Ingredients pregnant women should be careful about

To put it simply, you need to be careful with retinol, salicylic acid, and arbutin.

 

 

 

What ingredients should be avoided?

I will cite the references and sources for each, so please read on if you are curious.

1) Retinol

It is likely the most well-known ingredient that pregnant women should be careful about. As a type of fat-soluble vitamin A, it is known to cause fetal deformities when consumed in excess.

In the case of fat-soluble vitamin A, it accumulates in the body when consumed in excess, so it is recommended that pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant reduce their intake even as a supplement and instead consume beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A (a substance that is converted into vitamin A in the body).

Speaking more about Vitamin A…

It seems that the problem is not the intake of vitamin A itself, but rather that it is important not to consume it in excess. Pregnant women are advised to be careful as there is a risk of birth defects if their daily intake of vitamin A exceeds 10,000 IU (3 mg).

Upon examining several multivitamins for pregnant women, I found that the vitamin A content was much lower than 3 mg. Even within the same company, multivitamins for early pregnancy, in particular, were relatively lacking in vitamin A or contained it in the form of beta-carotene compared to those for middle or late pregnancy.

2) Salicylic acid

It is said that caution should be exercised when taking large amounts of salicylic acid, as it may lead to the birth of a deformed baby.

It is said that it is best to avoid products containing large amounts of salicylic acid, but it is acceptable when contained in small amounts in products like toners.

It seems to be said that it is fine because absorption through the skin is much less than through oral intake, and the salicylic acid included in cosmetics is in low doses.

3) Arbutin (Bonus)

I would like to mention first that I am addressing arbutin separately, as there appears to be room for debate regarding its use by pregnant women.

It is said that arbutin is widely used in whitening cosmetics because it has excellent whitening effects.

However, it is said that there is controversy regarding its safety as it is a substance similar to hydroquinone (also called hydroquinone) (in Korea, hydroquinone is permitted for use in pharmaceuticals at low concentrations, but its use in domestic cosmetics is prohibited).

Products containing 2% or more of arbutin have been reported to cause mild itching in human clinical trials, leading to safety concerns; consequently, it has been listed with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as a 'cosmetic ingredient subject to safety information labeling.' (It appears that in this case, a warning regarding itching is required only for products containing 2% or more of arbutin.)

 

 

 

 

 

Source : Cosmetic Ingredients Pregnant Women Should Be Cautioned To Include - Retinol, Salicylic Acid – Hoyu World (hansnara.pe.kr)