Skin Care Ingredients to Avoid While Trying To Conceive and Pregnancy

Common Skin/Body Care Ingredients to Avoid While Trying to Conceive and Pregnancy:

• Aluminum chloride hexahydrate: Look for it in antiperspirant; also check for aluminium chlorohydrate.
• Beta hydroxy acids: Typically found in anti-aging skincare products. Look for salicylic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, trethocanic acid and tropic acid.
• Chemical sunscreens: Read label and look for avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, oxtinoxate, menthyl anthranilate and oxtocrylene.
• Diethanolamine (DEA): Found in hair and body products under the names diethanolamine, oleamide DEA, lauramide DEA and cocamide DEA.
• Dihydroxyacetone (DHA): Found in spray self-tanners.
• Fluoride: Found in toothpaste, mouthwash, municipal water sources; scientific studies have linked it to lower IQ scores in children exposed to it in utero.
• Formaldehyde: A preservative found in hair straightening treatments, nail polishes and eyelash glue; look for formaldehyde, quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM), hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol).
• Hydroquinone: A skincare lightening agent; abstain from using products containing idrochinone and quinol/1-4 dihydroxy benzene/1-4 hydroxy benzene.
• Parabens: Has been linked to cancer in clinical studies. Keep away from propyl, butyl, isopropyl, isobutyl and methyl parabens.
• Phthalates: Found in synthetic fragrances and nail polishes; avoid diethyl and dibutyl.
• Retinol: Linked to birth defects in clinical studies; Found in anti-aging skin care products; Look for the names Vitamin A, retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, adapalene, tretinoin, tazarotene and isotretinoin.
• Thioglycolic acid: Found in chemical hair removers; also look for the names acetyl mercaptan, mercaptoacetate, mercaptoacetic acid and thiovanic acid.
• Toluene: Found in nail polishes; skip methylbenzene, toluol and antisal 1a.