10 Best Natural and Organic Pregnancy Products (Non-Toxic)
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Now that you are taking care of two people, it is more important than ever to ensure you are using safe and non-toxic products throughout your pregnancy. If you are unsure as to what pregnancy products are safe to use while pregnant, no worries… that is where this list of organic pregnancy products comes in.
Because there are many harmful ingredients that lurk in our everyday products, it is important that we make a conscious choice to choose safer options.
Keep in mind, that reducing your exposure to toxic chemicals you will thereby reduce your baby’s exposure.
Why Opt for Organic Pregnancy Products?
Care products in the market today are saturated with harmful chemicals and ingredients. In fact, personal care products are largely unregulated. The FDA does not even require safety testing of ingredients in personal care products before they are used. (Source)
Because of that, it is imperative we do our due diligence when it comes to buying and using care products, especially during pregnancy.
Some of the most common ingredients found on everyday care products that have been found to be harmful to the body include:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Fragrance
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Triclosan
- BTH
- Coal Tar Dye
- Aluminum
- Flouride
- Talc
- Formaldehyde
You can find a full list, along with the reasons for concerns, in EWG’s “Shop by List Ingredients” section.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an American, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
With all of that said, I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed with information overload. In this article, I will share with you some great organic pregnancy products you can consider making the switch to, and companies that make it easier to shop for organic and non-toxic products even after pregnancy—especially if you are opting to breastfeed.
Let’s get started…
10 Great Organic Pregnancy Products
1. Organic Prenatal Vitamins
Although not a care product per se, Prenatal Vitamins are a crucial aspect of a healthy pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins provide you with fundamental vitamins and minerals that assist in a healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby. However, a new study concluded that several prenatal supplements are contaminated with toxic elements to levels that exceed accepted standards.
Opting for organic prenatal vitamins will ensure you are consuming ingredients that are good for you and baby.
A great and popular option is Actif Organic Prenatal Vitamins
It is comprised of 25+ organic vitamins including folic acid (methyl folate), choline, iron, calcium, DHA, EPA, and probiotics.
As per the manufacturer, this is the only product with 100% organic-sourced, allergen-free, non-GMO vitamins. They are also gluten-free, BPA-free, and made with 100% vegetable food coloring. They are made in the U.S and as of this writing, they offer FREE shipping.
You can purchase it directly from Amazon, here.
2. Aluminum-free Deodorant
One care product we all use on a daily basis is deodorant. Like most of the other care products found in stores today, they contain ingredients that pose potential threats to our health.
Some of the ingredients to avoid in deodorants include aluminum, triclosan, phthalates, parabens, fragrance, and diethanolamine.
Natural and “clean” deodorants could be tricky to get used to. Because they don’t contain the icky stuff that commercial deodorants do, it might take a bit of trial and error until you find one that your body assimilated well and conceals your body odor.
In my own quest for natural deodorants, I have tried quite a few of them over the last few months. I’ve tested them periodically while assessing my body’s (and my husband’s) reaction to the change of ingredients.
Native deodorant has been one of our favorites so far. It is for women and men, and they are aluminum-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalates-free, and talc-free. They are also vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free.
3. Organic Skincare
Hormone changes during pregnancy can cause all sorts of skin issues including stretch marks, acne, and dry and itchy skin.
Although it is important to take care of your skin during pregnancy, it is just as important to ensure that the ingredients in your skincare products are safe for your baby.
Experts agree that skincare product ingredients such as retinoids (vitamin A derivatives, such as Retin-A or Renova), hydroquinone, as well as salicylates, including products containing salicylic acid (also known as beta-hydroxy acid) can cause potential harm to your developing baby.
Besides avoiding harmful chemicals, opting for products that contain natural and organic ingredients is another way to ensure you are using the best products for you and your baby’s health.
Here are some great organic pregnancy product options…
Belly Butter
Belly butter is very popular in the pregnancy world, and although there are plenty to chose from, they are not all created equal.
One of the best and safest products in the market today is Earth’s Mama Belly Butter. This moisturizing pregnancy lotion contains organic herbs and oils traditionally used to help ease the appearance of emerging stretch marks. The Earth Mama Belly Butter is made with no petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, or artificial fragrance.
Butter Oil
Another option is the Pregnancy Belly Oil also by Earth Mama Organics. If you rather use a soothing oil versus a belly butter, then this organic pregnancy product is the next best thing.
The Earth Mama’s Belly Oil is made with nourishing organic calendula, organic jojoba oil, organic borage oil, and orange blossom pure essential oil. Combined, they help ease the appearance of emerging stretch marks. Contains no petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, or artificial fragrance.
