The birth of a child is a wonderful moment in anyone's life. women. Many representatives of the fair sex are well aware that with the onset of motherhood comes responsibility, but sometimes you shouldn’t forget about yourself. Many people talk about the dangers of cosmetics during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but is this really true?

You can study a lot literature on this topic, but still don’t understand which of the cosmetic products presented in the store you can choose. Something that does not harm either your health or the health of your baby. We present to your attention a list of safe cosmetic products that you can use while in an “interesting situation.” Try to limit your experiments so as not to get allergies or any infectious diseases. Use what you used before.

1. Mineral powder or BB cream for. Occurs during pregnancy hormonal changes, so pores clogged with thick foundation can become unsightly pimples. Even if you used a thick-coverage cosmetic for this. During pregnancy, change the contents of your cosmetic bag. Today there are quite light mineral powders that even out the complexion and hide minor imperfections. BB creams come in different levels of coverage, but you should prefer the lightest ones. For daily use Choose a loose powder that sits on your skin in a thin, translucent layer.

2. Lip balm during pregnancy. Do not forget that nutrition and hydration are mandatory procedures, regardless of your “position”. If you do not like to use bright lipsticks in rich shades, choose a lip balm with a natural composition. Today organic cosmetics are in fashion, so the market is full of such products. Lip balm is essential for daily care to keep your skin soft and smooth. You can give up glitter and pigments, but you should always have a balm with moisturizing ingredients on hand. Be sure to apply the product before going outside to protect yourself from cold or sun rays and prevent your delicate skin from drying out.

3. Hair care products during pregnancy. If you take care of yourself during pregnancy, then after the end of the lactation period you will be able to look great. It is better to avoid hair coloring, because this is a fairly strong chemical effect not only on the strands, but also on the scalp. And here good shampoo And you shouldn’t neglect the mask. Buy in store professional cosmetics good means for hair care and use throughout pregnancy.

Due to hormonal changes Certain changes occur in the body, so there is a high probability that your strands will lose their shine and strength. But you can easily avoid this if you use a professional hair product, which is harmless even for pregnant women. Be sure to make masks from natural oils and plant extracts, because it is not only affordable, but also very useful. Olive oil, honey, homemade kefir, olive oil, chamomile - all of these are great for creating a mask for your hair.

4. Face cream during pregnancy. Don’t forget about your facial skin, because how you will look a few years later depends on it. During pregnancy, you can safely use moisturizer. It is better to first consult with a dermatologist and cosmetologist to choose a product that is right for you. Do not forget that using cosmetics from little-known companies with a dubious reputation can be dangerous to your health. It is better to buy face cream at a pharmacy, because all the products presented there undergo strict quality control. Choose a moisturizer that contains a wide variety of natural ingredients.

5. Bath salts and oils during pregnancy. During pregnancy, it is better to limit the use of various bombs, bath foams and scented gels. However, to soften dry skin, you can use salt and natural vegetable oils, which will only bring benefits. This type of care will be especially useful during the cold season, when temperature changes and dry air do not have the best effect on your skin. Pregnant women Special attention It is necessary to remove nutrition, because often the lack of necessary microelements negatively affects the appearance of the mother and the health of the baby. You can also add herbal infusions and homemade milk to your bath. This type of care will be effective for your skin and safe for your baby.

6. Nail polish during pregnancy. If you don't want to do something creative manicure or cover nail plate bright varnishes, then simply use medicinal varnishes with a strengthening effect. This way you will give your nails a well-groomed appearance, make them strong and not harm your health. Substances harmful to the body are often added to colored varnishes, while medicinal varnishes from popular cosmetic companies are absolutely safe for all representatives of the fair sex. Due to a lack of calcium in the body, nails can begin to peel and break, so it is better to prevent this problem in advance than to spend a lot of time and money on recovery later. It’s better to buy varnishes at a pharmacy to choose a really high-quality product

7. Hand cream during pregnancy. You can use a ready-made product that is sold in the store, or you can give preference vegetable oils. In any case, study the composition of the product you buy. Organic cosmetics have a short shelf life, but are absolutely harmless to the body of a young mother. Oils should also be purchased from trusted places so as not to waste money on counterfeits. How to choose hand cream? It's very simple: think about what your skin is missing and, using the tips on the packaging, find your ideal care product.

