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17 best pregnancy-safe skincare buys: Tried and tested moisturisers, body oils and stretch mark creams

From bump masks to stretch mark creams and soothing oils for sensitive skin, these are our favourite beauty products safe for pregnancy

Stephanie Cavagnaro
Monday 08 April 2024 13:29 BST
This is the ultimate list of hardworking skincare heroes that provide complete pre-baby pampering
This is the ultimate list of hardworking skincare heroes that provide complete pre-baby pampering (iStock/ Secret Saviours/ The Independent)
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Hormones are pregnancy’s little helpers, but can also be cunning culprits for a crowd of side effects. Some of these side effects can show up as changes to the skin, and when it comes to addressing these changes, there are myriad products that can be used for parents-to-be that will also be suitable for use during pregnancy.

That elusive “pregnancy glow” might seem a cruel joke when extra-sensitive skin is prone to texture changes, hyperpigmentation, breakouts and redness flare-ups. “In addition to hormone changes, nutrients are being drawn from you to the baby,” explains Joanne Evans, skincare specialist and director of wellness clinic Skin Matters. “Skin can become more oily, more dry or sensitive to your normal routine.”

While this doesn’t mean you need to rebuild your entire skincare collection from scratch, you will want to find gentler formulas to replace those with harsh ingredients. “The main ingredient to stop is vitamin A or retinol, while some essential oils can irritate the skin,” Joanne advises. “Glycolic, mandlic and salicylic acids should also be avoided. It’s all about soothing and calming, so a lot of active ingredients have to be removed.”

If in doubt, go au naturel – this is the time to ditch synthetic fragrances and preservatives in favour of products that care for sensitive skin and won’t cause harm to the growing baby. If you aren’t using one already, add a daily SPF to your routine given there’s an increased sensitivity to sunlight and hormone surges that can trigger melasma (dark spots and patches).

Other staples are simple cleansers, stretch mark oils and a hydrating emollient for skin conditions that can worsen in pregnancy like eczema and rosacea. Joanne also recommends “body brushing at home and using good oils or creams to keep supple, helping to reduce stretch marks and stay hydrated. Include a lot of antioxidants, plus masks – my favourite all-rounder is a clay mask.”

How we tested pregnancy-safe skincare

We’ve lathered and layered on a whole collection of pregnancy-safe skincare products – many organic, natural and dermatologically tested – to find the best on the shelves, making a note of the formulas and their scent, skincare benefits and how effective they were. This is the ultimate list of hardworking skincare heroes that provide complete pre-baby pampering.

The best pregnancy-safe skincare for 2024 is:

  • Best overall and for stretch marks – Secret Saviours the brief kit: £72, Secretsaviours.com
  • Best for boobs – Mama Mio breast friends: £30, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best budget buy – Mama Mio lucky legs cooling gel: £16, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best bath oil – Neal’s Yard remedies mothers bath oil 100ml: £19, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best hydrating serum – Wild Science Lab juice boost brightening serum: £38, Amazon.co.uk

Secret Saviours the brief kit

best skincare for pregnancy
  • Best: Overall
  • Product size: Small, medium, large
  • Benefits: Cooling, calming and helps to prevent stretch marks
  • Why we love it
    • Helps prevent stretch marks
    • Back support

We can’t recommend this product enough as we’ve been so delighted with the results from several months of testing. We started using the three-in-one prevention wear kit from week 12 of pregnancy and at 34 weeks, we are delighted to have avoided any tummy stretch marks so far. The day gel is so cooling and refreshing, which we were particularly grateful for on hot days, and the evening cream oozes calming, spa-like aromas to help send you off to sleep.

We used the prevention kit daily, alternating between wearing the briefs, leggings and bands, depending on wash load and outfit options. The prevention wear’s derma dot technology has been carefully crafted by doctors to help prevent your skin developing those pesky lines as it stretches. While we loved this product for that exact purpose, we were also blessed with the bonus back support of the thick band and grateful that we experienced zero itching throughout pregnancy, thanks to constantly feeling moisturised from the creams.

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Mama Mio breast friends

best pregnancy-safe skincare reviews 2023
  • Best: For boobs
  • Product size: 125ml, 30ml
  • Benefits: Moisturising formula that’s goes a long way
  • Why we love it
    • Helps dry nipples
    • Travel-sized

We were gifted this life-saver of a set at our baby shower and we couldn’t have been more grateful for it, especially in the third trimester. Having tested the products for a few weeks, it came as no surprise that it had been gifted from a mum of two as the creams quickly became integral in our newfound pregnancy skincare routine. Oh, how naive we were to think we wouldn’t need the nipple balm until our baby was actually born and nursing!

