Pregnancy Safe Lipstick – Best Lip Products for Expecting Mothers

Exposure to certain chemicals can cause problems in your pregnancy. The chemicals in products can seep into your skin and enter the bloodstream. These chemicals can lead to birth defects, abnormal fetal growth, or complications. Most products don’t cause issues in pregnancy, but the limit of exposure can decrease any risks. When it comes to cosmetics, every woman has her go-to products. However, once you’re pregnant, these products may not be safe anymore. What can you do when your favorites are no longer safer? Switch to a new, safer brand. Some makeup products like foundations, lipsticks, and eyeshadows have been linked to skin irritations, respiratory problems, and even concerns of lead exposure. Luckily, there are pregnancy safe lipstick, foundations, and more on the market. In this post we’re focusing mainly on the lipsticks and other lip products that are safe to use for you while you’re carrying your baby.

Table of Contents

• Which Lipstick is Best During Pregnancy?
• Safe Lipsticks for Pregnancy
• What Cosmetics Should You Avoid When Pregnant?
• Specific Ingredients to Avoid during Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Safety Tips
• Pregnancy Safe Lipsticks: FAQs
• Pregnancy Safe Lipsticks: For the Moms to-be

Which Lipstick is Best During Pregnancy?

1. 100% PURE Pomegranate Oil Anti-Aging Lipstick
2. Revlon Super Lustrous
3. Lawless Satin Luxe Classic Cream Lipstick
4. Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
5. Maybelline SuperStay 14-Hour Lipstick
6. W3LL People Organic Optimist Semi-Matte Lipstick
7. Honest Beauty Liquid Lipstick
8. Pacifica Color Quench Natural Lip Tint

Safe Lipsticks for Pregnancy

Editor’s Pick – 100% PURE Pomegranate Oil Anti-Aging Lipstick

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Lipstick Highlights

• Full coverage with a satin finish
• Infused with vitamins and fruit/vegetable extracts
• Comfortable wear
• Moisturizes the lips

Why We Love It

• Long-lasting
• No chemicals used to make it
• Improves texture of the lips

The fruit pigmentated line from 100% PURE doesn’t contain any dyes, chemical preservatives, or harsh additives. The lipstick doesn’t contain lead either like most commercial lipsticks. The ingredients in the lipstick are 100% natural, gluten-free, and vegan. They do infuse their products with antioxidants, anti-aging ingredients, and vitamins like shea butter, pomegranate, and vitamin E. This makes the lipstick moisturizing to the lips. 100% PURE glides on smoothly and creamy too.

Reviews

The users of this lipstick rave about the moisturizing effect on the lips and how it improves lip texture.

One user credited this lipstick as the most moisturizing one they’ve owned; “This lipstick is the most nourishing I have ever used my lips never dry out and it leaves a pretty stain for hours.”

This use loved the whole formula; “. I’ve searched a long time for a formula that’s not too matte, too sheer, too dry, too sticky, too pink, too brown, too light, too dark, etc…”

Another user mentioned its staying power; “The color is great for most things I wear and stays on a long time.”

Pros and cons

• Vibrant color
• Up to 16 different shades
• Doesn’t dry the lips even when wearing for hours
• Some shades stain the lips after use

Pregnancy Safe Drugstore Lipstick – Revlon Super Lustrous

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Drugstore brands have been catching up with their competitors in various ways. Revlon is a popular drugstore brand familiar to many, and has removed plenty of chemicals from its lines in the past few years.

The Super Lustrous line is made with safer ingredients. For example, they no longer include phthalates in their products. This formula is infused with vitamin E and avocado oil to glide smoothly on the lips and provide them with moisture. It’s lightweight and doesn’t cake up either.

One bit of information to be aware of is that not all shades of this lipstick are safe for pregnancy. Out of the total number of current shades, only about 76 are safe to use. EWG has a list online that showcases the Revlon Super Lustrous shades that are safe for use if you need a drugstore lipstick brand.

