Dermatologists and Their Best Advice for Skincare While Pregnant

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"They have to avoid salicylic acid and any retinoids.
It's very important to use a broad spectrum sunscreen to avoid melasma the mask of pregnancy."
Debra Jaliman, MD is a board certified dermatologist with a private practice in New York City.


"I always recommend that our pregnant patients check with their OB with regard to any product that they use. This is because everything you apply or come into contact with may affect not only you but your baby. During pregnancy it is always wise to avoid products that contain retinoids or salicylic acids."
Avery Kuflik, MD is a board certified dermatologist with a private practice in New Jersey.


"Pregnancy is a time when special care should be taken to keep the skin healthy. While most commonly used products are completely safe, there is handful of ingredients considered harmful to a growing baby. Some of those include Retinoids and Salicylic Acid."
James C. Marotta, MD is a double board certified ENT and Plastic Surgeon who practices in Long Island.


"Your skin care routine is likely to change when you are pregnant. Since hormones are changing during pregnancy, you can develop skin issues that you never had before. Some women tend to break out more and get oily skin when pregnant. You should start to use a mild cleanser and keep your skin moisturized so it will not get dried out.


"You should avoid any products with salicylic acid and retinoid when you are pregnant. High forms of salicylic acid has been known to cause birth defects, in small doses it can be okay but it is probably best to just avoid it while you are pregnant. Always check with your OB/GYN before starting any new products."
David E. Bank, MD from The Center for Dermatology in Mt. Kisco, NY


"Stick to the basics-a gentle cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen; stop all products with retinols, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or hydroquinone unless directed by a doctor."
Rahat Azfar, MD of Vanguard Dermatology in New York City.


Check out more information on skincare in pregnancy:
• Skin care ingredients that should be avoided during pregnancy
• Skin care routine adjustments for pregnancy
• My criteria for pregnancy safe skincare

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Bumpy Arms? Experts Give Their Favorite Tips For Keratosis Pilaris

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Do you have white or red bumps on your arms that just will. not. go. away? Sometimes these areas also appear on the upper legs, or even on the face. They feel rough, a bit like sandpaper, and if they're red they're especially noticeable. You've probably tried all sorts of lotions and creams on them, and they just... sit there. Looking bumpy.

Those bumps are Keratosis Pilaris, basically your hair follicles have a bunch of built up proteins that are really stuck together. We're not really sure what causes it, but the good news is that it will often go away by your early 30's.

What can you do about it?

A lot of things! Primarily, you need to exfoliate the area to get rid of the plugs. Using special moisturizers to help penetrate into the bumps will help as well. If things are really bad you can even go the laser therapy or Retinoid route, though I'd recommend the help of a physician for those steps. Personally, I do great with a little extra exfoliation (with my Beautisol Hammam Mitt) and AmLactin Lotion.

Read on to see what some of my favorite doctors had to say!


Avery Kuflik, MD is a board certified dermatologist with a private practice in New Jersey.
Keratosis Pilaris is a skin condition that affects many people. While there is no cure, fortunately there are ways to keep your skin healthy. Wash with gentle cleansers in a warm/tepid shower and apply moisturizers. For better absorption, it is best to apply moisturizers to the skin while it is still damp. Light exfoliation may help but scrubbing is not recommended as it can make the condition worse. We like to use an exfoliant with a Salicylic or Glycolic Acid cleanser or moisturizer like the Glytone KP kit.


James C. Marotta, MD is a double board certified ENT and Plastic Surgeon who practices in Long Island.
No single treatment universally improves Keratosis Pilaris. Most options, including self-care measures and medicated creams, focus on softening the keratin deposits in the skin. 3 treatment options include:

Topical Exfoliants: Medicated creams containing alpha-hydroxy acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid or urea moisturize and soften dry skin while helping to loosen and remove dead skin cells. Depending on their strength, certain creams are available over-the-counter and others require a prescription; the best option can be decided by your doctor.

Topical Retinoids: Derived from vitamin A, retinoids work by promoting cell turnover and preventing the plugging of the hair follicle. Retinoids may be an effective treatment, but they can cause bothersome skin irritations, such as severe dryness, redness and peeling.