Our unexpectedly dry nipples were instantly moisturised with even the tiniest amount of ointment applied. We were grateful that it didn’t have a synthetic smell to it, feeling reassured that we were applying a safe, natural product to such a sensitive area of our body. The travel size balm is ideal for discreetly packing in your handbag for everyday use, too.

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Palmer's cocoa butter tummy butter for stretch marks

best pregnancy-safe skincare
  • Best: Smelling product
  • Product size: 125g
  • Benefits: Moisturising, helps with the appearance of stretch marks
  • Why we love it
    • Helps prevent stretch marks
    • Great price

Palmer’s Cocoa butter had always been a go-to moisturiser for nourishing our skin pre-bump, so we were incredibly grateful when we checked the ingredients were pregnancy-safe for continued pampering and found the gorgeous cream in the form of tummy butter, specifically designed to help prevent stretch marks.

Most likely thanks to our sweet tooth cravings, the iconic and delicious cocoa scent had never smelt so good when applying throughout our trimesters. We’d always make the time for some self-care when there was an opportunity to get a whiff of chocolate heaven while gently massaging our bump in the evenings.

At such a bargain price, and without the greasy, oily texture of other popular stretch mark treatments, you really can’t go wrong with a tub of tummy butter and at £3.99 it means you feel far less guilty slathering it on.

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Mama Mio lucky legs cooling gel

best pregnancy-safe skincare
  • Best: Budget buy
  • Product size: 125ml
  • Benefits: Cooling gel that helps with reducing swelling and chafing
  • Why we love it
    • Helps with chaffing and swelling
    • Travel-size

Our go-to for soothing swollen legs and cankles in the summer heat, thanks to its cooling gel feel, which we were grateful was not sticky at all. We found that applying this with a well-deserved massage on our legs and feet really helped reduce swelling at the end of the day, allowing us to wake up feeling a lot more normal and less elephant-like.

The gorgeous peppermint and menthol aromas, and silky aloe vera ingredients instantly make you cooler and refreshed. We also loved rubbing this on our thighs to ease chaffing and used this daily throughout the heatwave. It’s 125ml so pack it in your suitcase or decant into a smaller bottle for hand luggage if you’re travelling abroad – trust us you won’t want to leave this at home.

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Weleda skin food

best pregnancy-safe skincare
  • Best: For dry skin
  • Product size: 30ml
  • Benefits: Intensely moisturising on dry, itchy and red skin
  • Why we love it
    • Suitable on all areas of the skin

Inside this little green tube is an all-purpose skin saviour. Tried-and-treasured since 1926, Skin Food is Weleda’s natural answer to dry, rough patches. The Swiss company hasn’t veered far from its beginnings as a pharmaceutical laboratory and plant garden with its range of field-to-shelf cosmetics. Sitting somewhere between a balm and moisturiser, the texture is thick and heavy, but it feels immediately healing on pregnancy eczema flare-ups.

It combines a rich base of pure plant oils and beeswax with extracts of gentle pansy, calendula and chamomile – and has even been shown to increase moisture by over 17 per cent in 28 days. It’s helped heal angry areas of dry, itchy and red skin – an intensive redeemer that’s nourished and restored a healthy barrier at an affordable price.

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REN Skincare clearcalm clarifying clay cleanser

REN Clearcalm Clarifying Clay Cleanser.jpg
  • Best: For sensitive skin
  • Product size: 150ml
  • Benefits: Non-foaming, smoothing and intensely hydrating
  • Why we love it
    • Helps calm acne, redness and inflammation

When the co-founder’s wife reacted to her staple beauty products in pregnancy and found little “safe skincare” on the shelves, REN Clean Skincare was born. The London-based brand still formulates all products to be suitable for sensitive skin – a maternity magic bullet. Its purifying clay cleanser is among the most gentle and earthy-smelling products we’ve tested with rich kaolin clay, willow bark to minimise pores and mayblossom extract for clear skin.

Ditch the bottles of stripping and drying varieties; this non-foaming alternative instead feels immediately soothing and intensely hydrating. It has a lush creamy consistency and is silky to apply, which is a surprise given it’s still a powerful acne-fighter and can calm pregnancy predicaments like redness and inflammation. And if that isn’t enough, it doubles as a ten-minute mask when needed to mattify and nourish skin without drying it out.