Moisturizer
The Puracy Organic Hand and body lotion is a great option. As per the manufacturer, it is free of silicones, parabens, dyes, fragrances, phthalates, formaldehyde, PEG, petrochemicals, animal by-products, or harsh chemicals.
The Puracy Organic Hand and Body lotion is made with nut-based ingredients and it is made in the U.S.
4. Natural Sunscreen
Another important pregnancy product you should consider looking into its ingredients before buying is sunscreen lotions. Experts suggest looking for ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide on the label rather than chemicals like oxybenzone, avobenzone, or octinoxate.
Once again, Earth Mama Organics comes in as a top contender when choosing a natural and non-toxic sunscreen lotion.
The first option is the Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 40. As per the manufacturer, it is made with organic red raspberry seed oil, with the highest SPF value of all the plants on the planet and infused with the highly moisturizing and reparative organic argan oil. The combination of both of those ingredients is perfect skin during pregnancy.
The Earth Mama Mineral Sunscreen Lotion is oxybenzone-free or octinoxate-free, free of artificial fragrance, and free of nanoparticles and paraben—chemicals that are potentially harmful to people and the planet.
Another great and convenient option, also from Earth Mama Organics, is their Lady Face™ Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick SPF 40. With its “no-mess, no stress” application is a super convenient pregnancy product to carry around with you when you are out and about.
Besides their list of natural and non-toxic ingredients, the Lady Face Mineral Sunscreen Stick blends easily into a long-lasting, dewy “no-makeup” look. It can target blemishes as a concealer, and is buildable as a foundation, evening out skin tone.
5. Natural Makeup
One of the most important things we should consider when switching to organic and natural pregnancy products is looking into our makeup. In fact, not only should we consider opting for clean and natural beauty products during pregnancy, but thereafter.
As EWG (the Environmental Working Groups) explains, “…no category of consumer products is subject to less government oversight than cosmetics and other personal care products. Although many of the chemicals and contaminants in cosmetics and personal care products likely pose little risk, exposure to some has been linked to serious health problems, including cancer. Since 2009, 595 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using 88 chemicals, in more than 73,000 products, that have been linked to cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. Many of these chemicals should be banned from cosmetics, as proposed in California Assembly Bill 2762, the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act.”
As per EWG’s article, among the toxic chemicals that should be banned are:
- Formaldehyde (a known carcinogen)
- Paraformaldehyde (a type of formaldehyde)
- Methylene glycol (a type of formaldehyde)
- Quaternium 15 (which releases formaldehyde)
- Mercury, which can damage the kidneys and nervous system
- Dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalates (hormone disruptor and damage the reproductive system)
- Isobutyl and isopropyl parabens (hormone disruptors and harm the reproductive system)
- The long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer
- M- and o-phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, which irritate and sensitize the skin, damage DNA, and can cause cancer.
As a nurse and a mom, these findings were extremely alarming to me! I wish I had known about this before I got pregnant with my children, but for me, it happened shortly after.
A few short years ago I started to deep-dive into the products my family and I were using on a regular basis. After a simple analysis, it was obvious that the traditional products we had used all along weren’t the best option for our health and well-being.
With the help of EWG’s Skin Deep® I was able to ditch all of the harmful products we own and find safer products for the entire family. Everything from natural baby products, non-toxic bath toys, natural cleaning products, and natural/non-toxic postpartum products.
As for the makeup I owned, more than 80% ended up in the trash can. Yup! You read that correctly— more than 80%!
I then proceeded to start building up my inventory by purchasing makeup products that we safe, natural, and effective. After much research, I opted for Beautycounter!
BEAUTYCOUNTER
Beautycounter is a mom-founded company that has been making waves by pushing the FDA to enact stricter rules about what is allowed into cosmetic products in the U.S.
They put together the Never List™ which consists up of more than 1,800 questionable or harmful chemicals which they never use as ingredients in their products. The list includes over 1,400 chemicals banned or restricted in personal care products by the European Union, plus additional chemicals screened by Beautycounter and found to be of concern.
Additionally, Beautycounter is EWG VERIFIED™. EWG VERIFIED™ means that it recognizes products that meet EWG’s strictest standards for our health and use none of EWG’s chemicals of concern. The EWG VERIFIED™ green seal means full transparency by the product and/or company about the ingredients they use and their safety.
I cannot rave enough about the quality and effectiveness of Beautycounter products, and when you get to try on your first products you will see why.
