Health & Pregnancy

Revamp Your Pregnancy Beauty Regimen

You swore off cocktails and stopped eating sushi when you found out you're pregnant, but you hadn't considered the safety of your beauty products until you accidentally inhaled some hair spray this morning. Now you're wondering if you should change some of your beauty habits for the rest of your pregnancy. Maybe you're not inclined to go au naturel; but you want to do what's best for the baby. You're just not sure what that is.

"Any material placed on the skin has the potential to be absorbed into the bloodstream and may be able to cross the placenta, so some caution is warranted," says Andrew Healy, MD, an obstetrician at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. "However, very few substances are suspected or have been proven to be harmful to a developing pregnancy."

If you're unsure what's safe, bring specific products to your doctor for analysis, recommends John Bailey, PhD, chief scientist for the Personal Care Products Council, a trade group for the cosmetic and personal care products industry.

"At the most fundamental level, women should consult their physicians for medical advice and to discuss any concerns they may have," Bailey says.

What's safe during pregnancy? What should be avoided? Here's what doctors told WebMD.

Teeth Whiteners

Worrisome ingredient: Peroxide

Concerned? Try peroxide-free whitening toothpaste.

She still smiles as much as ever, but Monica Thomas of Akron, Ohio, thinks her teeth look dull. That's because Thomas, who's expecting her fourth child in February, stopped using tooth-whitening strips.

"I felt I could survive 40 weeks without them," she says. "I'll start again after I stop nursing."

The active ingredient, peroxide, is safe for adults, even if you swallow some during the bleaching process, says Colleen Olitsky, DMD, a cosmetic dentist in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. "But there's so much we don't know about how substances affect babies during pregnancy, it's wise to avoid."

"Ingesting some peroxide is probably safe for pregnant women, but if you're concerned, use a whitening toothpaste instead," says Dayna Salasche, MD, clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "Most importantly, continue to brush, floss, and see the dentist regularly for cleanings."

Hairspray, Nail Polish

Worrisome ingredient: Phthalates

Concerned? Try mousse or gel, which can't be inhaled, or phthalate-free polish.

A growing body of research suggests a possible link between phthalates (found in many products including hair spray and nail polish) and increased risk of birth defects. But the FDA concluded that the available data don't establish an association between the use of phthalates in cosmetics and a human health risk.

"It's all a matter of amount used," says Judith Hellman, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "A small amount of spray, applied without breathing in the fumes, is probably acceptable."