Factsheet: Understanding Skincare Safety in Pregnancy: What Every Mum Should Know

Simone Parenti

Tech professional and co-founder of MamaSkin, London, UK

@mamaskin.app

Summary

When my wife Martina became pregnant with our second child, Auri, she started checking every skincare label in the house. We quickly realised how confusing ingredient lists can be, and how much misinformation circulates online. Additionally, the only options available were paid apps or complex websites with dubious sources. Coming from a tech background, I decided to build something practical to help other families like ours. That idea became MamaSkin, a free app with more than 85k products and scientific sources that allows you to check if skincare and beauty products are safe to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

This article shares what we learned about skincare safety during pregnancy, where the science stands, and how women, families and even professionals can use technology and evidence to make better-informed decisions.

What we know

Pregnancy alters how the body absorbs and processes ingredients through the skin. Higher blood flow, increased permeability, and hormonal changes mean certain compounds that were once harmless can now pose a small but real risk.

Key facts about ingredients and concentrations

• Retinoids (vitamin A derivatives): These are the best-studied and most clearly contraindicated ingredients. Prescription-strength retinoids like isotretinoin and tretinoin can cause congenital malformations even at low systemic doses. Over-the-counter retinol creams are weaker (typically 0.1–1%), but long-term use can still raise exposure. MamaSkin automatically flags any product containing these, regardless of concentration.
• Salicylic acid: Safe below 2% in leave-on products such as toners or spot treatments, and below 10% in wash-off cleansers. Higher concentrations used in peels or medicated pads may cross into circulation.
• Hydroquinone: Often used for pigmentation, but absorption rates up to 45% have been documented. Most experts recommend avoiding it entirely while pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Benzoyl peroxide: Considered low-risk because only 5% is absorbed and rapidly metabolised to benzoic acid, but can still cause irritation.
• Essential oils: Many are safe in dilution (under 1%), but oils like sage, rosemary, and jasmine have uterotonic effects in concentrated form.
• Chemical sunscreens: Ingredients like oxybenzone and avobenzone have weak hormonal activity. Mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide remain the safest option.

What’s absolutely fine: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin, niacinamide, and vitamin C under 15% are all considered safe. These maintain hydration and help restore the skin barrier, which often weakens during pregnancy.

Why evidence is complex: Most safety data come from case reports and animal studies. Even so, dermatologists and obstetric bodies generally agree on one principle, minimise unnecessary actives, prioritise barrier support, and avoid anything with strong systemic absorption.

Through MamaSkin’s 85,000-plus product database, we’ve found that nearly 1 in 5 beauty products marketed to women contain at least one high-risk ingredient. Knowing that has helped many parents switch to simpler, safer routines.

What we don’t know

Pregnancy safety data is still incomplete. No one conducts controlled studies on pregnant women for obvious ethical reasons. As a result, most “avoid” lists are based on theoretical risk rather than direct evidence.

Regulations also differ by country. The EU restricts 1,300 cosmetic ingredients, while the US restricts fewer than 20. Brands may claim “pregnancy-safe” status without clinical backing. Even ingredient databases vary; one might rate phenoxyethanol as “safe,” another as “avoid.”

This is exactly why we built MamaSkin to cross-reference multiple dermatology and regulatory sources, translate chemical names into plain English, and highlight where data is uncertain rather than pretending it’s black-and-white.

Families: How to Use the Evidence

• Scan before you use. Apps like MamaSkin can check ingredients in seconds and explain why something is flagged. Plus, it’s free to use!
• Keep routines simple. Choose fragrance-free cleansers, moisturisers with ceramides or hyaluronic acid, and mineral SPF.
• Check concentration labels. Under 2% salicylic acid or under 10% vitamin C is generally safe. Stronger actives can wait until after birth.
• Avoid DIY recipes and viral TikTok trends. Home peels and undiluted essential oils can burn sensitive pregnancy skin.
• See skincare as self-care. A five-minute routine can still be a grounding ritual when your body feels different every week.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s informed, relaxed confidence. If an ingredient feels uncertain, use tools like MamaSkin to read about it and decide together with your healthcare provider.

Exact concentration thresholds for salicylic acid and vitamin C % limits have no formal consensus in the literature.

Midwives and Birthworkers: How to Use the Evidence

Pregnant women often seek reassurance on everyday products, but midwives may not have time to check chemical databases. Simple digital aids can bridge that gap.

• Suggest that families use evidence-based resources such as MamaSkin to check their usual creams and make safer swaps if needed.
• Encourage barrier-focused skincare rather than fear-based restriction.
• Incorporate short discussions on topical product use during antenatal classes, normalising questions about skincare as part of maternal wellbeing.
• For clients with dermatological conditions, flag potential prescription retinoid or hydroquinone use to GPs or dermatologists.

When families see midwives take an interest in the small details of daily life, it reinforces trust and self-efficacy, two of the strongest predictors of positive birth experiences.

Real Life Story

During my wife’s Martina second pregnancy, we realised that information on pregnancy skincare online was scattered and unclear. The only apps available were paid apps and were also very basic ingredients checker that weren’t clear on what exactly they were analysing.

That’s when I realised technology and science could do the heavy lifting. I built a small tool to scan not only ingredients but products too and I’ve also included a free database with more than 85,000 products. Martina tested it every day, and her confidence grew as she finally understood what was safe.

That kitchen-table experiment became MamaSkin, now used by hundreds of expecting mums worldwide. For us, it started with one question: How can we make evidence practical and kind, not scary?

Conclusion