Pregnancy Safe Sephora Lipstick – Lawless Satin Luxe Classic Cream Lipstick

Sephora has a clean line of cosmetics. This means all the products labeled clean are free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and about 50 unsafe chemicals.

Lawless is vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free too. The formula is infused with jojoba oil, candelilla wax, and castor oil. It works to hydrate, moisturize, and soothe dry lips. The Lawless Luxe Classic lipsticks come in various nudes. Despite them being nudes, the color payoff is still there!

Pregnancy Safe Lip Balm – Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

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Burt’s Bees has been regarded as a great natural product and one of the first many encountered. It’s affordable and even sold in local drugstores. As the name suggests, the formula uses beeswax. Beeswax naturally conditions the skin. The formula also contains peppermint oil and vitamin E for moisturizing. The peppermint oil gives it a refreshing feeling. The formula doesn’t contain any parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, or SLS. Without these chemicals, it makes it a safe lip balm during pregnancy. While we only have the tinted lip balm listed, they do have other lip balms, lip glosses, lip tints, and lip crayons.

Lead Free Lipstick – Maybelline SuperStay 14-Hour Lipstick

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Fortunately, this 14 hr Super Stay Line by Maybelline doesn’t contain any lead. A study conducted by the FDA in 2013 found that there weren’t any detectable traces of lead in the formula. The formula is ultra-lightweight and highly pigmented. It doesn’t dry the lips despite the long-staying power. You will need to reapply after eating greasy or oily foods, but it generally stays put even when drinking. However, the shimmer shades do feel gritty when you apply them to the lips and tend to cake up.

If you plan to choose this lipstick, stick with the non-shimmer mattes. While the shimmery lipsticks don’t contain lead, they do contain fragrances, dimethicone, and paraffin.

Pregnancy Safe Matte Lipstick – W3LL People Organic Optimist Semi-Matte Lipstick

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W3LL People makes all of its products cruelty-free, non-toxic, and with sustainably made ingredients. It doesn’t contain any parabens, dimethicone, or sulfates. The Optimist lipstick is a semi-matte formula that keeps the lips hydrated while delivering a high color payoff. The weightless texture makes it feel like you’re not even wearing makeup! The lipstick is infused with organic shea butter, jojoba oil, silk, candelilla wax, and synthetic beeswax.

The brand won the Allure Best of Beauty Award for its formulations and highly regarded reviews.

Pregnancy Safe Liquid Lipstick – Honest Beauty Liquid Lipstick

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Jessica Alba’s company has made waves in the crunchy community. From their cleaning products to their makeup products, they’re highly revered.

This liquid lipstick by Honest Beauty stacks up to commercial brands. However, it doesn’t dry the lips out as many liquid lipsticks do. It glides on smooth and liquidy but dries down matte. The formula includes avocado oil and hyaluronic acid. The formula helps to keep the lips hydrated and nourished while you wear the lipstick.

It has eight different shades altogether with the lipstick ‘Off Duty’ having a slightly different formula but nothing to be concerned over. You won’t sacrifice pigmentation with this brand, and you’ll get six hours of wear before you will need to touch up or reapply. The lipstick’s formula is free from isododecane, synthetic film formers, silicones, fragrances, carmine, and animal byproducts.

Lip Tint Safe for Pregnancy – Pacifica Color Quench Natural Lip Tint

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Most natural products you come across cost quite a bit. Here and there you find a rare gem that costs a reasonable amount. Pacifica is one of those brands.

The packaging of the lip tints – and all their other products, are 100% recyclable. The formulation is designed to provide moisture, natural flavors, and leave your lips feeling luscious. This is all because of the avocado oil, essential fatty acids, vitamin E, and candelilla wax.

The formula of this lip tint by Pacifica is vegan friendly and cruelty-free too! The coverage is buildable and presents itself at first as sheer. The more you put it on, the darker it gets. It’s not overwhelmingly darker, so if you want or need a few touch-ups throughout the day, it won’t alter your look too much. The tint doesn’t slide off when eating and is kiss-proof. It has a slight sweet smell that’s true to the color or flavor you purchase.

