If you are pregnant, don't use these skincare products

We all know that if someone is pregnant, that person should not be drinking, smoking, consuming alcohol, or being exposed to cleaning solvents, pesticides, lead, and mercury. However, the list doesn't stop there!

Did you know that there are certain skincare products that a pregnant person should stay away from? Specific chemicals can affect the baby's development; therefore, it is crucial to always keep an eye on the formulas and what they contain.

To learn more about this topic, Dr. Deborah Lee, through RY, Australia's largest online beauty retailer, shared with HOLA! USA, her insight and the list of products that expectant mothers should avoid. "We all use personal skin products as part of our daily routine. It may seem innocuous to rub shampoo and conditioner into your scalp or rehydrate your skin with moisturizing lotion. However, all the products we use on our skin contain large numbers of chemical ingredients, many of which can pass through the skin and into the bloodstream," Dr. Lee said. "From there, they then find their way around the body, where they have the potential to cause harm."

According to the expert, while pregnant, a person should think twice before applying anything that might seem harmless. "In pregnancy, this is especially difficult, as these chemicals could, quite unknowingly, affect a developing fetus. Pregnant women need to think carefully about what they are applying to their skin to ensure the safest outcome for their unborn baby," she suggests.

The experts of RY, Dr. Deborah Lee, and Dr. Eldimarys Curry Machado also shared with HOLA! USA, some of the most popular skincare products and how we should be using them.

Mixing up skin products can be bad news because some product ingredients will counteract the beneficial effects of other products. As a result, your skin products will be less effective, it will take longer to see results, and you could end up wasting a lot of money.

Dr. Deborah Lee advises:

The ingredients that we should avoid can be divided into three main categories; these are preservatives, which are found in around 75% of rinse-off products (which includes shower gel, shampoo, and shaving gel). Fragrances, which are found in 62% of rinse of products and other chemical products found in 58% of makeup (including lipstick, foundation, and nail polish) and rinse-off products.

"There is no such thing as chemical-free cosmetics, and ‘natural’ cosmetics are not free of chemicals," reveals Dr. Eldimarys Curry Machado. "What you want to avoid is harmful chemicals in cosmetics, that is, chemicals that have known harmful effects. Just because cosmetic ingredients are natural does not make them safe. And just because an ingredient is synthetic does not mean it is unsafe."

Around 60% of skincare products contain preservatives added to skin products to reduce the growth of bacteria and fungi. An example is chlorphenesin which is often found in moisturizers, skin cleansers, and mascaras and is now known to be a skin irritant.

Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Reasons why now is the best time to get your skin checked out

Correct & brighten your skin with this simplified four-step routine

Mother's Day gifts: essentials for the expecting mamas

According to Dr. Lee, not everything that shines is gold, and just because a product is labeled as "natural," it doesn't necessarily mean that it is true. "Fragrances are frequently added to skincare products. Although often labeled as ‘natural products,’ they still have the propensity to cause the same range of medical problems - headaches, asthma, other respiratory symptoms, and allergic dermatitis," she explains. "Common fragrance allergens which may cause these reactions include: farnesol, citral, limonene, and linalool. Consumers are often confused by thinking ‘natural’- means safe – and in fact, this is not necessarily the case. Many natural substances are just as likely to cause symptoms as those that are manufactured."

Memorial Day beauty sales to get excited about

How do you know if it is Dandruff or Seborrheic Dermatitis?

Do LED Masks work? Learn about the anti-aging benefits of these devices

People are using fillers to gain facial volume after losing weight with the infamous Skinny Pen

Becca Nilsson shares her fool-proof guide to air drying

Easy braided hairstyles to beat the Summer heat

Lauren Sánchez shined at Cannes in trendy nude-colored lips

Shakira's hairstylist Cynthia Alvarez shares her summer styling tips and product recommendations