10 cosmetic ingredients to forget while pregnant

Pesticides

They top the list of endocrine disruptors, in food as a priority and in

cosmetics far behind. So we favor plant ingredients from organic farming (listed in the INCI formula with an *).

Essential oils

Very powerful (especially when they are pure and undiluted) and ultra-concentrated in active ingredients, they penetrate throughout the body via the blood. They are strictly prohibited during the first three months of pregnancy because they may pass through the placenta (or into breast milk if you are breastfeeding). And even if after the 4th month of pregnancy, we no longer fear much with some (such as lavender essential oil), at Parents, we prefer to apply the precautionary principle and abstain.

Alcohol (INCI: Alcohol or Denatured Alcohol)

Whether it is ingested or applied to the skin, we are not entitled to it. And it is super present in a good number of face or body care products (serums, slimming …) or hygiene (such as deos), and not only in perfumes! Used as a solvent or preservative, or to reinforce the fresh effect of a product, not only does it cross the skin barrier, but it is drying, potentially toxic and irritating. Be careful, we do not confuse Cetyl Alcohol (or the Alcohol suffix attached to another ingredient) which is an emollient fatty alcohol, without danger!   

Camphor

(INCI : Camphor)

It is often present in anti-heavy leg products.

Caffeine (INCI: Cafein)

It is found in most slimming products where it is often also associated with alcohol (see our selection on page 90 of slimming products without caffeine or alcohol), but not only. It also appears more and more often in certain body or eye contour treatments for its draining properties.

Aluminum salts

(INCI : Aluminum Chorohydrate ou Aluminum Sesquichorohydrate ou Aluminum zirconium pentachlorohydrate)

Present in antiperspirants, they cross the skin barrier (especially on skin with micro-cuts such as after waxing or shaving) and are suspected of being endocrine disruptors.

Thiazolinones:

MIT (INCI: Methylisothiazolinone) et MCIT (INCI : Methylchloroisothiazolinone)

These allergenic preservatives are prohibited in leave-on products, but still authorized in rinse-off products (shower gels, shampoos, etc.). So we avoid them!

Synthetic sun filters

They are suspected of being endocrine disruptors. Their name is barbaric, but it is better to know how to identify them. This is the case of benzophenones (INCI: Benzophenone-2, Benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone), Benzophenone-4, Benzyl salicylate, 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor, Methylene bis benzotriazolyl tetramethyl butylphenol, Homosalate, Phenylbenzimidazonic acid, Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane and Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine. As well as cinnamates (INCI: Ethyl cinnamate, Etylhexyl methoxycinnamate, Isoamyl methoxycinnamate, Octylmethoxycinnamate…)

and Octyl-dymethylPABA.

Resorcinol or resorcinol

(INCI : Resortcinol, Chlororesorcinol…)

Easy to identify (the mention “contains resorcinol” being obligatory on the case), this oxidation dye which is found in hair dyes is a strong sensitizer, at the same time as an endocrine disruptor potential. During pregnancy, we switch to vegetable coloring!

Les parabènes (INCI : Butylparaben, Etylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben)

These are the 4 that are always allowed. Even if we tend to rehabilitate these very effective preservatives, they are suspected of being endocrine disruptors, Pregnant, it is better to apply the precautionary principle.