I am just into my 2nd trimester and generally avoid all chemical products throughout my pregnancies. But...I am going to a destination wedding this weekend and will be exposing my ghostly white arms and legs in the dress I am planning to wear (the dress is black, too, which doesn't help!). I have never really looked into it, but is there a self-tanner that is safe to use while pregnant? I am thinking maybe Lancome or Clarins?
No self tanners are safe from what my dr says and other's dr's as well. Not even the spray tan is safe. People should understand and if they don't... Who cares, your healthy pregnancy is more important than tan legs.
Check out http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com to see if there is a low hazard one to use.
From what I've read, tanning lotions are not safe, but spray tanning is safe. I would call and ask your OB's opinion.
I soooo know how you feel! I hate being pasty and ran into a similar issue while pregnant. Sadly, I was told not to use self tanners by my OB. While there's no proof that these lotions are harmful while pregnant, there's no proof that they are NOT harmful. So basically they just don't know yet. There haven't been enough studies done on pregnant women to find out.
As for the lotion vs the spray tan, I've actually read the opposite. Lotions "might" be safe while pregnant but the spray tan definitely isn't. The lotions stay on your skin and you will probably absorb whatever chemicals they contain. However, the companies that make the self tanners claim that your body won't absorb the active ingredients from the lotions (umm...what about the inactive ingredients?). They say that the chemicals remain on the top layer of your skin but do not get into the bloodstream, which is why they feel it's safe for pregnant women to use self tanners (regardless of the lack of tests). With the spray tan, not only are you applying all those chemicals to your skin but you're also breathing them in. While an argument can be made for the lotions and their active ingredients not getting into your body/bloodstream, the same can't be said about breathing in the spray tan.
The website that TO recommended (www.cosmeticdatabase.com) is excellent for helping you figure out which brands are safe and which are toxic (for all skin care products). Unforunately, I never found a self tanner that wasn't loaded with chemicals. I did come across several brands claimed to be all natural and "organic" but when I looked them up on cosmeticdatabase.com I found out that they were just as toxic as the regular brands.
Figures!
I hope you find a solution to your tanning dilemma! Good luck and have fun at the wedding :)
