Pregnancy safe skincare can be super difficult and confusing. I have an entire guide devoted to what products are safe to use while pregnant including information on what ingredients to avoid while pregnant and a huge list of pregnancy safe skincare products. The list has gotten so large that I’ve decided to start listing brands in their own individual posts.
Here you’ll find pregnancy safe products from St. Ives as of 7/19/2019. If it is not safe, I’ll tell you why. All of the products meet my pregnancy safe criteria. If they release a new product that is not listed here, please comment below and I will add it. Note I will link to every product directly to avoid confusion. You’ll know exactly which product I mean.
Please note, it can take up to an hour to review the ingredient lists of each product. I review with my own list of pregnancy safe criteria. I obtain my ingredient lists from the brands and major retailers (typically Nordstrom and Sephora), and I review the US versions. Please do not ask me to re-review the same products over and over, I do not have the time to do so, and many people have been rude about this. For more brands, please head over to the list of pregnancy safe products.
Pregnancy Safe Products from St. Ives
• Cleansing Stick Apricot & Manuka Honey
• Cleansing Stick Cactus Water & Hibiscus
• Cleansing Stick Matcha Green Tea & Ginger
• Cleansing Stick Rose Water and Bamboo
• Energizing Coconut & Coffee Scrub
• Exfoliate & Nourish Coconut Oil Scrub
• Face Mist Energizing Orange
• Face Mist Happy Grapefruit
• Face Mist Relaxing Lavender
• Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
• Gentle Smoothing Oatmeal Face Scrub and Mask
• Glowing Sheet Mask Apricot
• Hydrating Vitamin E and Avocado Body Lotion
• Radiant Skin Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange Face Scrub
• Renewing Collagen & Elastin Body Lotion
• Renewing Elastin & Collagen Moisturizer
• Repairing Cranberry & Grapeseed Oil Body Lotion
• Revitalizing Acai, Blueberry, and Chia Seed Oil Body Lotion
• Revitalizing Sheet Mask Acai, Blueberry & Chia Seed Oil
• Softening Coconut & Orchid Body Lotion
• Soothing Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Lotion
Not Safe for Pregnancy, Ok for Nursing
• Acne Control Apricot Face Scrub: Salicylic Acid
• Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Face Scrub: Salicylic Acid
• Clarifying Green Tea Cleanser: Salicylic Acid
Not Safe for Pregnancy or Nursing
Note I’m including products with retinoids here, as those are a bit iffy. It depends on how conservative you want to be while nursing (still absolutely contraindicated while pregnant). Refer to my post on ingredients to avoid while nursing for more discussion.
There isn’t info out there on the safety of Cannabis used topically during pregnancy or nursing. We do know smoking marijuana with THC has bad effects and should be avoided, though it hasn’t been fully decided if it is just the THC or something else as well.
Note that in theory Hemp and CBD do not have THC in them, it’s breed out of the plant is the official status. However, depending upon how it was processed many CBD oils will test positive for THC. But there are still the unknowns we haven’t decided about. I would not recommend using Hemp or Cannabis products while nursing or pregnant for that reason.
I’m a doctor, a mommy and a bit of a beauty addict. If you let me, I can take 2 hours to get ready in the morning. Really. I'm on a quest for faster beauty that works!
Awesome, I’ve been waiting for St Ives to be posted here! I’ve been too busy/lazy to do my own research. Good to know that my lotion and face scrub are safe, and I can start using them again. Thanks so much, your blog is extremely helpful 🙂
St Ives has a few products that I would love for you to check for me. They are not any that you’ve reviewed before. Is it easier to list each product with ingredients separately or in one big post? I know its a lot of work for you so please lmk the best way to do this. 😀
It’s best to put them all in 1 post, and if you could number them in addition to the names that would be great!
Halo doc, how about their body wash? Is it safe? 🙂
St. Ives Renew & Purify Sea Salt & Pacific Kelp Exfoliating Body Wash
The ingredients is :
Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Hydrated Silica, Fragrance (Parfum), Glycerin, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, PPG-9, Propylene Glycol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Sea Salt, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)
Thank u so much:)
Looks ok
is it okay to use st. ives fresh skin apricot scrub while breastfeeding? thank you!