Not only will you be using top of the lines makeup products, but you will have the peace of mind that everything that is coming in contact with your body is safe and in some instances even beneficial.
You can start with the Flawless in Five bundle, which will allow you to own makeup staples such as, foundation, concealer pen, mascara, blush, and lipgloss.
6. Non-Toxic Shampoo
Another way to incorporate safer pregnancy products to your list is to swap your shampoo for safer ones.
Like most of the other care products previously discussed, shampoos are also known to contain harmful ingredients, to yourself and the environment. Some of those ingredients include:
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
- Parabens
- Formaldehyde
- Triclosan
- Retinyl Palmate
A great natural and non-toxic shampoo option is the ATTITUDE Super Leaves Shampoo. It is definitely a personal favorite!
As per the manufacturer, it is loaded with antioxidants, grapeseed oil, and olive leaf extract. It is made to help nourish and strengthen dry and damaged hair leaving them soft and smooth.
Better yet, it is paraben-free, sodium laureth Sulfate (SLES)-free, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-free, silicone-free, PEG-free, and formaldehyde-free. Plus, the ATTITUDE Super Leaves Shampoo is EWG VERIFIED mark for the safest ingredients so you can wash your hair with peace of mind!
7. Organic Body Wash
Another great organic pregnancy product to consider is the Morning Wellness Castile Body Wash, from—you guessed it— Earth Mama Organics!
It was formulated especially for pregnancy with ginger, lime, and grapefruit, avoiding the many heavy scents that can make you more nauseous, especially if you have occasional morning sickness.
Like all of Earth Mama’s products, the Morning Wellness Castille Body Wash is also free of synthetic fragrance, preservatives, triclosan, and sulfates.
FAVORITE NATURAL AND ORGANIC PREGNANCY COMPANY
It is not a secret that opting for companies that produce and sell natural and organic products is the best way to go. One of the best natural pregnancy companies is the market to day is Earth Mama Organics.
Earth Mama Organics
Earth Mama Organic was founded in 2002 by a mom, nurse, and herbalist, Melinda Olson. Her mission? To educate people about our innate ability to combat everyday toxicity, thus giving us the opportunity to live long and healthy lives, by avoiding avoiding harming ourselves — and the earth— in the process.
Their products are currently trusted and used by doctors, midwives, neonatal intensive care units, lactation consultants and mamas worldwide— including me. Certifications you might on their labels include:
- USDA Organic: granted to products grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives.
- OTCO: Oregon Tilth Certified Organic
- NFS: is an accredited, independent third-party certification body that tests and certifies products to verify they meet these public health and safety standards.
- NON-GMO: Product does not contain genetically modified material
- EWG (Environmental Working Group) Verified: recognizes products that meet EWG’s strictest standards for your health. This means none of EWG’s chemicals of concern.
Earth Mama Organics, not only offers a great variety of organic pregnancy products, but also offers a great variety of organic and non-toxic products for breastfeeding mamas, babies, and toddlers as well.
They also offer FREE shipping for all U.S order over $49!
U.S orders below $49 ship at a $5.95 flat rate, and all non-continental U.S orders ship at a $9.95 flat rate.
Here is a summarized list of all of the Earth Mama’s organic/non-toxic pregnancy products mentioned in this list in case you are interested:
- Belly Butter
- Belly Oil
- Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
- Lady Face™ Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick
- Morning Wellness Castile Body Wash
★Related Articles:
- The Ultimate Organic Baby Nursery Checklist (Non-Toxic Nursery Furniture)
- 15 Best Non-Toxic Cribs and Mattresses (GREENGUARD Gold Certified)
- The Best Natural Baby Products List 2020 (Skin Care, Bath, Diaper Care)
- The Ultimate DIY Postpartum Care Kit (All-Natural and Non-Toxic)
- 5 Best Sunscreen Lotions for Kids (Non-Toxic and EWG Rated)
- 10 Great Non-Toxic Bath Toys for Babies and Toddlers
In Summary
Chemicals and toxins lurk in our everyday products. It is a good idea to do an inventory of the products that we use often and their ingredients.
Not only it is important to do so during pregnancy, but while breastfeeding and thereafter. Avoiding harmful ingredients is a great way to create a healthier environment for the entire family.
Two of my favorite natural and non-toxic companies are Earth Mama Organics (for pregnancy and baby products) and Beautycounter (for makeup products). Both companies are EWG Verified and are leading the fight for healthier and safer products for ourselves and the planet.
What organic pregnancy products do you use and love?
Don’t forget to pin doe later…