When I first became pregnant with Maddie I remember heading to the bookstore and stocking up on all the pregnancy books.

It was in one such book, I believe it was Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Mama, where some of my crazy pregnancy anxieties began. Now, in general this book, along with all the others I bought that day, was insightful; and gave some good advice. But it also introduced me to a host of things that I should avoid that I had never really thought about before. And it sent me into a bit of a tizzy.

Some suggestions were extreme- I remember she suggested unplugging routers at night to avoid WiFi exposure; I only toiled with this one for a few hours before deciding to stay plugged in- but others were pretty grounded.

It was here, in this book, where I first laid eyes on the terms phlalate and paraban. And while I was- and still am- pretty unclear as to what exactly they were, I knew I wanted nothing to do with them. And I became obsessed with making sure my products were free of them and any other toxic chemicals. I then spent the better part of my pregnancy trying to find pregnancy-safe beauty products that were free of these, and other toxins.

But the problem was, for me- that there wasn’t that much information or inventory out there in terms of “clean beauty.” I would scour ingredients before becoming entirely frustrated and giving up all together. And the products I did find? They just didn’t do it for me- they just didn’t feel as rich or luxurious as the products I had loved pre-pregnancy.

But thankfully, over the past few years, there’s been such a focus on, and influx, of non-toxic, cruelty-free beauty products- with so many cleaner options available, without sacrificing quality. And even better- so many of these products clearly state what they are and are not on their labels.

When not pregnant, I try to stick with these cleaner options- Drunken Elephant has been my go-to for the past year or so- so I didn’t have to switch too many of my products up when I found out we were expecting. But I did make a few tweaks. And had to grab a few to meet the needs of my now pregnant skin.

Here are four products I’ve been loving lately:

The Deodorant

Serendipitously, I actually made the switch to Agent Nateur’s vegan holi{stick} sensitive deodorant the month before we found out I was pregnant. I had been wanting to try a non-toxic deodorant for some time, and I came across this one while perusing the shop at Inner Light before an infrared session. I always love the holistic goodies that owner, Kelly, stocks the shelves with, so I thought I’d give this one I try. It works as well as my former brand did, but without the stress of what chemicals could be lurking inside.

The Sleeping Mask

The combination of winter weather and pregnancy hormones left my lips dryer than ever the past few months. I had heard rave reviews about this Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask but still hadn’t gotten around to trying it myself. When I found out it was free of both phlalates and parabans I picked up a jar for myself, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

The Belly Oil

My love affair with all things Hatch started when I was pregnant with Madeline. I lived in their basics for most of that pregnancy; and I continue to do so this time around. They launched their beauty line somewhere between Maddie’s arrival and baby number two, and I’m so happy I get to indulge in all they have to offer. I am obsessed with their Hatch Belly Oil. It goes on like silk, without leaving any oily residue; and its free of parabens, phthalates, dyes, and fragrance. I use it daily on the bump, and add a drop or two to the arms and legs for good measure.

The Dry Shampoo

I never used dry shampoo until I became a mom. And then I became addicted. So when I reached for my go-to dry shampoo spray after finding out I was pregnant a few weeks ago, I knew I had to find a cleaner option for the next nine months. I had read up a little on the risks of aerosol sprays my first pregnancy, and it was scary enough for me to ditch hairspray all together that time around. And while I haven’t had any recent urges to use any hair spray, I just couldn’t go cold turkey on my dry shampoo. This organic, non toxic option from Primally Pure solved all my dirty-haired problems- their Texturizing Dry Shampoo is 100% natural, works like a charm and smells so so good.

As always, consult your doctor or healthcare provider and ask what products they recommend when pregnant before use.

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photos by Julia Dags