Retinol Alternatives During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

This one's informational, not a sales pitch — if you're pregnant or breastfeeding and trying to figure out what to do about your skincare routine, here's what's generally understood about retinoids during this time, and what's usually considered instead. As always, this isn't medical advice, and your doctor or midwife is the right person to make the final call for your specific situation.

Why retinoids are generally avoided during pregnancy

Retinoids are a broad category that includes prescription oral medications, prescription topical treatments, and over-the-counter retinol. Oral retinoids are well established to carry a risk of birth defects and are contraindicated during pregnancy. Because of that, most dermatologists and obstetricians extend a general precaution to topical retinoids too, including over-the-counter retinol, even though the evidence on topical absorption specifically is more limited than for oral use. The standard, widely given advice is to avoid retinoids of any form during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and to check with your doctor before resuming after.

What about topical retinol specifically?

Topical absorption into the bloodstream is generally understood to be low, but "low" isn't the same as "confirmed safe," and the research specifically on topical retinol during pregnancy is limited. Given that, the common medical guidance is to err on the side of caution and avoid it for the duration of pregnancy and breastfeeding, rather than to rely on absorption estimates. This is a decision to make with your own doctor, who knows your specific health situation.

Ingredients more commonly considered pregnancy-friendly

A few ingredient categories are commonly discussed by dermatologists as generally better-tolerated options during pregnancy, though "commonly discussed" isn't the same as a guarantee for your specific situation — always confirm with your own doctor before starting anything new:

• Vitamin C — an antioxidant with a generally reassuring safety profile in topical use.
• Niacinamide — supports the skin barrier and is broadly considered low-risk topically.
• Azelaic acid — often specifically recommended as a pregnancy-friendly option for texture and tone concerns.
• Hyaluronic acid — a hydrating ingredient with no known pregnancy-specific concerns.
• Lower-concentration glycolic or lactic acid — generally considered acceptable by many practitioners, though opinions and recommended concentrations vary.

What about plant-derived retinol alternatives, like ours?

We want to be direct about this rather than use the topic as a sales opportunity: we don't have data confirming the safety of Bidens Pilosa Extract, or our serum, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, so we can't recommend it for that period. Because the active reaches some of the same receptors retinol does, the same general category of caution that applies to retinoids is a reasonable one to extend here too, until there's actual data to say otherwise. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, please check with your doctor before introducing it, the same as you would for any new active ingredient.

The bottom line

Pregnancy skincare decisions deserve better than blanket internet advice, including this article. The categories above reflect commonly discussed general guidance, not a personal medical recommendation — your doctor or midwife knows your health history and can give you an answer specific to you. If you have questions about our formula's ingredients so you can bring them to that conversation, our full INCI list is on the product page, and the mechanism is explained on our Our Formula page.