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.
