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Which beauty products are safe during pregnancy?

Protect your baby, beautifully. Here's the truth about the safety of beauty products during pregnancy -- straight from the pros

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Originally published in Today's Parent February 2011

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the many warnings and old wives’ tales surrounding beauty products and pregnancy. You want to be on the safe side, but you don’t want to forgo all grooming for nine months. Plus, sticking to your beauty routine can be a source of comfort during pregnancy. “Your body goes through all these changes that you have no control over,” says Jolene Ali, owner of Sweet Momma, a spa in Edmonton that specializes in providing safe beauty treatments for expectant moms. “Feeling good about the way you look is a mental health boost.”

So what’s a careful mom-to-be to do? We take out the guesswork by getting the experts to weigh in on these common beauty products.

Green light: Enjoy without worry

Hair removal wax Professional quality wax is safe, especially since it doesn’t contain the chemical preservatives (like parabens) that most other beauty products do. “Our main concern is pain, especially since blood flow increases during pregnancy,” says Ali. “That’s why we use a cream wax, which is a bit more gentle.”

Sunscreen Keep slathering on that SPF, says Catherine Zip, a dermatologist in Calgary. “Because sunscreen use is so widespread, we would have been able to see by now if it caused any problems,” she says. If you want to be extra-safe, you can look for sunscreens that use physical, rather than chemical, blockers — just look for one with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

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