So what ingredients should be avoided? Here's a list:

• Retinoids
• Hydroquinone
• Formaldehyde
• Phthalates 
• Chemical Sunscreens
• Benzoyl Peroxide (in high concentrations)
• Salicylic Acid (in high concentrations)

It's important to note that most of these ingredients come in different forms, and will be labeled under different names based on whatever form it comes in. For example, a retinoid might be listed as "tretinoin" or formaldehyde listed as "bronopol." 

Even "natural" products have ingredients that aren't recommended during pregnancy. Certain herbs and essential oils can cause preterm labor or other problems. Herbs to avoid include aloe, barberry, black cohosh, blue cohosh, feverfew, goldenseal, juniper, wild yam and motherwort. Commonly used essential oils to avoid include cinnamon, clove, rosemary and clary sage. This gives an overview of some of the herbs and oils to avoid, however, there are more not listed here. 

So, what products are safe to use? Unfortunately there isn't a simple answer to that. If a product is labeled "pregnancy safe," then it's safe to assume that's ok to use. However, for all other products, even those labeled as "natural," you need to check the ingredient list. SISH Treatments were formulated to be pregnancy friendly and safe for all skin types, so using them is perfectly fine for both you and baby. 

There are many curveballs pregnancy can (and will) throw your way, but maintaining a good skincare routine doesn't have to be one of them!