Allrighty, so the test is positive, your mood swings start right away and you feel it's a great idea to spread some nutella over these pickles (spoiler: probably, it's not). Your body starts its journey through a lot of change. Let's not over-romantisize the situation - some of these changes won't be easy, but the big picture is that you're bringing a whole new life into this world and that deserves some major credit.
What cosmetic stuff should you avoid
If you already started reading various mommy-magazines and online-forums, you probably know how to adapt your diet and your sports routine. If you had a healthy lifestyle before the pregnancy there is a chance you won't notice any restrictions at all. However, there are some items that have to be revisited. It's your cosmetics.
We take for granted that most of the medications are not allowed to be used during the pregnancy. Some of the active substances used in cosmetic products can harm the fetus, too, and it's important to know which ones to avoid while your baby bum is becoming more and more prominent.
Salicylic acid
It can be found in lotions and toners that are used to prevent acne. It’s a serious bacteria killer, yet you should decrease its use during the pregnancy as it can be absorbed into the bloodstream and harm the fetus. Opt for the products that fight acne without salicylic acid for now — choose something like this purifying mud mask.
Retinol
Vitamines are great, let’s have more of them! Well, that’s not always the case. More doesn’t mean better. In the case of retinol — which is another form of vitamin A — excessive quantities are toxic to the baby. Your doctor will probably recommend that you stay away from the food products that contain a large amount of vitamin A, the same goes for cosmetic products. Choose the nourishing products with a more suitable vitamins composition - like this Dead Sea gel with a vitamin complex. Good news — you can use it to make the stretch marks less noticeable if any will appear at all.
Chemical sunscreen
Recent studies show that the chemical sunscreens are absorbed through the skin into your blood. The scientists neither proved these substances are completely safe nor accused them of some harm. The bottom line now is that the UV-rays are still more dangerous than any sunscreen. Yet when we’re talking about the baby, it’s worth taking additional precautions. Switch to the mineral based sunscreens instead - like this day cream with SPF-15.
Parabens
Parabens have been demonized for years for a reason. They are used as preservatives in the cosmetic products. But their chemical structure is very similar to the structure of hormones and thus your body cells can be deceived by them. During the pregnancy, you already have a lot of hormone changes happening, so avoiding products with parabens will be a good choice.
If some of the products on your vanity table contain the ingredients listed above, it's better to put them away for a while now (of course, if the "best before" date will still be ok after the due date. Otherwise present them to someone else and buy new ones when you are ready to get back to them).