What Cosmetics Should You Avoid When Pregnant?

Unfortunately, there are many chemicals in everyday products that are harmful to all of us. When you become pregnant, you become hyper-aware of what you put into and on your body. You might have switched from ‘regular’ food to organic. Your cleaning chemicals might have become toxin-free. However, you might have missed one crucial area: your cosmetics.

These seemingly harmless tubes and containers of your favorite lotions or lip gloss contain some of the most dangerous chemicals known to cause cancer or hormone imbalances. Your skin absorbs about 60% of what you put on it. This makes it imperative to cross-check your beloved products. Yes, even your ‘organic’ cosmetics might contain harmful chemicals.

What are the ingredients you want to avoid? When it comes to your foundations, lotions, body/face washes, concealers, and exfoliators, there are a few ingredients you want to skip.

Parabens

Parabens are found in foundation and lipstick. It’s a preservative that keeps the makeup from bacteria.

Parabens have been linked with developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disruptions.

Retinol

The quest to reduce fine lines and rid acne usually involves some a retinol product. It’s true that it’s a form of vitamin A, and it’s been hailed as a onder product in anti aging circles.

Why isn’t it considered safe for pregnancy, though? Too much vitamin A has been linked to miscarriages and fetal malformation.

RELATED: Best Moisturizers to Use with Retin A

Fragrance

Think of your best smelling products. Some companies don’t use natural scents to mask that makeup smell. Instead, they use artificial means like phthalates and octoxynols. Phthalates have been linked with reproductive system defects in male fetuses, while octoxynols cause hormone disruptions. Other fragrance chemicals like citral, eugenol, coumarin, geraniol may cause an increase in contact dermatitis and allergies.

Specific Ingredients to Avoid during Pregnancy

Pregnancy can leave you feeling sick and pale. Sometimes it lasts the first few months, other times the whole pregnancy.

In Face Makeup and Lip Products

You might try and use blush to give some color to your face. However, don’t rush to your go-to blush right away. Alternatively, your lips might get extra dry during pregnancy. Before you reach for your favorite Chapstick, read the label. You want to avoid the above but there are even more to avoid.

• Preservatives – Stabilizing agents like phenoxyethanol and benzyl benzoate don’t pose harm but can irritate your already sensitive skin.
• Artificial dyes – Some of the most popular brands contain lead in their lipsticks. The FDA says most of the additives are small and you can’t measure the amount in blood tests. However, we know that lead ingestion can cause neurotoxicity, fertility issues, and hormonal disruptions.

In Eye Makeup

Eye makeup and mascara might be the only makeup you like to wear daily. When you’re pregnant, your eyes can sometimes experience itchiness and irritation. You don’t want to cause further irritation or damage to your baby.

• Aluminum powder – This is found in shimmer or glitter shadows. When absorbed by the skin, it can cause respiratory issues or neurotoxicity.
• Talc – Talc prevents caking. On its own, it’s generally safe. However, asbestos may contaminate talc deposits and end up in your makeup.
• Diazolidinyl urea – Found in mascaras, this antimicrobial preservative releases formaldehyde.

On Your Nails

Before your pregnancy, you may have gotten your nails done. Once you found out, you stopped going. You might be giving yourself at-home manicures or pedicures. However, these chemicals may cause harm to your baby, even regular nail polish!

• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) – This hormone disruptor may cause hormone production issues in a developing fetus if exposure to high concentrations happens.
• Formaldehyde – It causes cancer. Not much more needs to be said. However, keep out for alternative labels such as quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM), hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol).
• Toluene – This neurotoxin has been linked to dizziness, reproductive issues, and irritation of the body.

