Safer Personal Care Products for Pregnancy (& Beyond)
Around five years ago, I started learning more and more about nutrition and worked hard to clean up my diet. Since I was focusing on what I put in my body, I realized it was also important to take a closer look at what I was putting on my body. Really, what we put both in and on our bodies is what our bodies are made of. I want my body to be composed of real ingredients found in nature, rather than chemicals produced in a lab.
Unfortunately, in the United States today, we absolutely cannot rely on personal care companies to have our best interests in mind. Personal care/cosmetic companies are legally allowed to put nearly anything in their products: the U.S. currently bans about 11 dangerous ingredients from personal care products, while the European Union has banned 1,300 and counting. These ingredients include known carcinogens (i.e., cancer-causing) and many other toxins that have been linked to birth defects and genetic abnormalities. What’s more, products are not required to show the ingredients on the label, and catch-all terms such as “fragrance” can actually imply the use of thousands of chemicals—we are not privy to exactly which chemicals because it’s considered a “trade secret”. Note that all of this applies not only to adult personal care products, but to the products we use for babies as well.
Since I’ve come to learn how unregulated our personal care industry is, I’ve become really passionate about switching my own products and informing others about the kinds of ingredients found in personal care and cosmetic products. This is why I became a Beautycounter consultant—I absolutely love these products and support the hard work Beautycounter is doing to raise standards for all personal care companies in the U.S.
It’s important for us to be aware of what’s in our products (and our food) even if we’re not pregnant, but it’s even more important when we’re pregnant and have another tiny, growing person to think of! We want to do everything we can to protect the life growing inside of us. Pre-pregnancy, I was pretty careful about avoiding toxic products, but I still sometimes allowed some exposure (e.g., getting my hair dyed in a salon), but during pregnancy, I have tightened things up even more to limit my and baby’s exposure to toxins.
In today’s blog post, I’m sharing some of my favorite safer personal care products that I’ve used during pregnancy.
Skin Care:
Charcoal Bar Soap: During my second trimester, I had a little acne on my chest, and I know body acne is common during pregnancy. I swear by this charcoal soap! It really helps to keep my skin clear.
Belly Balm: This is one of the more affordable belly balms I’ve seen and it seems to be working! I put it on my belly and hips every night before bed and have yet to see a (new) stretch mark, though I also put collagen in my coffee every day which helps skin elasticity.
Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil: I know it seems counterproductive to put oil on your face, but since I’ve been doing this, my skin has become less oily. From what I’ve read, your skin produces more oil when it’s dehydrated, so you need to add hydration to make it less oily. Anyway, I love this cleansing oil, and it removes my eye makeup really beautifully.
Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream: I’ve also been loving this light-weight moisturizer! My skin is pretty sensitive, and pregnancy has brought on even more sensitivity, so something light like this moisturizer has been perfect for me.
Hair:
Daily Shampoo & Conditioner: I swear by this combo! My hair is very fine and finicky—lots of shampoos make my hair feel and look all gummy and gross. This shampoo and conditioner works so beautifully for my hair, I will probably never use anything else again.
Madison Reed Hair Color: Conventional hair dyes (like what you find in most salons and drugstores) contain ingredients that are not safe for pregnancy. Madison Reed is one of the few brands I found that is pregnancy-safe, because they follow EU standards for safety! This means no ammonia, parabens, phthalates, PPD, or other nasties. You can set up a subscription so the boxes ship to you automatically, and they have tons of colors to choose from! No need to spend $50+ at a salon.
Nails:
Ella + Mila: I love this brand and have been using it at home for over a year! They come in gorgeous colors and they are free from lots of toxic ingredients such as formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen but found in nearly all nail polishes.
Zoya Armor Top Coat: While I love the shades of Ella + Mila, I prefer the Zoya Armor Top Coat. All Zoya nail polishes are also free of formaldehyde and other toxins.
Nail Polish Remover: I love this safer nail polish remover option! It works great with just four ingredients.
Cosmetics: My makeup has been super minimal since I’ve worked from home most of my pregnancy. Here’s what I typically use:
Volumizing Mascara: The only mascara I have used for the past two years. I used to get styes before I switched to this mascara—haven’t had one since!
Color Outline Eye Pencil: Same as above, I switched to this eyeliner two years ago and have loved it! One side has a little sponge for smudging the liner a bit.
Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation: The first foundation I have actually liked! It’s light-weight and buildable, so I just put on a thin layer most days and can add to it on days when I actually have to make an appearance somewhere.
If you weren’t aware until now of the toxins in your personal care products, you are not alone! Don’t feel like you need to do a complete overhaul during pregnancy and don’t be overwhelmed—start making some small changes a little at a time. Start by focusing on products that stay on your body the longest, like moisturizers. You can also use this website to see how safe the products you currently use are!
Please note that this post contains some affiliate links, which means that I make a commission at no additional cost to you! Rest assured that I only link to products that I personally use, love, and stand by.
