A simple pregnancy skincare routine that holds up to the evidence

You do not need a new shelf of products labelled “for mums-to-be”. You need to check what you already own, remove one or two things, and keep the rest.

Step 1: Audit what you have

Line up everything that touches your skin and read each ingredient list once. You are looking for:

• Retinoids: retinol, retinal, retinyl palmitate, tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene. ACOG says avoiding topical retinoids in pregnancy is generally recommended.
• Hydroquinone: a clinical review recommends minimising it because 35% to 45% is absorbed.

Everything else stays unless your doctor says otherwise. A label scanner makes this a ten-minute job.

Step 2: Build the routine

Step	Morning	Evening
Cleanse	Gentle cleanser or water	Gentle cleanser
Treat (only if needed)	Azelaic acid	Benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or glycolic acid
Moisturise	Any plain moisturiser	Any plain moisturiser
Protect	Broad-spectrum sunscreen	–

The four treatment ingredients in the table are the ones ACOG lists as over-the-counter options that can be used during pregnancy. Introduce one at a time so you know how your skin reacts.

Step 3: Sunscreen, every day

Brown patches on the face, called melasma, are one of the common skin changes of pregnancy. ACOG’s advice to stop them getting worse is to wear sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat every day you are outside, even when it is cloudy. They usually fade after birth. The review in Canadian Family Physician reports that sunscreens have very limited absorption through the skin and found no pregnancy concern, so there is no reason to skip it.

What about everything else?

• Self-tanner: about 0.5% of the active ingredient, dihydroxyacetone, is absorbed, according to the same review.
• Hair removal and bleaching creams: the review found minimal absorption into the body.
• Prescription creams: never stop or start one without asking the prescriber.

If acne does not improve

ACOG’s advice is to talk to your dermatologist and your ob-gyn together. Some prescription options are compatible with pregnancy and some are not, and that decision belongs with them.

For the full ingredient list with sources, see pregnancy-safe skincare ingredients.