In Sun Protection

You know you should wear sunscreen whenever you go outside. Broad-spectrum sunscreens protect you from UVA and UVB rays. When you’re pregnant, sunscreen becomes more important. Pregnancy can cause dark spots to appear because of an increase in skin pigmentation. However, you want to be sure you’re buying the right sunscreen without the following:

• Oxybenzone – It’s known for protecting you against the sun but has a nasty reputation – and for good reason. Studies have shown it can release into your breast milk and possibly cause endocrine disruption.
• Avobenzone – This sunscreen ingredient has been found in studies to mimic progesterone and interfere with sperm production

Other Chemicals Found in Cosmetics

That’s just the shortlist of the major chemicals you want to avoid while pregnant and even when you’re not. We have a few honorable mentions we left out.

• Thioglycolic acid – Also listed as acetyl mercaptan, mercaptoacetate, mercaptoacetic acid, and thiovanic acid. Common in hair removal creams, this chemical might be unsafe for pregnant women. This is because the concentration may irritate the skin, disrupt the respiratory system, and central nervous system.
• Hydroquinone – Also listed as idrochinone and quinol/1-4 dihydroxy benzene/1-4 hydroxy benzene. It’s banned from all beauty products in Europe and can absorb into the bloodstream.
• Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) – Some studies have shown that DHA can damage DNA.
• Diethanolamine (DEA) – Has been associated with a higher risk of adverse pregnancy events.
• Beta hydroxy acids – Also labeled as salicylic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, trethocanic acid, and tropic acid. They may disrupt the skin’s barrier and it’s suggested to avoid during pregnancy.
• Aluminum chloride hexahydrate – It’s not known if it can cause pregnancy or can pass through breast milk. Experts suggest avoiding it until more is known.
• BHA and BHT – They are carcinogenic, disrupt hormones, and can cause liver damage.

Pregnancy Safety Tips

After reading this far, you’re probably feeling like you have to throw away everything you own and move into a bubble. You don’t have to throw all of your favorite products away, but you might want to put them to the side for now and use safer alternatives instead.

• Use BB creams and CC creams instead of foundations. They contain fewer chemicals on average and generally contain better ingredients. For example, the Juice Beauty brand offers dye-free CC and BB creams.
• Use gentle exfoliators before makeup application. Exfoliation removes the dead skin and can reduce inflammation depending on the formula you use. Once you’ve exfoliated with a pregnancy safe exfoliator, apply powder foundations (without parabens). They will go on smoother.
• Use minty lip balms. Minty lip balms that contain peppermint like Burt’s Bees can help calm nausea.
• Use mica and silica eye shadows instead. They go on smoother and are safer for the eyes.
• Use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide-based sunscreens or foundations. They’ve been proven safe for pregnancy.
• Choose face creams labeled ‘hypoallergenic’, ‘fragrance-free, or ‘organic’. Generally, these creams don’t have synthetic ingredients or harsh chemicals.
• Avoid nail polish at all costs if you can. If you must wear polish for an event or just to feel nice, use a brand like Zoya or Mineral Fusion.
• Use topical vitamins on the skin like vitamins C, E, K, and B3. These help to ward off free radicals and protect your skin from damage.
• Skip mascara or buy a pregnancy safe brand. You can hand curl your lashes with an eyelash curler and using a hairdryer on low heat.
• Use oil-free moisturizers. This helps prevent clogging of the pores and leads to less acne, which you may be experiencing due to pregnancy hormones.

Pregnancy Safe Lipsticks: FAQs

Pregnancy Safe Lipsticks: For the Moms to-be

Pregnancy can wreak havoc on the skin and body. It’s stressful enough for you and your little one without any added complications.

Unfortunately, daily products like cosmetics can make your pregnancy more stressful and even cause complications. Many brands contain harmful chemicals like lead which lead to fetal development issues.

Luckily, not all brands are dangerous. Some that currently don’t have any vegan or natural lines have been developing more cosmetics free from harmful chemicals. Before you use a new product, read the labels or speak with your doctor for pregnancy-safe alternatives. Here’s to a healthy baby and you!

Interested in discovering more spectacular safe beauty finds?  Check out these related posts on our blog:

• Pregnancy Safe Makeup
• Non Toxic Drugstore Foundation
• Are Dove Products Tested on Animals
• Is Makeup Revolution Cruelty Free
• Best Vegan Makeup Remover