Last Updated on December 19, 2020
Our world has changed.
Now, if you search for the “best pregnancy-safe face masks,” the results are a mix of cosmetics and personal protective equipment.
In case you’re wondering what to expect here, I’ll be focusing on skincare face masks.
They come in handy if you’re wearing the other kind of protective mask all day.
You’ll need to restore balance to moisture levels and detoxify the skin.
Moreover, you can reduce pregnancy acne by treating it with a face mask.
Let’s discuss which face masks are safe to use during pregnancy and what ingredients will benefit your complexion.
Contents
As long as you avoid certain chemicals, face masks are pregnancy-safe.
While you’re expecting, stay away from products with retinoids as they are linked to birth defects.
You might see retinoids listed as retinol or retinyl palmitate.
Also, check with your OB/GYN to see if it’s okay for you to use salicylic acid. It appears in some exfoliating face masks and those designed to treat acne.
In fact, it’s smart to get guidelines from your doctor about which skincare products are best for you during pregnancy.
In the meantime, let’s talk about the different types of face masks for pregnant women.
If you don’t have time to read the complete article, here are our top picks.
There are two main types of face masks: the kind you wash off and the kind you peel off.
The former is a cream, mud, or gel that you will rinse to remove.
Then, the latter could be a liquid that dries (kind of like glue) or might be a sheet mask.
Neither one has specific advantages over the other – it’s a matter of preference. And both are safe to use during pregnancy as long as they don’t contain harmful ingredients.
First, if you’d like to clear up blemishes, try a charcoal or clay mask. It absorbs impurities and exfoliates to keep pores clear.
Second, you can diminish melasma, or the “mask of pregnancy,” with vitamin C masks and those that exfoliate with fruit enzymes (1).
A face mask with glycolic acid serves this purpose (2).
Third, you can help tired skin look radiant once more with a hydrating mask.
Now, let’s take a look at face masks that are safe to use while you’re expecting.
Skip risky ingredients like parabens and phenoxyethanol in favor of natural nutrients for your skin.
This detoxifying mask uses rose clay, tannin, and papaya enzyme to purify and minimize pores. It also brightens skin tone.
If you have oily, acne-prone skin, it will make visible improvements in your complexion.
Plus, it’s 99% natural, and it smells pleasant.
Sulfur is an excellent anti-acne treatment. It kills the bacteria that cause pimples.
The formula of this face mask has just 3.5% sulfur to avoid overwhelming the skin.
It absorbs excess oil with bentonite clay and zinc and promotes healing with vitamin C.
If you use it two or three times per week, it will dry up a breakout and prevent new occurrences. It works on whiteheads and blackheads, too.
There’s also one more benefit to enjoy. It changes color to blue once it’s finished the job.
This potent sulfur mask has a 10% concentration. You can use it for your chest and back, not just your face.
It’s one of our best picks for combination or oily skin as it soaks up excess oil with bentonite and kaolin clay.
Then, sweet almond oil and aloe soothe the skin.
The formula is so effective that DDF won an award from Allure for this product.
Unfortunately, it contains parabens. These preservatives are linked to endocrine disruption. Some experts recommend avoiding them during pregnancy.
You don’t need parabens or oil to keep your skin healthy. Here’s a clay mask that promotes a pure complexion without either of those ingredients.
It contains argilla and kaolin clay to absorb pollution particles and excess oil. It promises to unblock pores and reduce shine.
The result is a more refined texture and a smooth complexion.
Leave it on for five minutes before rinsing. It has a mild, clean fragrance.
Activated charcoal detoxifies the skin by removing dirt, pollution, and oil.
Apply this mask and let it sit until totally dry. It may take as long as half an hour.
But then, as you peel it off, it pulls out the debris to leave your face baby soft.
It treats blackheads and blemishes with honeysuckle, jojoba, rosemary, and willow.
Moreover, it’s mild enough for all skin types.
What if you have naturally dry skin but want to try a clay mask? Will it dehydrate your skin?
If you’re worried about that, try Cetaphil’s purifying mask. It’s mild enough to use it three times per week.
It balances moisturizing natural ingredients against the detoxifying and drying effects of bentonite clay.
The moisturizers include glycerin, apple extract, and cucumber seed. These have the additional benefit of improving skin tone.
Meanwhile, shea butter and avocado oil soften the skin as well. Overall it is a great choice for pregnant women.
Is there a difference between the different types of clay and all of these masks? Yes.
For example, Moroccan red clay is packed with skin-nourishing minerals and vitamins. So is sea silt, another ingredient in the jar.
Of course, the formula also detoxifies with kaolin clay.
Lastly, British rose extract, trehalose, and allantoin revive dull skin and soothe irritation.
How do you make a DIY clay mask?
First, you purchase this product, which is pure bentonite clay. It has no other additives.
Second, you mix it with an equal amount of apple cider vinegar (or water) to a mud-like consistency and spread it on the skin.
Only leave it on for 10 minutes or less to avoid redness and drying.
Lastly, rinse thoroughly with warm water, then moisturize.
How does a mud mask work?
This one works like a spa formula. It performs a deep cleanse of the skin by extracting impurities.
