The Thing About "Pregnancy & Breastfeeding-Safe"

The products in the Pregnancy/BF-Safe section of this website have been identified as being pregnancy- and breastfeeding-safe by their respective companies. I asked them pointedly and they said yes without so much as a baby caveat (see what I did there?). I can appreciate that level of confidence and their wanting to pass that reassurance onto consumers.

Then there are brands that don't even bother with that label, as a rule. Face Reality and TiZO, for example, prefer to defer to the ob-gyn to green-light a given product for a given individual. And so, their lines are not included in said section because, for them, it remains to be seen.

What this means is: it may still be OK for you to use a product that's not designated "pregnancy/bf-safe". You'll just want to show the ingredient list to your doctor for vetting and for peace of mind.

Also worth noting, some companies believe all actives including AHAs, BHA, retinol and other vitamin A derivatives should be avoided during pregnancy/BF, while others only advise against salicylic acid and retinol. One brand even advises against Vitamin C out of an abundance of caution! (It's the sensitive skincare line Hale & Hush if you're curious.)

To make matters even more interesting (confusing), to date there is no conclusive study stating that harm to the fetus/baby due to retinol use during pregnancy/BF is guaranteed or even more likely to occur. I follow a dermatologist on IG who goes as far as saying that using retinol while breastfeeding is perfectly safe. I'll have to find the study she's referencing.

Despite all this, you won't find any retinol in the section in question on our site. Or salicylic acid. Or benzoyl peroxide. Not yet anyway (another blog post for another day).

It is Le Petit Skin's belief that everyone should do what they feel comfortable with and what is best for them and their baby, which ultimately is monitored by your healthcare provider in this case. We encourage anyone whether pregnant, BF, or neither to use skincare actives mindfully if they do.

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