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de Mamiel salvation body oil

de Mamiel Pregnancy Oil.jpg
  • Best: Facial oil
  • Product size: 20ml
  • Benefits: Fast absorbing, restores the skin’s barrier function, and increases collagen and elasticity
  • Why we love it
    • Helps boost collagen and elasticity
  • Take note
    • Expensive

Blended in small batches in Hertfordshire, de Mamiel’s heady collection of potions are designed to treat stressed skin – and prenatal preoccupations can bring plenty. Formulated for pregnancy, this silky facial oil packs in powerful botanicals like borge, calendula and amaranth to help restore the skin’s barrier function, boost collagen and enhance elasticity.

Open the little black box secured with a blue ribbon to find instructions on the bottle inviting a meditative slowing down: “Pause a moment, cup hands… inhale deeply”. Heady (but not overwhelming) scents of frankincense, patchouli, rosehip and rosemary are zen-inducing. It absorbs quickly without an oily or sticky aftermath. It’s a small bottle for the price tag, but if you have the cash, this is a gorgeous aromatherapy pause that brightens hormonal skin.

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Neal’s Yard remedies mothers bath oil 100ml

Neal's Yard Remedies Mothers Bath Oil 100ml.jpg
  • Best: Bath oil
  • Product size: 100ml
  • Benefits: Made with ethically sourced ingredients and a subtle scent
  • Why we love it
    • Planet-friendly
    • Perfect for bath lovers

Arriving in a sapphire blue glass bottle, mothers bath oil from Neal’s Yard feels like it’s selected from an apothecary, a nod to the company’s Covent Garden beginnings. Its products are now handcrafted at an eco-factory in Dorset using organic and ethically sourced essential oils, herbs and botanicals. Plus, the brand even has a whole mother and baby care line with gentle and natural ingredients.

This bath oil indulgently cares for skin: a tablespoon under a warm tap works magic. Hot baths can be drying, but these waters are transformed with healing and vitamin-rich olive, sweet almond and apricot kernel oils. The aroma of bergamot, lavender and ylang-ylang is relaxingly subtle, which is a benefit as potent scents can often overwhelm while pregnant. We emerged dewy, lightly oiled and moisturised without any nasty irritation. We’ll be using this oil long after the baby arrives.

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Aēsop sublime replenishing night masque

Aesop sublime replenishing night masque.png
  • Best: Night masque
  • Product size: 60ml
  • Benefits: Hydrating and fast absorbing
  • Why we love it
    • Great for dry skin
    • A little goes a long way
  • Take note
    • Expensive

This is the secret behind beauty sleep – it’s a rich overnight redeemer enhanced with vitamins B, C, E and F. From beloved Aussie brand Aeēsop, the night masque is light and creamy, woody-scented and soaks in quickly on application. It comes in an amber glass tub, which you have to slip fingers into given there’s no wand. Smoothing it in immediately feels like a gulp of water, providing a supple solution to sleepy, dry skin. In the morning, we woke fresh-faced and glowing – even after a night of drying central heating and dreaded pregnancy insomnia. It’s a pricey little tub, but a small blueberry-sized dollop goes a long way.

  1.  £100 from Aesop.com
Prices may vary
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The Organic Pharmacy cellular protection sunscreen SPF 50

The Organic Pharmacy Cellular Protection Sunscreen SPF 50.jpg
  • Best: Sunscreen
  • Product size: 100ml
  • Benefits: Hydrating, reef-safe and gentle on skin
  • Why we love it
    • Hydrating
    • Shields from the sun
  • Take note
    • Takes a minute to blend in

Homeopathic, organic, natural: the shelves of The Organic Pharmacy are full of impressive formulas. It even stocks an organic line of mother and baby products using delicate ingredients like calendula and chamomile. The British beauty brand was co-founded by pharmacist and homeopath Margo Marrone, who champions the benefit of toxic-free skincare on our general wellbeing.

The brand’s reef-safe, mineral-based cellular protection sunscreen is not only a highly protective broad-spectrum SPF50 to shield against UVA and UVB rays, but it packs in hydrating helpers like shea butter, aloe, marigold and rosehip. It’s so effective it’s clinically proven to increase skin’s moisture by 18 per cent after 28 days of use. The scent is lightly floral and the consistency is thicker than most sunscreens, so it can be a little heavy on very hot days. It rubs in balm-like without oily residue or white cast (a plus for a mineral sunblock), but it takes a minute or two to spread and blend evenly. This is a staple chemical-free SPF for sun-sensitive skin in pregnancy – it’s so gentle, it can even be shared with baby.

