Pregnancy Safe Skincare

Every product in our pregnancy safe collection carries our Pregnancy Safe badge — a signal that its full ingredient list has been reviewed against published clinical evidence, not assembled from generic avoidance lists. You can read about how all our badges work and the standards behind them.

How we define pregnancy safe at Skin-Nomad

Every product carrying our pregnancy safe badge has had its full ingredient list reviewed against published clinical guidance, including recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the 2024 update to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology guidelines on dermatologic safety in pregnancy (McMullan et al.), MotherToBaby fact sheets published by the Organisation of Teratology Information Specialists on the NIH Bookshelf, and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel safety assessments.

The badge means the product contains none of the ingredients we classify as definite avoids at any cosmetic concentration, and has been reviewed at the formulation level rather than assessed by category alone.

We update the collection as new products are added and as new evidence emerges. If a product is removed from the collection after you've purchased it, that reflects a change in our assessment, not a safety incident.

Ingredients we exclude from the pregnancy safe collection

All topical retinoids

This covers retinol, retinal, retinaldehyde, tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene, hydroxypinacolone retinoate (HPR), retinyl palmitate, and retinyl acetate. Oral isotretinoin is a confirmed teratogen. While topical retinoids have low dermal absorption, the JAAD 2024 guidelines, NHS guidance, and ACOG all recommend avoiding all topical retinoid forms throughout pregnancy. Bakuchiol is the evidence-backed alternative we recommend instead — browse our bakuchiol collection for pregnancy-compatible options.

Hydroquinone

Unlike most topical skincare ingredients, hydroquinone has an estimated systemic absorption rate of 35 to 45 per cent through intact skin, which is exceptionally high for a cosmetic ingredient. On this basis dermatology guidelines recommend avoidance during pregnancy. Niacinamide, vitamin C, azelaic acid, and tranexamic acid are all safe alternatives for brightening concerns. See our pigmentation collection for pregnancy-safe options.

Arbutin and alpha-arbutin

Arbutin and alpha-arbutin are forms of hydroquinone bound to a sugar molecule. The EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety notes that their brightening effect may come from the gradual release of hydroquinone, and that this release increases in more acidic formulations and through the action of skin enzymes. Since 2025 the EU has capped the concentration of both ingredients in cosmetics and requires any hydroquinone in them to be kept to unavoidable traces, and the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards has called for data on their safety. We have not found published studies of either ingredient in pregnancy. Because hydroquinone itself is on our exclusion list and effective alternatives exist, we exclude products containing arbutin or alpha-arbutin from the pregnancy safe collection as a precaution. Niacinamide, vitamin C, azelaic acid and tranexamic acid remain our suggested brightening alternatives.

Essential oils with pregnancy contraindications

Most essential oils used in skincare carry no specific pregnancy warning. A small number do. Sage oil (Salvia Officinalis Oil) and mugwort oil (Artemisia Vulgaris Oil) are on the pregnancy avoid list in Tisserand and Young's Essential Oil Safety (2014), the principal safety reference for essential oils, because of their thujone and camphor content, and we exclude both. The International Federation of Aromatherapists also advises against camphor-rich rosemary oil and lists basil oil for caution in pregnancy. Because an ingredient list does not show which type of oil a brand has used, we exclude rosemary leaf oil (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil) and basil oil (Ocimum Basilicum Oil) unless the brand states a type that is not camphor-rich or estragole-rich.

Extract and water forms of these plants are not excluded. Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract and Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract do not concentrate the volatile fractions that drive the concern in their distilled oil counterparts.

We do not exclude bergamot, eucalyptus or clary sage oil. None of the safety references we use contraindicates them in pregnancy. Bergamot oil that is not furocoumarin-free can make skin more sensitive to sunlight, which is a pigmentation point rather than a pregnancy safety one, and we cover it in the note on sunlight below.

Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3)

ACOG specifically recommends avoiding sunscreens containing oxybenzone during pregnancy due to documented systemic absorption and a potential endocrine disruption signal. We recommend mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the default choice during pregnancy. All sunscreens in our pregnancy safe collection are also reef friendly and many carry our Mineral SPF badge — browse our mineral SPF collection.

Ingredients with no pregnancy safety data

Where an ingredient has no published developmental and reproductive toxicology data and a safe alternative exists, we apply a precautionary exclusion. This currently applies to idebenone (Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone), to growth factors, to NAD+, and to hexylresorcinol, a brightening ingredient for which international food safety assessments record no reproductive or developmental toxicity data.

Growth factors and NAD+

Epidermal growth factor (EGF, listed as sh-Oligopeptide-1 or rh-Oligopeptide-1), the related growth factors listed as sh-Oligopeptide and sh-Polypeptide, and NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) are newer skincare actives. They have no clinical safety data in pregnancy, so the general recommendation is to pause them until after your pregnancy, and we exclude products containing them from the collection. This is a precaution based on missing data rather than a known risk. For firmness and hydration during pregnancy, peptides of the palmitoyl and acetyl families, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and bakuchiol are well-supported alternatives.

