When expecting a baby it becomes even more important than usual to reduce the amount of toxins that we are exposed to, in order to protect both yourself and your baby. Unfortunately, many of the products that you may have in your bathroom cabinet, or make up bag, may not be as safe to use as you thought.
Shockingly, many of the chemicals present in traditional skincare and make up products can make their way through your body and the umbilical cord and cause potential hard to your baby. Tests done on the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies show a staggering amount of synthetic chemicals in the blood that have come through products and food that the mother has use or that are present in the mother’s environment. One study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG.org) found a total of 232 toxic chemicals in umbilical cord blood – 180 of which are known to cause cancer in humans and 217 of which are toxic to the brain and nervous system.
All those trace elements of chemicals present in everyday products add up. When you understand what’s inside traditional products and how they can affect us and our children you will start to seek out and demand better options. Thankfully, now there is a wealth of high-performance, non-toxic make up and skincare available so you can still enjoy make up and get great hair, even use self-tanner, confidently and knowing that you are nourishing rather than harming your body.
Here are our top tips on reducing exposure to toxins during pregnancy, as well as our product tips for glowing skin and healthy pregnancy hair:
Easy ways to reduce exposure to toxins during pregnancy & beyond:
- Don’t smoke or drink.
- Go organic and choose healthy food options as much as possible.
- Only use make up, skincare and beauty products that are considered clean, free of toxins and safe to use.
- Drink filtered water and avoid drinks from plastic bottles.
- Ditch chemical cleaners around the home for natural options (it’s amazing what plain old vinegar and baking soda will do, but there are also plenty of toxin-free cleaners available at your local healthfood store or organic supermarket).
- Try to mimimise your use of plastics as most contain toxic chemicals, including BPA, PVC and phthalates. Don't reuse single-use containers or microwave food in plastic containers, or drink from plastic containers that have been in the sun or near heat. Avoid PVC and plastic around the home. Go for stainless steel options, use beeswax wraps and silicone lids in the kitchen and look for toxin-free, plastic-free toys for your child.
- For when baby arrives, choose glass or at least BPA free bottles, look for organic clothing, mattresses and blankets, and choose 100% natural and toxin-free baby care products such as body lotions, shampoos and nappy creams.
Our top beauty picks for pregnancy:
Evolve Beauty Gentle Cleansing Melt
This luxurious cleansing balm contains nourishing organic baobab oil that soothes and hydrates. Natural sugar extracts gently combine with water to turn into a creamy milk that rinses away clean, leaving skin clean, calm and hydrated.