Can I use retinol while pregnant?

ACOG says absorption of topical retinoids through the skin is low, but that it is generally recommended they be avoided during pregnancy. Retinoids also appear in over-the-counter products, so read labels.

Is vitamin C serum safe in pregnancy?

Neither ACOG's FAQ nor the Canadian Family Physician review lists topical vitamin C as a concern. If you are unsure about a product, ask your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.

Is sunscreen safe during pregnancy?

The Canadian Family Physician review reports that sunscreens have very limited absorption through the skin and found no pregnancy concern.

I used retinol before I knew I was pregnant. What now?

Stop using it and mention it at your next appointment. ACOG notes that the amount absorbed from topical retinoids is low. Your doctor or midwife can advise on your situation.

Pregnancy-safe skincare: which ingredients to avoid and which are fine

Pregnancy changes skin. Acne and dark patches are both common, and they arrive at exactly the moment you start reading labels with suspicion. The good news is that the list of ingredients with a real reason to avoid them is short.

The short list to avoid

Ingredient	Where you find it	What the source says
Isotretinoin (oral)	Prescription acne capsules	ACOG: may cause severe birth defects. Do not use.
Topical retinoids: tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene	Prescription and some pharmacy acne treatments	ACOG: absorption is low, but avoiding them is generally recommended.
Retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters	Anti-ageing serums and creams	ACOG: retinoids are in some over-the-counter products. Read labels carefully.
Oral tetracyclines	Antibiotic tablets for acne	ACOG: can discolour the baby’s teeth and affect bone growth.
Hormonal acne therapy	Prescription tablets	ACOG: not recommended because of the risk of birth defects.

Worth minimising

Hydroquinone, used for dark spots and melasma, stands out because so much of it gets through the skin: an estimated 35% to 45%. The one published study of pregnant women found no increase in adverse events, but it was small. The reviewers’ conclusion is to minimise exposure until more is known.

What you can keep using

ACOG lists four over-the-counter acne ingredients that can be used during pregnancy:

Benzoyl peroxide
Azelaic acid
Topical salicylic acid
Glycolic acid

For anything not on that list, ACOG’s advice is simple: ask your obstetrician-gynaecologist first.

The Canadian Family Physician review also looked at products people worry about and found minimal absorption into the body for sunscreens, self-tanners (about 0.5% of dihydroxyacetone is absorbed), hair removal creams and hair-bleaching creams.

Why “natural” and “clean” do not answer the question

Neither word has a legal definition, and neither tells you whether a product contains a retinoid. Retinyl palmitate, a vitamin A ester, appears in plenty of products marketed as gentle. The only reliable method is to read the ingredient list, which is where a checker helps.

How to check a product in under a minute

Find the ingredient list on the box or the brand’s site.
Search our ingredient reference for the names you recognise.
For the full list, paste it into a checker built for pregnancy. We compare eight of them in the best pregnancy-safe skincare apps.

No app or article replaces your own doctor or midwife, especially for prescription treatments. Bring the product, or a photo of its label, to your next appointment.

This guide is educational and does not replace advice from your midwife, health visitor or doctor. If you are worried about yourself or your baby, contact them, or your local emergency number in an emergency.