Everything labelled ok for pregnancy is fine for nursing as well. I would be careful with that one just because I think the grit in the scrub is pretty sharp and you could easily damage your skin.
Hi doc, i just want to ask if the St. Ives Even &Bright Pink Lemon &Mandarin Exfoliating Body Wash is safe to use while pregnant? The ingredients are:
Water(Aqua),Sodium Laureth Sulfate,Acrylates Copolymer,Hydrated Silica,Sodium Chloride,Cocamide MEA,Fragrance (Parfum),Glycerin,Citric Acid,Tetrasodium Edta,PPG-9,Propylene Glycol,Methylchloroisothiazolinone,Methylisothiazolinone,Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Extract,Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract ,Red 33(CI 17200),Yellow 5 (CI 19140).
Thank you!
This is fine
Hello doc is it also safe to use st. Ives soothing oatmeal and shea butter wash, Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract, Fragrance (Parfum), Glycol Stearate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Citric Acid, PPG-9, Propylene Glycol, Stearamide AMP, Methylisothiazolinone, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Red 33 (CI 17200), Yellow 5 (CI 19140).
Looks fine
I have used my St ives green tea scrub twice or thrice during my first trimester. What to do now
More info in here:
pregnancy beauty FAQ
Hi Doc,
I have St Ives Hydrating Lotion with Vitamin E & Avocado. I read the ingredients and it contains BHT, which Based on articles that I read not good for pregnancy.
It says :
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) – BHT is similar to BHA in so far as it is also used in foods and cosmetics as a synthetic alternative to natural antioxidants like Vitamin E. Labeled as E321 on food packaging, some studies have shown BHT could potentially cause an increased risk of cancer and asthma.
There isn’t convincing evidence to avoid it, the level of exposure in topical products (remember, your skin’s primary function is to be a barrier) is much lower than in foods. And yes, it’s found in many foods.
Can you tell me if st ives glowing moisturizer with watermelon is ok? It has Ingredients:WATER, PROPANEDIOL, PPG-3 ISOSTEARYL METHYL ETHER, NIACINAMIDE, GLYCERYL POLYACRYLATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/BEHENETH-25 METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CELLULOSE GUM, TROMETHAMINE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, FRAGRANCE, CITRULLUS LANATUS (WATERMELON) FRUIT EXTRACT, SODIUM HYALURONATE, CYANOCOBALAMIN, BENZYL ALCOHOL, HEXYL CINNAMAL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL.
Looks ok
Hi doc, i just want to ask if the St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Exfoliating Body Wash is safe to use while pregnant? The ingredients are:
Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide MEA, Hydrated Silica, Fragrance (Parfum), Glycerin, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, PPG-9, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Red 33 (CI 17200).
please help
Looks ok
Hi Doc! Does St. Ives Hydrating Face Moisturizer w/ Avocado look safe to use?
Ingredients/Ingrédients: Water (Eau), Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Stearic Acid, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Niacinamide, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tapioca Starch, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloydimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Triethanolamine, Cetyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Tacopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysobrate 60, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Linalool, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Yellow 5 (CI 19140).
This has a salicylate, so ok for nursing but not pregnancy
Hi,
Thank you so much for doing the review.
I wanted to check on the two St. Yves facial cleansers. I’m pregnant now and would like to know if these are safe to use. TYIA.
1.) HYDRATING WATERMELON DAILY CLEANSER
Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Sodium Chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Panthenol, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyquaternium-39, Disodium EDTA, Benzophenone-4, Citric Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool., Red 33 (CI 17200).
2.) GLOWING APRICOT DAILY CLEANSER
Ingredients:
Water(Aqua) Cocamidopropyl betane, dipropylrnr glycol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, C12-14 Pareth-12, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Ethyllexyglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanedol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot)Fruit Extarct, Red 33, (CI 17200) Yelow 5 (CI 19140) Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Limonene,Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl, Cinnamal, Geranoil.
Thank you again and you are awesome.
Pregnant&Breastfeeding
The first has a chemical sunscreen and the second has a salicylate. Ok for nursing but not pregnancy