The magic that makes it happen comes from kaolin clay, Dead Sea mud, and plant starches. Dead Sea mud, in particular, is rich in natural minerals that detoxify the pores.
The mud clears away dead skin and oil, too.
Thankfully, there’s no need for scrubbing. The formula increases circulation naturally, plus it moisturizes.
It contains aloe, calendula, and jojoba to condition the skin and leaves it silken afterward.
During pregnancy, it’s likely that your skin is more sensitive. It’s best to avoid treating your skin harshly.
When you exfoliate, use a non-abrasive peel like this one. It’s based on fruit enzymes and cellulose to smooth and clarify the complexion.
Once it sets, you can roll it off your face to lift away impurities. It leaves the skin moisturized and calm.
Furthermore, it’s cruelty-free and does not contain parabens or phthalates.
Here’s another excellent exfoliating facial mask that evens out skin tone and texture.
It contains papaya that brightens the complexion and shrinks pores in just 5 minutes.
Just as important, it avoids artificial ingredients like fragrances and parabens.
L’Oreal makes five different face masks, including Yuzu lemon, seaweed, red algae, charcoal, and eucalyptus.
The lemon facial mask contains three types of clay to smooth the skin and diminish blemishes.
Meanwhile, you might also be interested in the eucalyptus mask to reduce oiliness and red algae to open up pores.
Each one takes about ten to fifteen minutes to leave the skin healthier and more refined.
Although they contain a fragrance, they are paraben-free.
Here’s a fun face mask that bubbles away impurities.
While you enjoy the citrus scent, it activates on contact with your skin. Then, the oxygen molecules foam away dirt, oil, and pollutants.
The mask contains grape seed and green tea to defend against damage from free radicals. Free radicals are a cause of premature aging.
There’s also rice bran to calm irritation and redness while vitamins C and E even out skin tone.
Aloe hydrates, while soy protein helps revitalize the skin at a cellular level.
Korean beauty manufacturer TOMYMOLY makes several different sheet masks for a variety of purposes. Your best bet is to get an assorted package and try as many as you like.
The three main kinds include milky lotion, micro-emulsion, and watery with enriched essence.
If you’d like a place to start, try this ultra-hydrating mask. It’s just what you need to wake up with a radiant complexion. You probably won’t need to put on moisturizer after using it.
In just 20 minutes, it revives and plumps dehydrated skin.
No, it’s not Halloween. But you might enjoy this witch face mask anyway.
(On the other hand, you could also try the zombie mask for wrinkles and mummy mask with charcoal.)
It’s not a disguise – it’s a sheet mask that instantly soothes troubled skin.
It reduces redness and rehydrates while cleansing excess oil from the pores.
The key ingredients include green tea water, powder, extract, and oil.
Enjoy it once or twice per week for just 10 minutes per session.
Korean company Ebanel manufactures this sheet mask in the USA in a cGMP-certified facility. It’s one of their most popular.
Users with all different types of skin rave about how it leaves their face rejuvenated.
It drenches the skin with aloe, edelweiss, and hyaluronic acid. It firms with collagen peptides. And finally, it relieves inflammation and acne with chamomile and vitamin C.
Happily, it’s free of oil, alcohol, and parabens. The microfiber material is soft and thick yet biodegradable.
How does Jessica Alba still look so young? Could it be that she uses her own natural products like this facial mask?
I wouldn’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. After all, it’s made to exacting standards.
Not only is it cruelty-free and vegan, but it’s also free of perfumes, phthalates, PEGs, and parabens.
It’s designed to be used first thing in the morning to make your complexion vibrant and awake. Or you can use it to perk up before an evening out.
It has black currant and coffee leaf extract to alleviate fatigue. Now, if only you could put it in a mug and drink it.
This sheet mask is 99% natural. It’s been tested by dermatologists and ophthalmologists to make sure that it’s kind to sensitive skin.
Moreover, it speeds up getting ready for bed. That’s because it cleanses at the same time that it moisturizes.
Yes, you can use it to remove makeup.
It has clary sage, a multifunction herb that balances pH and moisturizes. Other plant extracts like willow bark cleanse pores and exfoliate.
Neutrogena’s hydrating sheet mask soothes the skin as soon as you smooth it across the surface.
The refreshing sensation imparts deep hydration. The hydrogel material can hold much more moisture and essence than an ordinary sheet mask can.
Plus, it has hyaluronic acid to leave the skin supple and relaxed.
Leave it on for up to half an hour to plump and refresh the complexion.
A face mask can turn your skincare routine into a spa-like experience.
Use it to cleanse your face more profoundly while you thoroughly refresh it.
A face mask can help maintain a clear complexion, too.
During pregnancy, a mask will detoxify your pores to reduce shine and clear up acne.
Then, after you’ve given birth, pamper yourself with a mask to minimize those signs of fatigue.
Sources:
1 https://www.webmd.com/baby/features/pregnancy-skin-care-get-that-glow#1 by Colette Bouchez, accessed July 3, 2020
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114665/ by Pina Bozzo, Angela Chua-Gocheco, MD, and Adrienne Einarson, RN, in Canadian Family Physician, June 2011, accessed July 3, 2020
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