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Pregnancy is a glorious and, one might even say, unforgettable time. However, in the process, the expectant mother is worried and confused by various fears associated with the risk of harming the health of the unborn baby. Women are especially often confused in matters of beauty: “Can I use lipstick?”, “If so, what kind?” “What about that cream?”...

As you know, during this period almost all hardware procedures and even the most “innocent” mesotherapy injections are prohibited. And many women make a strong-willed decision to completely abandon the use of cosmetics during pregnancy and self-care, just to eliminate the slightest risks to the health of the child. Stop: these are wasted sacrifices!

Cosmetics during pregnancy: necessary, but with reservations

In any case, you shouldn’t stop caring for your skin. The fact is that during pregnancy, a changed hormonal balance may not have the best effect on the skin - for example, it can provoke excessive sebum regulation and exacerbation of acne, scattering dark spots on the face or expand pores in the T-zone.

So careful skin care during pregnancy is necessary, it just needs to be adjusted a little - taking into account the changing needs of the skin and the potential risk, a small amount of cosmetic ingredients is enough. That's all that remains open question: Are bath and beauty products safe to use during pregnancy? Fortunately, medical specialists and regulatory authorities have taken care of expectant mothers and have compiled a list of cosmetic components that should be avoided during pregnancy. Fortunately, there are few such dangerous ingredients, so pregnancy does not mean that you should give up decorative or, especially, skincare cosmetics. However, if you want to spend the period of waiting for your baby in comfort and maintain your and his health, exclude the following seven cosmetic components from your “beauty diet”.

And while many skin care products may seem harmless at first glance, you should actually carefully review the ingredient lists on the packaging of your cosmetics, including natural and organic ones.

Cosmetics during pregnancy: “ban list”

Any vitamin A derivatives- retinoids, including retinol and retinyl palmitate. Although these ingredients technically pose minimal risks to the fetus, this family of products should be avoided at all costs. After all, despite the fact that vitamin A is crucial for proper development fetus, an excess of this substance threatens problems for both mother and child: in the first case, it can be toxic to the liver, in the second, it can provoke the development of serious birth defects. And since this vitamin is classified as fat-soluble, it accumulates in the body very easily. So it’s better to play it safe and put off a jar of retinol cream until better times, say, until the end of the lactation period.

Essential oils - this is a very broad group of components, which is especially common in organic and natural cosmetics. Dermatologists suggest that diluted essential oils are generally safe. But since their use is not properly regulated, it is better to take the safe route - avoid using any product containing them, especially oils, during pregnancy. Essential oils themselves can be extremely harmful even to non-pregnant women if not used properly. Essential oils are found in very concentrated forms, and in most cases we do not know how much of a particular oil is absorbed by the skin and enters the bloodstream. That is, it is impossible to predict what dose of what oil will cause systemic effects to a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Among the most common essential oils, the most dangerous in this regard are tea tree oil and rosemary oil. Tea tree oil is considered very powerful and toxic when ingested. His side effects include dermatitis, allergies, it also provokes the risk of developing reactions to various medications and exhibits estrogen-like effects (the latter is especially dangerous during pregnancy). Pregnant women should stay away from tea tree cosmetics as hormonal side effects this essential oil carries risks premature birth: They stimulate uterine contractions. But rosemary essential oil can increase blood pressure, which is extremely dangerous during pregnancy.

Benzoyl peroxide, or benzoyl peroxide: although this component helps calm the “hormonal storm” on the face and effectively clears the face of acne, unfortunately, it is classified as a cosmetic ingredient that is dangerous for pregnant women.