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Pai the gemini pomegranate & pumpkin seed 2-step stretch mark system

Pai the gemini pomegranate & pumpkin seed 2-Step stretch mark system.jpg
  • Best: Cream and oil duo
  • Product size: 200ml, 100ml
  • Benefits: Soothing, fast absorbing and fragrance and essential oil-free
  • Why we love it
    • Helps skin stretch
    • Fragrance and essential oil-free

Given that London-based Pai’s ethos is effective organic skincare, it’s no wonder there’s a huge range of maternity-safe products. Its pregnancy perfect skincare collection includes formulas that treat concerns like melasma and are free from ingredients that could be harmful to your baby’s development. Online skincare advisors can even recommend the best products based on trimester.

An easy win for stretch mark prevention is “the gemini”: a hydrating morning cream and omega-rich evening oil duo. These warriors help skin stretch without itching or scarring due to antioxidant-rich ingredients like pomegranate and pumpkin seed oils. They’re fragrance and essential oil-free, instead having a herbaceous, tea-like aroma. Fast and easy to apply, they absorb quickly without sticky leftovers and feel soothing on irritated skin. Both are needed for full benefit, so they’re only sold as a bundle – a potential drawback if you have a preference or use one more quickly. We’ve been lathering these on day and night with no sign of stretch marks; instead, tight skin feels more supple and elastic.

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Bamford botanic nurture balm 60ml

Bamford botanic nurture balm 60ml.jpg
  • Best: Organic balm
  • Product size: 60ml
  • Benefits: Suitable for dry, and allergy and eczema-prone skin
  • Why we love it
    • 100 per cent organic
    • Fine on allergy or eczema-prone skin
  • Take note
    • A little heavy

Launched by the founder of Daylesford Organic Farm in the Cotswolds, Bamford brings conscious living full circle with a gorgeous range of ethical clothing, homeware and natural body care. In addition to a soothing baby skincare range, it also offers serums, cleansers and scrubs with active botanicals and natural ingredients.

Our pregnancy favourite is the botanic nurture balm, a 100 per cent organic healing emollient made in England. It’s free from petrolatum and mineral oils, and so soothing it can even be used on allergy or eczema-prone skin. The white potion arrives in a little glass green jar, packed with omega-rich rosehip oil, shea butter and healing arnica Montana extract. While applying the thick balm, there are subtle, comforting notes of chamomile, lavender and tea tree. It sinks in well, but does leave behind a light buttery layer, so can be too heavy for the face and hands. This is a therapeutic redeemer for dry, sensitive skin.

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Susanne Kaufmann moisturizing mask 50ml

Susanne Kaufmann moisturizing mask 50ml.jpg
  • Best: For soothing and minimising wrinkles
  • Product size: 50ml
  • Benefits: Hydrates, nourishes, calms irritation and reduces wrinkles
  • Why we love it
    • Reduced wrinkles
    • Great for dry skin

This may be a mask, but we’ve been letting the magic happen all night. It can be applied for ten minutes twice a week or “used as an overnight cure”, which we’ve enthusiastically embraced. Susanne Kaufmann products are sustainably made in Austria using locally sourced Alpine flora and fine botanicals. Packed into this glass jar are delicate but powerful ingredients like beeswax, antioxidant-rich hazel seed oil, calming pansy extract and moisturising hyaluronic acid. A wand is available to lather on the velvety emollient, which gives an immediate hydrating kick.

Its nourishing effects are amplified come morning: we wake with baby soft skin, soothed irritations and minimised wrinkles. This is a drink for thirsty skin, which will thank you with plump, dewy, luminous results – especially when used as a potent night cream.

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La Roche-Posay toleriane sensitive creme

La Roche-Posay toleriane sensitive Creme.jpg
  • Best: Lightweight cream
  • Product size: 40ml
  • Benefits: Hydrates and reducing irritation, tightness and itching
  • Why we love it
    • Suitable for allergic, sensitive and redness-prone skin
    • Great for dry skin

Accessible dermatological skincare from La Roche-Posay includes ranges tailored to allergic, sensitive and redness-prone skin, with many products gentle enough for babies. This delicate moisturiser in a small on-the-go tube suits all of the above, providing immediate hydration to dry areas while reducing irritation, tightness and itching after only a few days’ use.

