For many people, pregnancy represents a line of demarcation when it comes to their skincare regimens. Thousands of Google searches every month are dedicated to queries wondering whether specific ingredients, brands, or products are safe during pregnancy or while lactating — nevermind whether they’re actually helpful. This is at a time when skin tends to change, too, thanks to a bevy of hormones that bring such surprises as melasma to stretch marks to hormonal acne to — for the lucky few — that pregnancy glow.
The lack of clarity that exists around pregnancy- and breastfeeding-safe — and beneficial — skincare was a big motivator behind Motherfigure’s new skincare ingredient database, which draws on information and data from Cosmetic Ingredient Review, the FDA, the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Library of Medicine, and lactation consultants, dermatologists, and more.
To celebrate the launch of the directory, we convened a group of experts, entrepreneurs, and expecting mamas for real talk on skincare during this season for our virtual discussion: Safe Skincare for Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Motherhood. The panel was moderated by veteran journalist Cassie Shortsleeve, Founder of Dear Sunday Motherhood, and included Chelsea Allison, Founder & CEO at Motherfigure and Tiffany Staten, Founder & CEO at London Grant — all of whom are currently expecting their second children.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DISCUSSION INCLUDED;
- There’s an extreme lack of research about skincare ingredients and how they impact pregnancy and lactation. This is partly due to the fact that skincare is not regulated by the FDA, and because it’s hard (and unethical) to design safety studies around pregnant and lactating people.
- So many times, moms are told a black-or-white yes or no regarding something’s safety. But the reality has a lot more shades of gray — and often it depends on whom you ask. It’s far more empowering, then, to 1) understand the research; 2) get clear about what we know (or don’t!) about risks; 3) make the right decision for you and your family. After all, one mama’s acne might be really bothersome and only successfully mitigated with salicylic acid; that mom might reasonably decide to use it, given the risk is associated with ingested aspirin, not the topical.
- There’s a spectrum of risk when it comes to: topicals absorbed by skin into the bloodstream; topicals that might get on baby’s skin; topicals that are washed out; and ingredients that are ingested.
- There are so many different (and often misleading) buzzwords in clean beauty marketing, and often “natural” “non-toxic” and “clean” don’t mean the same thing — and don’t necessarily mean that products are safe. For Tiffany and London Grant, safe means food grade. But the reality is so many brands are not holding themselves to that standard. “Clean” claims also often come with a hefty price hike. Bottom line — the group recommends brands that are transparent about their ingredients and supply chain.
- Tiffany and Chelsea advocated for the power of a pregnancy (and pandemic) detox. It’s counterintuitive given the range of flareups that some people experience during pregnancy, but both have discovered that letting skin rest has actually led to much healthier skin — with fewer products.
- The group concluded by sharing some favorite brands and products: London Grant for body care, Herbivore, EltaMD mineral sunscreen, Aquaphor, and water