PCOS skincare during pregnancy: what the sources say

Is there skin care advice for PCOS in pregnancy?

No body we found has written skin care advice for PCOS and pregnancy together, or says if PCOS acne or hair changes in pregnancy.

So this page puts two sets of pages side by side. One set is about skin care in pregnancy. It comes from the AAD, the American dermatologists’ academy, and ACOG, the American college of obstetricians. The other set is about PCOS.

ACOG says high androgen levels cause the unwanted hair growth and acne seen in many women with PCOS. It says unwanted hair on the face or body affects more than 7 in 10 women with PCOS.

The NHS now calls PCOS polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. It lists oily skin and acne among the symptoms.

NICHD is part of the US National Institutes of Health. It says women with PCOS are at higher risk for certain problems in pregnancy. Its page is about pregnancy care, not skin care.

For PCOS skin outside pregnancy, our PCOS skincare guide reads what is published on each skin sign.

Which acne and hair medicines do pregnancy pages say not to use?

Spironolactone, retinoids and hormone blocking acne medicines are on pregnancy lists of what not to use.

ACOG says medicines that block certain hormones are used for acne. Their use in pregnancy is not recommended, because of the risk of birth defects. It also lists retinoids put on the skin as medicines not to use. Retinoids are a form of vitamin A.

The AAD lists isotretinoin, tazarotene and spironolactone among acne medicines to never take in pregnancy. It says most experts recommend stopping adapalene (sold as Differin) in pregnancy too.

Two bodies word the risk of spironolactone differently. The AAD says spironolactone and the other medicines on its list can cause serious birth defects. MotherToBaby says it is not known if spironolactone can increase the chance of birth defects.

It adds that product labels differ. One label says not to use spironolactone in pregnancy. Others suggest using it if the benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Tretinoin is a retinoid sold as Retin-A. MotherToBaby says a small amount may be absorbed through the skin. So the safest approach may be to avoid it in pregnancy, it says.

If you use a treatment for thinning hair, our post on minoxidil in pregnancy reads what each body says.

What can you use on acne and unwanted hair in pregnancy?

ACOG lists four acne ingredients you can buy without a prescription that can be used during pregnancy: benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, salicylic acid and glycolic acid.

That list is for pregnancy in general. The AAD says azelaic acid is thought to be safe in pregnancy.

On two others, it adds limits. Its acne page says benzoyl peroxide is safe in limited amounts. It says salicylic acid is generally considered safe when used for a limited time.

Its pregnancy skin care page lists benzoyl peroxide among ingredients to limit. It lists salicylic acid there too, at more than 2%. ACOG’s list gives no limit. For anything not on that list, it says to contact your ob-gyn.

Our post on salicylic acid in pregnancy sets the two bodies’ words side by side. The AAD also says the best pregnancy routine is a simple one.

For unwanted hair, ACOG says tweezing, waxing and shaving are safe in pregnancy. If they leave bumps, see our post on bumps after waxing or shaving.

What changes if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, postpartum, trying to conceive or have PCOS?

Pregnancy is the only stage with a published list of what to avoid in the pages we cite. The other stages have a line or two, or nothing.

Pregnancy

The AAD lists spironolactone and retinoids among ingredients to avoid in pregnancy. MotherToBaby says it is not known if spironolactone raises the chance of birth defects. NICHD says to work with your provider if you have PCOS and get pregnant. See the app’s pregnancy list.

Breastfeeding

MotherToBaby says spironolactone passes into breast milk in small amounts. These are not expected to cause side effects in most breastfed babies, it says. For retinoids, see retinol while breastfeeding and the app’s breastfeeding list.

Postpartum, not breastfeeding

No body we found has published a rule on skin care for PCOS after birth when not breastfeeding. The app’s postpartum list shows its own verdicts for this stage.

Trying to conceive

MotherToBaby says stopping tretinoin 1 month before trying may be suggested. It says spironolactone’s breakdown products can take up to about 4.5 days to leave the body. Our guide to stopping before trying has more. The app’s trying to conceive flags are Truva’s own call about the weeks before a pregnancy is known.

PCOS

ACOG names unwanted hair and acne among the skin signs of PCOS. The NHS lists oily skin and acne among the symptoms of PMOS. Neither page covers skin care in pregnancy. See the app’s PCOS list.

Not pregnant or breastfeeding

The NHS lists spironolactone or eflornithine to reduce hair growth on the face and body in PMOS. Our PCOS skincare guide covers what is published for each skin sign.

Who should I ask about PCOS skin care in pregnancy?

Ask your obstetrician and your dermatologist. The AAD says to tell both about all the medicines and prescription skin care you use.

If you take spironolactone, MotherToBaby says to talk with your providers before you change how you take it.

The Truva app gives one answer for each stage, PCOS and pregnancy included. Our comparison pages set out how that differs from scanners that give one answer for everyone.

Where this came from

Every health claim on this page links to the body that published it. Nothing here comes from another blog.

Every link above was fetched and confirmed to resolve on 6 September 2026.

Truva summarises published guidance from bodies including ACOG, the FDA, the EU SCCS and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review. It has no access to your medical history and it is not a substitute for your doctor, dermatologist or midwife. This post was written by the Truva team from the sources listed above. It has not been reviewed by a clinician, and nothing in it is a diagnosis or a prescription. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or being treated for PCOS, take the ingredient list to the person looking after you.