Salicylic acid: This seemingly harmless acid, referred to as a BHA, is traditionally used to treat acne and is included in the formulas of many skin-exfoliating cleansing products, particularly face washes. Alas, salicylic acid is contraindicated during pregnancy, and experts advise replacing it with some of the AHAs: glycolic, lactic and mandelic acids - alternatives that are considered safe exfoliant options for pregnant women.

Hydroquinone- this powerful bleacher of age spots is, in principle, considered an undesirable component. And during pregnancy, it becomes dangerous. So, no matter how tempting the prospect of getting rid of melasma - a common problem among pregnant women - may seem, hydroquinone will certainly not help you with this.

Aluminum chloride hexahydrate: If you are pregnant, now is the time to switch to simple deodorants or natural alternatives. The fact is that aluminum chloride hexahydrate contained in deodorants negatively affects the cells of the sweat glands and is advised to be avoided during pregnancy.

Formaldehyde: Although this chemical is not currently classified as a toxin by many regulators, many OB/GYNs and dermatologists advise pregnant women to limit their exposure by avoiding the use of many polishes, gel manicures, and some hairdressing services.

Cosmetics during pregnancy: dangerous product groups

Here we come close to the issue of the safety of some services offered by beauty salons, as well as a number of products for everyday use. Procedures that use formaldehyde during treatment, such as hair straightening, can increase the risk of miscarriage and may cause fertility problems in general.

Hair dye is also controversial: frequent changes in the composition of the product turn it into a potentially unsafe substance, because in this case it is very difficult to assess the health risks. In order to protect themselves and their baby as much as possible, pregnant women are advised to refrain from dyeing their hair during the first 12 weeks after conception - during this time, the most important parts of the body and organ systems are formed in the fetus. After this, the potential risk of the hair coloring procedure is reduced, he says, since only small amounts of chemicals are absorbed through the scalp. However, expectant mothers should not often dye their hair.

Also not recommended for them sunscreens with chemical filters: such ingredients are generally classified by regulators as potentially hazardous. Medical experts recommend opting for mineral ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide - these physical UV filters are not only safer, but also more reliable in protecting the skin from solar radiation.

During pregnancy, a woman experiences many amazing changes. The mad dance of hormones and the total restructuring of the body cannot remain outwardly invisible even at the most early stages. The skin may get better or worse, but the fact that it will change is certain. In addition, the expectant mother has many questions about whether everything is cosmetical tools and the procedures are safe for the baby.

So, pregnancy requires a woman to build a completely new system of self-care. We have made a special series of posts on how to stay beautiful and well-groomed and not harm your baby.

In this post we will look at which cosmetic components cannot be used during pregnancy and why, and talk about how to the expectant mother choose safe cosmetics.

What cosmetics should you not use during pregnancy?

Of course, there are horror stories that harmful components Cosmetics penetrate deep into the skin, enter the bloodstream and poison our body, most often without reason. Most of the components work in the upper stratum corneum of the skin, where there are no capillaries and, accordingly, connections with the circulatory system. That is, they cannot influence the baby in any way. But! If there are microdamages on the skin (scratches, acne, etc.), penetration becomes possible.

Since not all components of cosmetics are safe for babies, you should play it safe and refuse to use cosmetics with them. In addition, during pregnancy there is often increased skin sensitivity and a tendency to allergies. Therefore, expectant mothers need to avoid the presence of certain components in cosmetics.

Prohibited components

Read labels carefully. No matter how absurd it may seem, undesirable components are also found in products that are sold in pharmacies in sections for pregnant women and even in products in which the manufacturer directly indicates that they are designed specifically for expectant mothers.

• (salicylic acid). It has teratogenic properties (this terrible word means that the substance can lead to abnormal development of the fetus and congenital deformities). Other acids are not prohibited. But here it is important to understand that all acids are different, they have different molecule sizes and their penetration depth also varies greatly. For example, glycolic and pyruvic acids - the owners of the smallest molecules - are very active and penetrate deeply. And mandelic and lactic acids with their large molecules work gently in the top layer. So if you decide to do peeling during pregnancy, it is better to opt for milk and almond. And, of course, use only products with a minimum concentration of 5-15%. None medium peelings out of the question.

