Ingrediens in makeup during pregnancy

[Mia098]

Hello. I am pregnant and have tried to be so careful with the ingredients in skin creams and foundation/make-up. I have read a lot and now I find out that my foundation contains BUTYLOCTYL SALICYLATE, ginseng and licorice root. I am completely panicking to think that I have used this as it says that it is dangerous for the foetus. I am panicking right now:/

@Serendipity24 thank you very much. I just feel so guilty because I didn't know that BUTYLOCTYL SALICYLATE is the same as Salicylic acid. I searched the entire list of ingredients on the make-up and I didn't realize it was the same. I think there must be a reason why they recommend less than 2%, and here it is 3-5%. I just feel that everything is my fault and the child could be affected by what I have got on my skin. I am so angry and sad now. the only thing i can think of is how much damage the baby has suffered because of me.

@Mia098 The ingredients in these products aren't marked as unsafe for you to use in pregnancy because there isn't evidence either way - so they don't need to be marked as unsafe because they aren't proven to be so, but if you ask the manufacturer outright they will advise caution because they can't 100% guarantee the safety of the product and they don't want you to sue them. Low concentrations of salicylic acid in skincare are fine in pregnancy - 2% is an arbitrary threshold beause it's a common concentration, but it doesn't mean that 3% is suddenly unsafe and will damage your baby.

@CluelessInLondon thank you very much for your reply. in any case, I feel like I want to give up on everything with the pregnancy. there's always something I'm doing wrong, always something to worry about and no matter how careful I am it could harm the fetus. I am so tired and sad. If I read on 15 minutes Beauty my baby is distroyd anyway because of the makeup ingredients.

@Mia098 Please, please speak to your midwife about getting some specialist help to manage your anxiety - asking questions here clearly isn't giving you the reassurance you need so you need some expert support. But in the meantime I will reiterate - your skincare products have almost certainly done your baby no harm. Presumably you have had all of your scans so far and baby has been healthy - if something significant was wrong it would have been picked up, so please remind yourself of that when you're worrying, and talk to your midwife.

@CluelessInLondon I have spoken to the midwife about this, got Help from a psychologist but nothing helps. so I've tried over a longer period of time but it doesn't get better. no, there's not much to do with it now anyway.

While 15 Minute Beauty can be useful, it really errs on the side of caution. Quite a few things the site says are not pregnancy-safe have been declared safe by doctors and brands elsewhere. The baby is going to be, OP! ❤

Isn't it 2-3% in the whole bottle, so really it's a tiny, minuscule amount when on your face?

But as everyone else said, this level of anxiety is not normal or helpful

@WarmSwan thank you.

@okaythenright I don't know how much there is in the whole tube of foundation. I only know that it should not be more than 2% when you are pregnant.

Please reach out for some help. You are being quite irrational and that anxiety will be doing you far more harm than a minuscule amount of a safe ingredient in your makeup.

@thefallen I have already done that, but I guess it doesn’t work on me.

and it says that it should be avoided in pregnancy, at least not higher than 2% and here it is 3-5%.

Hi:) an update from me. I have spoken to the midwife about this and she says that it is not good that I have used the product, but that I cannot do anything about it now. I wish I had found out earlier in the pregnancy because I am now in week 36. Just thought I would give an update that I have spoken to the midwife.

@Mia098 It's good that you've spoken to your midwife, although it sounds like her answer could have been more reassuring! Presumably you've had all of your scans during your pregnancy and they haven't identified any problems? Just remind yourself that you have no reason to suppose baby is anything other than perfectly healthy, and I really hope you can relax for the rest of your pregnancy and enjoy your little one when they arrive.

@CluelessInLondon I think she just wanted to be honest. thank you very much.

Hi, I work in this field. Please please do not worry, we are not generally concerned about products applied to the skin harming the baby. As others have said, it would be great if you could get some help from your GP for anxiety. If there is a local perinatal mental health service you could ask your be referred there and they will help you. Enjoy your baby.

Also, salicylic acid is similar to aspirin which many pregnant women are prescribed to reduce the risk of pre eclampsia. Use of a toner will not harm your baby

@DameKatyDenisesClagnuts thank you for your answer:) when I read about it, it says that 2% is safe, but it has 3-5%Butyloctyl salicylate. which I then feel is twice as much and that it is not good. feels like under 2% is going well, but 3-5% is really not good. I also don't know if there is a difference between Butyloctyl salicylate and salicylic acid. I've tried reading about it but I don't quite understand it.

One of the main reasons they say it isn't safe is because your skin becomes more sensitive during pregnancy and may not be able to tolerate the use of these products.

@PatFussy thank you for your answer. yes, it can happen. but when it says that it can be harmful to the fetus, I think there must be more to it than just my skin becoming sensitive during pregnancy.

another update from me: spoke to a doctor about this today and the doctor advised pregnant women against using products with salicylic acid, ginseng or licorice root. the doctor said they feared it could cause birth defects. so to all the pregnant women out there, pay close attention to the make-up you use, so you won't have to feel like I do now. now I have asked professionals so it is no longer a fear. These are facts from people who should be able to do this and have expertise.

@Mia098 salicylic acid is safe for use in pregnancy up to twice a day in skincare products. It’s recommended to avoid eating ginseng and liquorice root during pregnancy but there’s no evidence to say there’s any risk in skincare products. In high amounts it may cause miscarriage or defects (not humane to do studies so can’t prove one way or another) but in the very small diluted amount in any skincare that isn’t even entering your bloodstream it’s fine. I’d be very concerned about any doctor who is reinforcing these very irrational fears.

@PickledScrump I got this answer from my doctor today. he described it as that salicylic acid opens the pores in the skin and that therefore both ginseng and licorice root (and other ingredients in the make-up) absorb more easily into the skin due to the salicylic acid.

Your anxiety levels are going to affect your baby more than any product you put on your skin! It will be fine.

@Mia098 ive seen some of your other posts and honestly I have some serious concerns about your healthcare professionals. You have said in your other posts that your doctor has told you to consider abortion because you drank alcohol before you knew you were pregnant. Almost everyone I know who has had babies has drank before knowing. You also said a midwife said that you shouldn’t have gotten the whooping cough vaccine, which seems crazy as any midwife will tell you how incredibly important it is after the whooping cough outbreak where several babies lost their lives. Now a doctor is feeding you misinformation about very small amounts of ingredients in skincare.

whatever healthcare trust you are with you need to find a new one asap and put in a complaint because they are terrible healthcare professionals.

Never trust anyone who says something opens or closes pores, it’s not something pores do. It’s certainly not something a health professional would tell you. If someone says it opens pores they are lying.