Laser Therapy: Certain types of Keratosis Pilaris involving severe redness and inflammation have been successfully treated with laser therapy. Laser treatment involves passing intense bursts of light into targeted areas of skin. This type of treatment may require repeat sessions over the course of a few months, depending on your response.


Debra Jaliman, MD is a board certified dermatologist with a private practice in New York City.
Use a Clarisonic to exfoliate the dead skin. The great thing about this is they have different brushes for different skin types. You can also use an over the counter AmLactin cream or lotion it contains lactic acid to breakdown the bumps.

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Should You Use Preparation H On Your Face?

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I think this may have been the first "big" beauty secret to be revealed by makeup artists. Preparation H on your puffy eyes to shrink the bags. It was used in pagents, on the red carpet and of course on the runways. And soon it was being used by pretty much everyone at the local mall and grocery store as well, despite warnings from skin care experts!



Directly from the Preparation H website, you can see that they don't recommend use for anything other than what is on the label (they actually aren't allowed to recommend or promote any off label use per the FDA). And Preparation H is only labelled for use as a hemorrhoid cream.



The main issue with using Preparation H on your face is that main ingredient, Phenylephrine. You might recognize the name because it is also found in common over the counter medications like decongestants, and decongestant nasal sprays.

Physicians use it because it is an alpha agonist, meaning it works through a receptor on a blood vessel to make the blood vessel constrict. So, we use it when blood vessels are too dilated to shrink them. Ophthalmologists use it for glaucoma, I use it in my ICU for low blood pressure (it is typically a 3rd or 4th line agent) and it is the medication that is used for that 4 hour situation you may have heard about in ads for a little blue pill.

While applying Phenylephrine will constrict the blood vessels in the bags under your eyes, it isn't the only issue causing those bags. Usually there's quite a bit of extra fluid (aka-swelling) in the small fat pad there. So, it's only a partial solution. Long term use of the Phenylephrine can up-regulate the opposing beta receptors, making the Phenylephrine less effective. As well, if you suddenly stop using it you can actually see a rebound swelling. This is often seen when people overuse nasal decongestants for longer than is recommended.

I haven't even gotten into the side effects of the 1% Hydrocortisone that is in most of the Preparation H formulations (skin thinning, steroid acne, absorption into your body messing with your body's cortisol responses) or the moisturizing ingredients that aren't formulated for use in the delicate undereye area. While Preparation H is great for its intended use, as a hemorrhoid cream, it isn't good for the undereye area!


I asked a few of my favorite skin care experts for their take on Preparation H, here's what they had to say:

Ellen Lange is an esthetician and founder of Ellen Lange Skin Science
Preparation H is made with phenylephrine, which is a vasoconstrictor and only temporarily tightens skin. This can be irritating and will not provide the long tern results you are probably looking for.


Debra Jaliman, MD is a board certified dermatologist with a private practice in New York City.
Some use to reduce swelling. As an alternative you can use an eye cream with caffeine, gel packs or an anti-histamine.

Avery Kuflik, MD is a board certified dermatologist with a private practice in New Jersey.
Repeated use of Preparation H can possibly lead to an allergy, eczema, and thinning of the skin around the eye area. There are many clinically tested products on the market to help rejuvenate the eye area.

James C. Marotta, MD is a double board certified ENT and Plastic Surgeon who practices in Long Island.
In theory, Preparation H may seem to work, temporarily. It restricts the blood vessels, which could get rid of the redness for awhile, and contains 1% hydrocortisone, an anti-inflammatory that might temporarily reduce puffiness in theory.

However, it's very risky to apply Preparation H on your eye area because if you accidentally get some in your eye, the other ingredients can cause serious damage, and puffiness will be the least of your concerns. Also, prolonged use of topical steroids like this has been shown to cause skin thinning, increased skin fragility, enlarged blood vessels, and can even result in problems with your adrenal gland, causing your eyes to look worse over time.

The best way to deal with puffy eyes is to treat the root of the cause – by getting enough sleep and staying hydrated. Additionally, look for under eye creams that have “firming” or “lifting” properties that can tighten skin.

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