Pregancy and possible toxic ingredients in skincare.

Hi, Dr. Irwin, I am 9 weeks pregnant and have stricken all potentially toxic products from my lifestyle, which was particularly hard since I am a retinol lovin', restylane kind of gal! I am using organic products by Eminence now but have concerns over two ingredients: botanical ferulic acid and sodium salicylate. The latter is more of a concern as it is a derivative of salicylic acid which I know may have possible detrimental effects. In terms of the ferulic acid, I am hoping that I can continue using it. I am 38 and a big believer in the power of antioxidants! Thank your for your always informative and thorough site! Your time is much appreciated. Best, Nicole

I agree with you that when you’re pregnant, it’s best to just eliminate everything possibly toxic you can.  It’s not because I have concerns about most skincare products, it’s just that we never want to look back and wonder if something we did could have caused a problem.

We live in the environment and our environment has some toxic stuff in it no matter what we do, so we just do our best and our children are usually fine!!!!  It’s possible that we women blame ourselves too much for things that are often out of anyone’s control……… so please don’t be too hard on yourself –  just do all the sensible things you can.

On that end, the plant based antioxidants are thought to be fine and the Ferulic is plant derived.  Why not just eliminate the sodium salicylate for the first 4 months just to be safe? And always consult you obstetrician (pregnancy doctor) if you have any questions!! 

Dr.  I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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