Lip products with undisclosed fragrance blends

Lip products are a distinct category because of the incidental ingestion pathway. We exclude lip products that contain Fragrance, Parfum, or Aroma as an undisclosed ingredient blend, because these terms may conceal individual aroma chemicals at concentrations that differ meaningfully from dermal exposure.

What we do not exclude

A number of ingredients are sometimes listed on third-party pregnancy avoidance guides without clinical justification. Our review found the following to be well-supported as safe at cosmetic concentrations.

Niacinamide is actively recommended by ACOG for pregnancy acne and hyperpigmentation. Hyaluronic acid in all its molecular weight variants is endogenous to human skin and not absorbed systemically. Bakuchiol is the evidence-supported retinol alternative and not a retinoid chemically or mechanistically. Azelaic acid at concentrations up to 10 per cent is ACOG-endorsed for pregnancy acne and melasma. Vitamin C and its stable derivatives have no adverse pregnancy signals at any cosmetic concentration. Centella asiatica and its actives, panthenol, ceramides, peptides of the palmitoyl and acetyl hexapeptide families, PDRN and sodium DNA, tranexamic acid at cosmetic concentrations, and topical glutathione at cosmetic concentrations are all without contraindication in published clinical literature.

On bergamot oil and sunlight: cold-pressed bergamot oil that is not stated to be furocoumarin-free contains bergapten, which can make skin more sensitive to sunlight on the areas where it is left on. Pregnancy makes melasma, patches of darker pigmentation, more likely, so if you use a leave-on product containing it, keep up your daily SPF. The IFRA fragrance safety standard limits bergamot oil in leave-on products for this reason and does not restrict it in rinse-off products such as cleansers and body washes. It is not a reason we exclude a product from the collection.

On fragrance: the precautionary guidance to prefer fragrance-free products during pregnancy relates primarily to the risk of phthalate diluents, which are banned under EU and UK cosmetics regulation and do not apply to the brands in our range. Fragrance or Parfum as an INCI entry in a face or body product made to EU or UK regulatory standards does not itself constitute a clinical ground for exclusion. We do apply a stricter standard to lip products as noted above.

Common questions

Is niacinamide safe during pregnancy?

Yes. Niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin B3 derivative with no adverse pregnancy outcomes at any cosmetic concentration. ACOG and the AAD both recommend it as a safe choice for treating acne and hyperpigmentation during pregnancy. Browse our niacinamide collection for pregnancy-safe options.

Is hyaluronic acid safe during pregnancy?

Yes. Hyaluronic acid is produced naturally by the body, including at elevated levels during pregnancy to support fetal development. There is no systemic absorption from topical application and no contraindication in any clinical guideline.

Is bakuchiol safe during pregnancy?

Yes. Bakuchiol is a plant-derived ingredient that has been clinically shown to deliver retinol-like results on skin texture and fine lines. It is not a retinoid in structure or mechanism, and it is not contraindicated during pregnancy. It is the ingredient we recommend most often as a pregnancy-compatible alternative to retinol. See our bakuchiol collection.

Can I use vitamin C when pregnant?

Yes. Topical vitamin C and its stable derivatives are considered safe at all cosmetic concentrations. ACOG and the AAD recommend vitamin C as a safe antioxidant and brightening option during pregnancy.

What SPF is safe to use during pregnancy?

Mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide are the preferred choice during pregnancy. These ingredients sit on the skin surface without significant systemic absorption. ACOG specifically recommends avoiding sunscreens containing oxybenzone. Browse our mineral SPF collection for pregnancy-compatible sunscreens.

Is azelaic acid safe during pregnancy?

Yes, at cosmetic concentrations of up to 10 per cent. ACOG recommends azelaic acid as a safe option for treating pregnancy-related acne and melasma. It is one of the most useful actives you can use during pregnancy for an even, clear complexion.

Can I use EGF or NAD+ skincare when pregnant?

We recommend pausing it. EGF, the related growth factors and NAD+ are newer skincare actives with no clinical safety data in pregnancy, so the general recommendation is to stop them until after your pregnancy. They are not in our pregnancy safe collection for that reason. Peptides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and bakuchiol cover much of the same firming and hydrating ground in the meantime.

What skincare should I avoid when pregnant?

The clinically supported avoidance list is shorter than many guides suggest. The ingredients with clear clinical grounds for exclusion are retinoids in all topical forms, hydroquinone, oxybenzone in sunscreens, certain distilled essential oils (sage oil, mugwort oil, and rosemary or basil oil unless a non-camphor or non-estragole type is stated), and ingredients with no pregnancy safety data where safe alternatives exist, which currently includes idebenone, growth factors such as EGF, NAD+ and hexylresorcinol. We also exclude arbutin and alpha-arbutin, which can release hydroquinone. The products in our pregnancy safe collection have been reviewed against all of these criteria.

A note on professional advice

Our pregnancy safe curation is based on published clinical evidence and ingredient safety assessments. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for guidance from your GP, obstetrician, midwife, or dermatologist. Every pregnancy is individual. If you have a specific health condition, are on prescription skincare, or have any concerns about a product, please speak to your healthcare provider before use.

For a full overview of how we curate and badge our products, visit our how our badges work page.