• Vitamin A - retinol(retinol) and its derivatives (retinoids)- retinyl palmitate (retinyl palmitate), retinaldehyde (retinaldehyde/retinyl), tretinoin (tretinoin), adapalene (adapalene), tazarotene (tazarotene), isotretinoin (isotretinoin), retinyl acetate (retinyl acetate). These substances have teratogenic properties. The ban applies not only pharmaceutical drugs such as retinoic ointment, Differin, Klenzit, but also cosmetics with vitamin A. Use in the first trimester is especially dangerous.

• (camphora). Found in anti-acne products. May provoke uterine tone.

• Aggressive whitening components: kojic acid (kojic acid), arbutin (arbutin) and especially hydroquinone (hydroquinone)- it is toxic and banned in many countries.

• Phytoestrogens. They are also phyto- or plant hormones. The following plants contain them: red clover, alfalfa, flax, licorice, red grapes, hops, wild yam, wheat and barley germ, ginseng root, sage, soybean, garlic, calendula, arnica.

• Formaldehyde and formaldehyde preservatives (formaldehyde, quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bronopol). Toxic components and prohibited in a number of countries.

• (paraffinum liquidum, mineral oil). In itself it is not dangerous. But, firstly, it is a petrochemical product, which is already unpleasant, and secondly, mineral oil forms a non-breathable film on the skin. This can disrupt the body's important processes of removing toxins and breathing through the skin.

• They have a very small molecule and are quickly absorbed into the blood. Despite their naturalness, esters can have a very strong effect on our body. In addition, many of them are quite allergic. Therefore, during pregnancy you need to be very careful with all esters. And some of them are strictly contraindicated for pregnant women. Essential oils containing ketones (eg, sage, dill, rosemary, verbena, hyssop) are potentially neurotoxic and may cause miscarriage. In addition, some esters, like phytohormones, can influence the hormonal system (for example, geranium, clary sage, chasteberry). It is especially recommended to avoid these esters in the first trimester of pregnancy. .

• (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, octinoxate, benzofenone and others). Chemical filters one way or another cause a chemical reaction in the skin, the effect of which on the baby, if studied in principle, is very little. Choose products with physical shielding (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide).

On a special account

• Enzymes. The most popular - papain (papain), bromelain (bromelain). It is believed that cosmetics with enzymes are very gentle, work on the surface of the skin and are therefore highly recommended during pregnancy. But some experts notice that enzymes, with deep penetration, can affect metabolic processes in cells. Therefore, before using cosmetics with enzymes during pregnancy, you should weigh the pros and cons and only then make your decision.

• (Algae). Also a controversial component. Experts are concerned about their high biological activity and ability to influence the amount of iodine in the body. Therefore, expectant mothers should also use algae and cosmetics based on it with caution.

Pay special attention to fragrances when choosing care products. Products with too strong a smell may not be tolerated at all by your “pregnant” sense of smell.

What cosmetics can pregnant women use?

During pregnancy, you should choose hypoallergenic options from pharmacy, bio or organic brands. They usually have high-quality ingredients and neutral compositions. The mass market often suffers from cheap and dubious preservatives, and professional products are saturated with active ingredients, which expectant mothers have absolutely no need for. Be sure to carefully read the ingredients of the product before purchasing.

Body care products can often be found in special series for expectant mothers. But even here you cannot blindly trust the manufacturer. Only the composition will give you the answer whether this cosmetics is really safe for pregnant women.

So

To choose safe cosmetics for pregnant women, carefully read the labels and avoid ingredients from the prohibited list. If you suddenly find these components in the products you already use, do not worry too much. The risk of their penetration is really not great. Just stop using this product and find a new one. Choose the softest cosmetics with natural ingredients. Be beautiful, but never risk your health and that of your baby.

In the following posts we will look at the features of caring for your face, body, hair and nails during pregnancy.

Leave your questions in the comments. Or maybe you have additions to the list of prohibited components?