Fragrance and alcohol-free, a prebiotic formulation using thermal water helps rebalance the skin’s microbiome. It has a lightweight consistency, absorbing slick and quick without any greasy or sticky residue, which is a huge bonus for such a rich, anti-inflammatory cream. This easy daily moisturiser is one of the few wonder products that seem to have near-immediate healing properties – a one-stop-shop solution to soothe sensitive skin.

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Wild Science Lab juice boost brightening serum

Wild Science Lab JUICE BOOST brightening serum.jpg
  • Best: Hydrating serum
  • Product size: 50ml
  • Benefits: Soaks in quickly and targets breakouts, fatigue, hyperpigmentation and fine lines
  • Why we love it
    • Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
    • Energising

Wild Science Lab hit the bodycare scene following the co-founder’s struggle with pregnancy-related hair loss. In addition to a CBD-enriched hair range, the British company also has a collection of natural, botanical skin products. Packaging is memorable, with bundles arriving in colourful, reusable pull-tie bags and pastel pink and green containers.

Infused with vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, moisturising betaine and organic aloe vera, this superhero serum gives a serious hydration boost with just 2-3 drops. It’s a tiny soldier, fighting against skin stressors that cause breakouts, fatigue and hyperpigmentation. We’ve noticed fine lines slowly fading after a few weeks, plus a more even and luminous skin tone and texture. It soaks in quickly, while a blend of six essential oils including grapefruit, orange and clementine give it an energising scent reminiscent of Italian lemon groves.

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Esse hydro moisturiser

Esse hydro moisturiser.jpg
  • Best: Rebalancing face cream
  • Product size: 1.7oz
  • Benefits: Reduces reduced redness, irritation and fine lines
  • Why we love it
    • Reduces fine lines and irritation
    • 99 per cent natural

Our gut microbiome has had a lot of buzz recently, but our skin’s immune system needs TLC, too. This formula by South Africa-based organic and probiotic skin science brand Esse feeds the beneficial microbes that live on our skin to improve moisture retention, slow long term ageing and promote a healthy barrier. The moisturiser is an ideal pregnancy purchase – it’s 99 per cent natural, 78 per cent organic and has a whip-light texture of aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, probiotic extracts and prebiotic nutrients, including inulin.

This is a great option to rebalance skin that has been accustomed to harsh products. After evening cleansing, a pea-sized dollop has been plenty to infuse skin with plump hydration. Plus, it has a dreamy botanical vanilla scent. After a few weeks, it’s reduced redness, irritation and fine lines.

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Kiehl’s calendula herbal-extract toner

Kiehl's Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner.JPG
  • Best: Toner
  • Product size: 250ml
  • Benefits: Made with natural and hydrating ingredients to gently remove dirt and oil
  • Why we love it
    • Great for redness
    • Helps to hydrate

No astringent properties are allowed in this golden bottle. This alcohol-free toner has been a Kiehl’s staple since the 1960s and remains a pregnancy-safe, soothing way to cleanse sensitive skin of dirt and oil. Kiehl’s opened up shop as a homoeopathic pharmacy in New York City’s East Village back in 1851, and though the company has skyrocketed since, many of its products are still made with natural ingredients. You can even see them in this one: the toner is floating with calendula petals. It’s also formulated with comforting allantoin and great burdock root, which helps to reduce oil.

Though it’s for combination to oily skin, we found it was refreshing even on dry skin and great for those stubborn redness-prone patches that can crop up in pregnancy. With subtle herbal tea aromas, it is as gentle as it smells, leaving the face well-cleansed, hydrated and soft.

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The verdict: Pregnancy skincare

We were very pleased with the cooling and calming effect of the Secret Saviours the brief kit, which has also proved to be effective at helping our tester to avoid stretch marks. Weleda’s skin food moisturiser is still a great option due to its safe, soothing and natural healing properties at less than a tenner, as is the clearcalm clarifying clay cleanser by REN for it’s hardworking yet calming formula. If you have pounds to spare, treat yourself to the heady de Mamiel pregnancy oil – we love it due to its skin repairing properties and transcending aromas.

For more pregnancy saviours, read our round-up of the 11 best pregnancy pillows that provide support and help ease back pain

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