While raw fish, deli meats, soft cheeses, wine, and other foods and beverages are off-limits during pregnancy, the list of restrictions extends beyond diet. It also includes items in your daily skincare routine. Although skin serves as a first line of defense against many chemicals, skincare products are formulated to penetrate skin layers and may enter the bloodstream and reach the developing fetus or breast milk. Read on for a list of active ingredients to avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This can help reduce your exposure and lower potential risks.
Which cosmetic active ingredients are not recommended for pregnant and nursing people?
Summary
Published on May 24, 2022, updated on July 1, 2025, by Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences — 8 min of reading
Ingredient one: avoid retinoids during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The retinoids are synthetic forms of vitamin A. They address fine lines, acne, and brown spots by promoting exfoliation of dead cells and stimulating collagen production. Retinoids are available over the counter (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinal, retinyl palmitate) and by prescription (adapalene, tretinoin, tazarotene, isotretinoin, retinoic acid). However, oral retinoids such as isotretinoin and first-generation topical agents such as tretinoin and tazarotene may pose concerns during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They can affect the embryo and developing fetus, causing miscarriage, preterm birth, and various congenital malformations.
Classified as potent teratogens, infants may develop of fetal retinol syndrome beyond day 15 after conception, causing a range of congenital mental and physical malformations. Manifestations may include delayed neurological development, anomalies of the craniofacial region, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, renal system, thymus function, parathyroid glands, skeletal malformations, and other physical signs. The extent and severity of associated anomalies vary depending on timing of exposure during pregnancy.
However, no studies have evaluated the risks of topical retinol, a retinoid found in over-the-counter products. Although systemic absorption remains minimal and the compound undergoes rapid metabolism, we recommend caution and removing them from your skincare routine.
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Ingredient No. 2: essential oils contraindicated for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
An essential oil (EO) is a liquid aromatic extract obtained by steam distillation from a plant and concentrates the plant’s active compounds. Due to their ketone function, some essential oils are considered neurotoxic. They can cause convulsions, spasms, and nausea. Some EOs may have mutagenic and teratogenic properties, meaning they can induce DNA mutations. Studies on this topic remain limited.
Some essential-oil-based products may be contraindicated in pregnant people depending on the essential oil concentration in the products and on the product type (rinse-off or leave-on). For example, if the product has a low essential oil concentration and/or is rinse-off, it may not be contraindicated.
The use of essential oils carries risks (neurotoxic and mutagenic effects). For this reason, safety measures must be followed to ensure safe use. In pregnant and breastfeeding individuals, some essential oil products should be avoided to prevent potential harm.
Typology products to avoid during pregnancy.
Here are the Typology products to avoid during pregnancy.
| Product Types | Products |
|---|---|
| Body hydrating creams | Firming body cream |
| Facial moisturizing creams | Exfoliating night cream; Purifying face cream; Firming face cream |
| Deodorants | Bergamot and mandarin natural deodorant; rose and vanilla natural deodorant |
| Facial and body exfoliants | Radiance facial scrub ; Smoothing facial scrub ; Purifying facial scrub ; Nourishing body scrub ; Toning body scrub |
| Facial masks | Exfoliating mask |
| Solid soaps | Hydrating cleanser; rebalancing cleanser |
| Body serums | Body-firming serum |
| Facial serums | Antioxidant serum ; Targeted blemish serum ; Wrinkle & fine line serum ; Wrinkle & blemish serum |
| Night Serums | Botanical blend for radiance; Botanical blend for hydration; Botanical blend for purifying; Botanical blend for a sun-kissed complexion; Botanical blend for firming |
| Shampoos | Purifying shampoo; densifying shampoo |
| Tonics | Firming tonic lotion |
Sources
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ZEISEL S. H. & al. Diethanolamine alters neurogenesis and induces apoptosis in fetal mouse hippocampus. FASEB Journal (2006).
EINARSON A. & al. Safety of skin care products during pregnancy. Canadian Family Physician (2011).
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BRAUN J. M. & al. Urinary triclosan concentrations during pregnancy and birth outcomes. Environmental Research (2017).
DOWNS C. A. & al. Can oxybenzone cause Hirschsprung’s disease? Reproductive Toxicology (2019).
DESESSO J. M. & al. Teratogen update : topical use dans third-generation retinoids. Birth Defects Research (2020).
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Reducing prenatal exposure to toxic environmental agents (2021).
KIM B. & al. Prenatal exposure to parabens affects birth outcomes through maternal glutathione S-transferase (GST) polymorphisms: From the mothers and kids environmental health (MAKE) study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021).
SETZER W. N. & al. Maternal reproductive toxicity of some essential oils and their constituents. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021).
BUCKLEY J. P. & al. Associations between prenatal urinary biomarkers of phthalate exposure and preterm birthA pooled study of 16 US cohorts. JAMA Pediatrics (2022).
DEWI N. K. & al. Skin changes and safety profile of topical products during pregnancy. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (2022).
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