Pregnancy Safe Skincare & Hair Care Products

Being the skincare junkie that I am, one of the first things I started researching when we planned on becoming pregnant was pregnancy safe skincare, and I soon realized that a whole lot of products I was using contained toxic ingredients that are linked to birth defects (scary, right?!). Little did I know that 60% of what we put onto our skin gets absorbed into the bloodstream, which means it will reach the placenta, and then of course your baby.

There’s a long list of ingredients that you should stay away from which could have harmful effects on your baby, especially during the first few months when organs are being formed, and some of the most well-known culprits are ingredients such as retinol and salicylic acids, and many more. (See a complete list of ingredients to avoid here).

Scroll down to see which are some of my favorite skin and hair care products that will get the job done, while still keeping your baby safe. Also, find the links to shop the products mentioned in this post.

SKIN

Cleanser

This luxurious cleanser by Murad is AH-mazing, and removes makeup easily in just a few wipes, leaving skin moisturized and not stripped as some cleansers tend to do. This works especially well during winter when skin tends to be on the drier side.

Buy the Murad Renewing Cleansing Cream here.

Moisturizer

I've been using this moisturizer for years and was very relieved when I discovered it was also pregnancy safe. Made from African oils and ceramides, it's super moisturizing and plumps skin with hydrating ingredients. For added moisture at nighttime, use this along with the serum and facial oil mentioned below.

Buy the Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Cream here.

Serum

This new, hype-worthy serum by Summer Fridays is not only gorgeous to look at, but delivers visible results within days. Liesl and I both recently started using this serum, and after a week of applying it daily my skin is noticeably brighter and also softer. It also contains Vitamin C, which can prevent one of the most common skin concerns during pregnancy, hyperpigmenation.

Buy the Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C Serum here.

Eye Serum

This is honestly one of the few eye serums I've used that actually delivers results and keeps those under-eye circles away. Apply it in the evening before bed to wake up with a brighter eye area that's hydrated and line-free.

Buy the Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum here.

Facial Oil

If you're dreaming of youthful, glowing and silky-smooth skin, look no further than this cult skincare product from Herbivore Botanicals. Ever since I started using this in my nighttime routine, I've not once woken up with skin that’s not glowing, hydrated and baby-soft.

Buy the Herbivore Botanicals Phoenix Oil here.

Sunscreen

A good choice for pregnant women are physical or mineral sunscreens, as the effects of chemicals in regular sunscreens have not been tested on babies. Physical sunscreen also bounce off the sun's rays from your skin, where chemical sunscreens absorb it. A great, everyday sunscreen, that also doubles up as a light foundation, is this tinted hydrating gel cream by bareMinerals. It applies evenly and visibly reduces redness, leaving skin even-toned, moisturized AND protected from the sun.

Buy the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer here.

Lip Treatment

I love applying this soothing mask to my lips before going to bed, and I love waking up with refreshed and supple lips even more. It smells delicious, too!

Buy the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask here.

Facial Mask

If you haven't tried one of Summer Fridays' masks, you're missing out big time! I recently added their R+R Mask to my skincare routine to give my skin some extra TLC during winter and my pregnancy, and after only one use I could already see the results. It plumps your skin with a mix of restorative natural oils, leaving is super soft and plump.

Buy the Summer Fridays R + R Mask here.

BODY

Body Butter

Ever since my growing baby bump started to show, I've been using this rich "tummy rub" butter by Mama Mio, hoping to prevent any possible stretch marks that may appear. Well, so far so good, and there are still no stretch marks in sight 30 weeks later. I'll continue using this post pregnancy, to keep my skin hydrated as the bump shrinks away, and hopefully keep all stretch marks at bay.

Buy the Mama Mio The Tummy Rub Butter here.

Body Oil

Another product I added to my daily skincare routine to prevent stretch marks, is this Japanese body oil made from Camellia flowers. It's super moisturizing and improves elasticity, which is much needed as your belly continues to stretch for 9 months. I use this daily in the mornings, and the tummy rub butter (mentioned above) in the evenings.

Buy the Elemis Japanese Camellia Body Oil here.

Deodorant

Free of aluminum and alcohol, this is a great option for everyday use as it contains no toxic ingredients that may be harmful to your baby, and is also ideal for sensitive skin (It's affordable, too!).

Buy the Sanex Zero % Deodorant here.

Shower Gel

Slathering myself in this heavenly shower oil has been a treat (especially during pregnancy!) and as an added bonus, it is completely pregnancy safe, containing natural ingredients such as grape seed and almond oil, which nourishes and softens skin.

Buy the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil here.

HAIR

Shampoo

Rahua's range of hair products are all completely natural and all ingredients are plant-derived from the Amazonian rain forest. I've tried and tested a few of their shampoos and conditioners, but love their Hydration Shampoo the most, being not too oily but not drying either, leaving hair bouncy and healthy-looking.

Buy the Rahua Hydration Shampoo here.

Conditioner

This is possibly the BEST conditioner I've ever used, and I will probably continue using it even after my pregnancy. It's the only conditioner I've used that doesn't weigh down my hair, keeping it soft but still voluminous.

Buy the Rahua Hydration Conditioner here.

If you’re curious about certain brands and products you use, I highly recommend checking out 15 Minute Beauty.com, where (almost) all brands and skincare products are reviewed and identified as pregnancy (and nursing) safe or not, by a mommy who's also a pediatric doctor and a beauty blogger (She knows what she’s talking about!). If you have any other questions, or would like to know more about the above mentioned products, feel free to email us at hello@astylealike.com

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