Q&A: Do You Really Need to Stop Using Retinol During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Newborn, Parent, Homebirth, Vbac, Kids & Family, Doula, Firsttimemom, Midwife, Pregnancy, Doctor, Parenting, Pregnant, Vanessamerten, Physician, Csection, Prenatalcare, Breastfeeding, Naturalbirth, Nursing, Birthcenter, Family, Baby, Hospitalbirth, Health, Obgyn, Research, Trimester, Expecting, Labor, Mom, Diet, Dad, Birth

4.5 • 948 Ratings

🗓️ 30 July 2025

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Retinol is a vitamin A compound and one of the most effective ingredients in skincare. But with powerful results come potential side effects, especially during pregnancy. In this episode, we dive into the science behind retinoids, how they work, and why some forms may be risky if you are expecting. We break down the differences between oral and topical vitamin A compounds, review what the research and medical guidelines say, and explore how to weigh the benefits and risks for your skin and your baby. Plus, we cover safe and effective alternatives for both acne and anti-aging, and how to talk to your doctor or midwife about your skincare routine.

Thank you to our sponsor

Zahler goes above and beyond to use high-quality bioavailable ingredients like the active form of folate, bioavailable iron, and omega 3s. The Zahler Prenatal +DHA is my #1 recommendation for a high-quality prenatal vitamin. In July 2025, save 40% off the Zahler Prenatal +DHA on Amazon with the code PREPOD40. You can always see the details and the current promo code for the Zahler prenatal vitamin at PregnancyPodcast.com/vitamin.

Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.

Join Pregnancy Podcast Premium to access the entire back catalog, listen to all episodes ad-free, get a copy of the Your Birth Plan Book, and more.

Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.

For more evidence-based information, visit the Pregnancy Podcast website.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Martin.
0:10.9	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast. In today's episode, we're talking about
0:18.4	whether you really need to stop using retinol during pregnancy.
0:23.6	Retinol is a vitamin A compound, and it's one of the most effective ingredients in skin care.
0:30.4	But with powerful results, come potential side effects, especially during pregnancy.
0:37.0	In this episode, I will dive into the science behind how
0:40.6	retinodes work, why some forms of them may be risky if you're expecting. We will break down the
0:47.5	differences between oral and topical vitamin A compounds and take a look at what the medical guidelines say.
0:55.5	Plus, we'll explore how to weigh the risks and the benefits for your skin and your baby.
1:01.9	Lastly, I will cover some safe and effective alternatives, both for acne and anti-aging.
1:09.0	You can find the complete article and all of the resources for this episode
1:13.8	at Pregnancy Podcast.com slash retinol. You're currently listening to the public feed of the podcast,
1:23.3	which gives you access to the last year of episodes.
1:30.6	Become a pregnancy podcast premium member.
1:37.3	You will get every single episode ad free, including hundreds of episodes exclusively available to premium members.
1:39.9	No matter what questions you have or what topics you're looking for more information on,
1:44.8	there's an episode of the Pregnancy Podcast that covers it.
1:49.4	Check out Pregnancy Podcast Premium at Pregnancypodcast.com slash premium.
1:57.6	The Zaller Prenatal Plus DHA is my number one recommendation for a high-quality prenatal vitamin.
2:05.7	Right now, you can save 40% off on Amazon with the code pre-pod 40,
2:11.4	and you can always see the details and the current promo code for the Zoller prenatal at Pregnancy Podcast.com
2:20.3	slash vitamin. Zoller uses high quality ingredients. Rather than using folic acid, which is what
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 9 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vanessa Merten, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vanessa Merten and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.