Which of Your Cosmetics during Pregnancy are Safe for your Baby?

If you are wondering which cosmetics during pregnancy are safe for your baby, start your research by reading labels. . . but understand that the US Government allows the multi-billion dollar cosmetic industry to regulate itself, and they have no legal obligation to test for safety. Most fragrances fall under the heading of trade secrets and do not have to be revealed or identified. Also realize the terms natural or organic can be misleading in that they may contain only one natural or organic ingredient. Look for USDA Certified Organic products. Remember: just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you or your baby.

Makeup, nail polish, cleaning supplies, sunscreens, and even water can contain chemicals dangerous to a developing baby. Something is definitely going on in our modern society that is changing our children: In 1990s, 1 in 2,500 children were diagnosed on the autism spectrum. According to the CDC, in 2014 (the most recent figures I could find) it was roughly 1 in 59. Granted, we have probably changed the criteria for diagnosis, but not THAT much. I’m not suggesting that any chemicals directly cause autism or any other disease or disorder, but I am recommending you consider cleaning up your personal environment the best you can to reduce the toxic bucket that may affect your baby.

For example, the California Safe Cosmetics Program website shows that since 2009, 604 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using chemicals in more than 85,000 products that have been known or suspected of causing cancer or reproductive harm, and those numbers are updated regularly, so they may be larger by the time you read this.

Some of these chemicals can find their way into your breast milk, so even after your baby is born, you could be passing on toxins.

What can you do to keep your baby safe from cosmetics during pregnancy? Fair warning: Researching all the toxic chemicals in our modern environment is a rabbit hole that once you go down, you may never come back out the same. They are everywhere! Just don’t get overwhelmed. Educate yourself on the most dangerous and easiest to avoid by searching the internet for “toxins during pregnancy.” Make a plan to start eliminating or at least reducing them, step-by-step. Just because you can’t avoid everything doesn’t mean you shouldn’t avoid something. I recommend focusing on one major source of toxins each week to make it manageable, but you can take it at whatever pace suits your personality.

For a deeper and more detailed discussion of how to best care for your child both before and after it is born, click here to see your options.