Safety Guide
๐คฐIngredients to Avoid During Pregnancy
The following K-beauty ingredients are best avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Always consult your healthcare provider before changing your routine while pregnant.
9 Ingredients to Avoid
Adapalene
Avoidretinoid
Flagged as unsafe during pregnancy โ retinoids and strong actives are common culprits.
Full ingredient guide โ
Benzoyl Peroxide
Avoidantimicrobial
Limited pregnancy safety data โ consult your healthcare provider before use.
Full ingredient guide โ
Glycolic Acid
Avoidexfoliant aha
Limited pregnancy safety data โ consult your healthcare provider before use.
Full ingredient guide โ
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR)
Avoidretinoid
Retinoids are generally contraindicated during pregnancy due to theoretical risks of birth defects.
Full ingredient guide โ
Retinaldehyde
Avoidretinoid
Retinoids are generally contraindicated during pregnancy due to theoretical risks of birth defects.
Full ingredient guide โ
Retinol
Avoidretinoid
Flagged as unsafe during pregnancy โ retinoids and strong actives are common culprits.
Full ingredient guide โ
Retinyl Palmitate
Avoidretinoid
Retinoids are generally contraindicated during pregnancy due to theoretical risks of birth defects.
Full ingredient guide โ
Salicylic Acid
Avoidexfoliant bha
Flagged as unsafe during pregnancy โ retinoids and strong actives are common culprits.
Full ingredient guide โ
Tretinoin
Avoidretinoid
Flagged as unsafe during pregnancy โ retinoids and strong actives are common culprits.
Full ingredient guide โ
Safer Alternatives
Gentler ingredients that work well for pregnancy.
Adenosine
soothing
Adenosine is one of the most quietly effective anti-aging ingredients in K-beauty. Approved by Korean regulators as a functional anti-wrinkle ingredient, it's found in an enormous number of products but rarely featured on the front label. It smooths fine lines, promotes wound healing, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Allantoin
soothing
The quiet healer โ hiding in pimple patches, aftersun balms, and nearly every "barrier repair" cream you've ever met.
Aloe Vera
soothing
The world's most overclaimed soothing ingredient โ genuinely helpful for sunburn, mostly filler for everything else.
Andiroba Oil
oil
Bitter Amazonian oil Brazilian grandmothers reached for before dermatologists existed โ pressed from the seed of a rainforest giant.
Arnica Montana
soothing
The Alpine meadow flower every German grandmother has on the bedside table โ and the first ingredient sports physios reach for.
Ascorbyl Glucoside
antioxidant
The well-mannered vitamin C โ stable, gentle, converts to ascorbic acid in skin but slower than L-AA.
Also check
Flip side
Wondering if a specific ingredient is safe? Check its individual safety profile:
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients should I avoid if I have pregnancy?
Adapalene, Benzoyl Peroxide, Glycolic Acid, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR), Retinaldehyde are the main ingredients flagged in our database. See the full list below for reasoning.
What are safer alternatives?
Consider gentler options like Adenosine, Allantoin, Aloe Vera, Andiroba Oil โ all well-tolerated and commonly found in K-beauty formulations.
Is this list exhaustive?
No. This list reflects the ingredients we currently track in our Supabase database. Consult your dermatologist or healthcare provider for personalized advice, especially for medical conditions.