Face moisturizer for pregnant women

What is the best moisturizer to use during pregnancy?

Start with your skin's needs, not a brand ranking, since face creams have no obvious need for a podium. A lighter gel or lotion generally suits facial skin; very dry skin can need a richer moisturizer. If your face is prone to breakouts, look for a product labeled noncomedogenic, meaning formulated not to clog pores. For dry, sensitive skin, favor fragrance free products without botanical extracts. Fragrance free does not mean free of every possible allergen.3

The mix of ingredients tells you more than the price tag, although it gets the less glamorous part of the jar.3

What do moisturizing ingredients do?

Which ingredients need a closer look during pregnancy?

Avoid retinoids, including retinol, tretinoin, adapalene and tazarotene, and avoid hydroquinone, a skin lightening ingredient. Discuss salicylic acid above 2%, benzoyl peroxide, parabens, phthalates, phenol, triclosan and essential oils with your dermatologist, and limit their use during pregnancy. Tell your obstetrician and dermatologist about all medications and prescription skincare you use, including when you are trying to become pregnant.1

Read the ingredient list and directions for the actual product you plan to use. In the US, cosmetic products and ingredients generally do not require FDA approval before sale; manufacturers are responsible for their safety. Retail cosmetics must carry ingredient information, and cosmetics sold online must make that information available through the label or other permitted channels. If an online listing does not show the ingredients, ask for them before choosing. Follow any warnings and directions on the package.4

A moisturizer and an acne treatment are not necessarily the same kind of product. In the US, products intended to treat disease or affect the body's structure or function are regulated as drugs, or sometimes as both drugs and cosmetics. Acne treatments and sunscreens are examples. A cream's treatment claims matter as well as its moisturizing claims.4

How should you use face moisturizer during pregnancy?

1. 1Cleanse gently, up to twice daily and after sweating.
2. 2Pat your skin dry without removing all the water. General dry skin care guidance favors applying moisturizer while skin is still slightly damp, within three minutes of washing.
3. 3Use your moisturizer daily and after washing. Follow the product's directions.
4. 4During the day, protect exposed skin with broad spectrum, water resistant SPF 30 or higher. Choose zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both during pregnancy to reduce irritation, and also use shade and protective clothing.

What should you expect from moisturizer?

Moisturizer is there to hydrate and soften skin, which is a modest job description for something that can arrive dressed as a luxury gift. Regular application helps protect the skin's outer barrier, the layer that keeps moisture in and irritants out. Daily moisturizer and sunscreen can also help prevent further wrinkles. There is no fixed number of days to promise for relief from pregnancy related dryness; persistent symptoms need a different decision, not an invented countdown.23

If you have psoriasis, moisturizers and emollients, which soften skin, have no known pregnancy risks and can protect against chafing. They cannot clear psoriasis. Keep moisturizing separate from decisions about prescription treatment, which your dermatologist should review during pregnancy.5

When does dryness or itching need medical help?

For itchy skin, use an unperfumed moisturizer regularly, avoid perfumed soaps and moisturizers, and use cool or warm rather than hot water. Pat or tap itchy areas instead of scratching. A pharmacist can suggest suitable creams or lotions; tell them you are pregnant, where the itching occurs and whether you have other symptoms.6

• See a doctor if itching affects daily life, keeps returning, or does not improve after treatment from a pharmacist.
• Get medical advice for a new rash, lump or swelling, or if you have eczema and itchy skin.
• Get urgent medical help for very itchy skin that keeps you awake, itchy palms or soles, or itching that is worse at night. These can be signs of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a liver condition requiring treatment. Contact your maternity unit promptly.