Breastfeeding
Skincare ingredients to avoid while breastfeeding
Breastfeeding asks a narrower question than pregnancy does: not what crosses a placenta, but what reaches milk or reaches a baby's skin directly. 512 ingredients carry a breastfeeding flag in this catalogue, 217 of them marked avoid.
Flagged means avoid, high risk or medium risk in this profile. A good share of these flags are about transfer rather than about toxicity: an ingredient that is unremarkable on a forearm can matter a great deal on a nipple, or on a hand a baby puts in its mouth. Every ingredient below has its own page with the level, the evidence behind it and the safer options the catalogue names. The full index is at all ingredients, A to Z.
Flagged
512
Ingredients carrying avoid, high risk or medium risk for breastfeeding.
Not Recommended
217
Avoid and high risk together. Use something else while this profile applies.
Caution Advised
295
Medium risk. Worth reading the assessment before the product goes in the basket.
Catalogue read 15 September 2026. Every figure on this page comes out of that snapshot.
Not Recommended
217 of the 512 ingredients flagged for breastfeeding.
Avoid and high risk both land here, matching how the Truva app rates the same ingredients. The recommendation is to use something else for as long as this profile applies to you.
- Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
Avoid - Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Isobutylparaben
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Hormone disruptor
Avoid - 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
Avoid - Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Vitex Agnus Castus Extract
May affect milk supply, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
Avoid - Triclosan
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
Avoid - Menadione
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Sodium Borate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
Avoid - Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Hormone disruptor
Avoid - CI 11680
Carcinogen concern, Infant exposure
Avoid - Hydroquinone
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
Avoid - Styrene
Carcinogen concern, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
Avoid - Basic Brown 17
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Carcinogen concern
Avoid - Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Salicylate toxicity
Avoid - Basic Violet 2
Carcinogen concern, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Pueraria Mirifica Root Extract
Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
Avoid - Phenol
Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Formaldehyde
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
Avoid - Placental Extract
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
Avoid - Acrylamide
Carcinogen concern, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Asarum Sieboldii Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Tussilago Farfara Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Convallaria Majalis Bulb/Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Ammonium Persulfate
Irritant, Infant exposure
Avoid - Ethyl Ether
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Methyl Alcohol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - 1-Naphthol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
Avoid - Acrylonitrile
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Carcinogen concern
Avoid - Chloroacetic Acid
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
Avoid - Dryopteris Filix-Mas Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Hydrolyzed Placental Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Hormone disruptor
Avoid - Chlorine
Irritant
Avoid - Minoxidil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
Avoid - Convallaria Majalis Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Disperse Violet 1
Absorbed into the body, Carcinogen concern, Infant exposure
Avoid - Basic Orange 1
Carcinogen concern, Passes into breast milk
Avoid - Triclocarban
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
Avoid - Oleyl Adapalenate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Toluene
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Ammonium Vanadate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
Avoid - CI 14290
Carcinogen concern, Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
Avoid - Coal Tar
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Carcinogen concern
Avoid - Dimethylacrylamide
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - P-Methylaminophenol Sulfate
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure, Common allergen
Avoid - Chelidonine
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
Avoid - CI 11270
Carcinogen concern, Infant exposure
Avoid - Satureja Montana Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Basic Green 4
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Diethylene Glycol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Saussurea Lappa Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Carcinogen concern
Avoid - 5-Bromo-5-Nitro-1,3-Dioxane
Infant exposure, Carcinogen concern, Absorbed into the body
Avoid - Saccharomyces/Podophyllum Peltatum Ferment Filtrate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Artemisia Absinthium Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Cinchona Calisaya Bark Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Methyldibromo Glutaronitrile
Common allergen, Infant exposure
Avoid - Nicotiana Tabacum Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, May affect milk supply
Avoid - Prasterone
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
Avoid - Sodium Chlorate
Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk
Avoid - Acorus Calamus Rhizome Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Apocynum Cannabinum Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Linoleamide DEA
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Mentha Pulegium Extract
Liver toxicity concern, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Phenacetin
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Carcinogen concern
Avoid - Pilocarpus Microphyllus Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Avoid - Tanacetum Vulgare Flower Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Neurotoxicity concern
Avoid - Retinol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Benzophenone-4
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Benzophenone-3
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
High risk - Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Common allergen
High risk - Salvia Officinalis Oil
May affect milk supply
High risk - Camphor
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Retinal
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Acorus Calamus Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Hypericum Perforatum Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Cannabidiol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Organ toxicity concern
High risk - Symphytum Officinale Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - CI 26100
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
High risk - Retinyl Acetate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Perfluorodecalin
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Resorcinol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Benzophenone-1
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor
High risk - Retinyl Propionate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - TBHQ
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
High risk - Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Hydrastis Canadensis Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Colloidal Silver
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Tretinoin
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Dimethylaminoethanol Tartrate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
High risk - P-Phenylenediamine
Passes into breast milk, Common allergen, Infant exposure
High risk - Tosylamide/Epoxy Resin
Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
High risk - Benzophenone-5
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Cinnamomum Camphora Leaf Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Tussilago Farfara Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Tussilago Farfara Flower Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Silver Oxide
Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Placental Protein
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor
High risk - Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract
Insufficient safety data, Alkaloid content
High risk - Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Retinyl Linoleate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Perfluorohexane
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA
Passes into breast milk, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Thymus Mastichina Flower Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Isopropyl Cloprostenate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Hormone disruptor
High risk - Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Liver toxicity concern, Passes into breast milk
High risk - Sophora Flavescens Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Octoxynol-9
Endocrine disruptor, Passes into breast milk
High risk - Benzophenone
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Basic Brown 16
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
High risk - Diethanolamine
Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Larrea Divaricata Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Glaucine
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Retinyl Retinoate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Hydrastis Canadensis Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk
The same ingredient, answered four other ways.
An ingredient is not safe or unsafe on its own. It is safe or unsafe for a person at a point in their life, which is why the same name sits in one list and not in another.
The short way
Check the tube before it goes near the baby.
Truva answers for breastfeeding as its own profile, including the ingredients that only become a problem because of where you are putting them.
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