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.
- Boric Acid
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Adapalene
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Trichloroacetic Acid
Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk
High risk - Xanthium Strumarium Fruit Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Aminoethylphosphinic Acid
Passes into breast milk
High risk - Perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Ethylenediamine
Irritant, Common allergen
High risk - Origanum Vulgare Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Asarum Sieboldi Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Diethyl Phthalate
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Illicium Verum Oil
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor
High risk - Phytoecdysteroids
Interferes with hormones, Infant exposure
High risk - Calcium Thioglycolate
Irritant, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Cinnamomum Camphora Leaf Extract
Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk
High risk - Octafluoropentyl Methacrylate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Difluoroethyl PEG Phosphate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Toluene-2,5-Diamine
Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk
High risk - Juniperus Oxycedrus Wood Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Retinyl Palmitate/Carrot Polypeptide
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Epimedium Koreanum Extract
Passes into breast milk, Interferes with hormones, Infant exposure
High risk - Laurus Nobilis Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - MEK
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Chloroacetamide
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
High risk - Cinchona Pubescens Bark Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Glutaral
Irritant, Common allergen
High risk - Larrea Tridentata Extract
Passes into breast milk
High risk - Dechloro Dihydroxy Difluoro Ethylcloprostenolamide
Passes into breast milk, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Hydrogenated Retinol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Curculigo Orchioides Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Turpentine
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Irritant
High risk - Hydrolyzed Placental Protein
Hormone disruptor, May affect milk supply
High risk - Isophorone Diamine
Irritant, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Methylsilanol Carboxymethyl Theophylline Alginate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Potassium Thioglycolate
Absorbed into the body, Irritant
High risk - Benzophenone-2
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Nonoxynol-10
Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Artemisia Herba-Alba Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Xanthium Sibiricum Fruit Extract
Passes into breast milk
High risk - Aletris Farinosa Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Interferes with hormones
High risk - Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil Expressed
Infant exposure, Passes into breast milk
High risk - Rubber Latex
Common allergen, Infant exposure
High risk - Sodium Chlorite
Irritant, Infant exposure
High risk - Acetyl Hexamethyl Tetralin
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Iodine
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Sr-Oligopeptide-91 Clostridium Botulinum Polypeptide-1
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - 1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Chlorophene
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Diethyllutidinate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Oil
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Nonoxynol-9
Endocrine disruptor, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Octoxynol-11
Endocrine disruptor, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Oleamide DEA
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Pinus Palustris Wood Tar
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
High risk - Aminoguanidine Hcl
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Di-Sodium Iodide
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Ethyl Lactyl Retinoate
Passes into breast milk
High risk - Ethyl Methoxycinnamate
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - P-Phenylenediamine Sulfate
Absorbed into the body, Common allergen, Infant exposure
High risk - Cannabidiol, Derived From Extract Or Tincture Or Resin Of Cannabis
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Passes into breast milk, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Disodium Selenite
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Glaucium Flavum Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk, Alkaloid content, Infant exposure
High risk - Humus Extract
Passes into breast milk, Contamination risk
High risk - Lapachol
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Pilocarpus Pennatifolius Leaf Extract
Passes into breast milk
High risk - Tazarotene
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Tocopheryl Retinoate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Zerumbone
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Ammonium C6-16 Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cell Conditioned Media
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Nymphaea Caerulea Leaf Cell Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Propagermanium
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Retinyl Sunflowerseedate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Ruta Graveolens Herb Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Thuja plicata leaf extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Vitex Agnus-Castus Fruit Extract
May affect milk supply, Hormone disruptor
High risk - Bimatoprost
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Juniperus Communis Wood Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Octoxynol-40
Endocrine disruptor, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Seahorse Extract
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor
High risk - Sodium Perborate
Infant exposure, Absorbed into the body
High risk - Theophylline
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Ethylhexyl P-Methoxycinnamate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
High risk - Glyceryl Diretinoate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Hyssopus Officinalis Oil
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Mipa-Borate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Mucuna Pruriens Seed Extract
May affect milk supply, Hormone disruptor, Infant exposure
High risk - Nonoxynol-20
Endocrine disruptor, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Perfluoroisohexane
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Symphytum Officinale Root Cell Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Tetrabutyl Ethylidenebisphenol
Endocrine disruptor, Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Thuja Occidentalis Leaf
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Triacetyl Retinoyl Phytosphingosine
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Tripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
High risk - Voacanga Africana Seed Extract
Alkaloid content, Passes into breast milk
High risk
Caution Advised
295 of the 512 ingredients flagged for breastfeeding.
Medium risk. Published guidance stops short of advising against these, and usually turns on how much, how often, or over how much skin. Open an ingredient to see what the concern actually is.
- Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
Absorbed into the body, Endocrine disruptor
Medium risk - Propylparaben
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor
Medium risk - Retinyl Palmitate
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Medium risk - Octocrylene
Passes into breast milk, Absorbed into the body
Medium risk - Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Common allergen, Irritant
Medium risk - Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Increases sun sensitivity, Common allergen, Infant exposure
Medium risk - Homosalate
Absorbed into the body, Passes into breast milk
Medium risk - Cocamide MEA
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Medium risk - T-Butyl Alcohol
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
Medium risk - Butylparaben
Passes into breast milk, Endocrine disruptor, Infant exposure
Medium risk - Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure
Medium risk - Cocamide DEA
Absorbed into the body, Infant exposure
Medium risk - Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Increases sun sensitivity, Irritant, May affect milk supply
Medium risk - BHA
Endocrine disruptor, Passes into breast milk
Medium risk - Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
Hormone disruptor, May affect milk supply
Medium risk - Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Increases sun sensitivity, Irritant
Medium risk - Humulus Lupulus Extract
Hormone disruptor, May affect milk supply
Medium risk - Royal Jelly Extract
Common allergen, Passes into breast milk
Medium risk - Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor
Medium risk - N-Hydroxysuccinimide
Passes into breast milk
Medium risk - Propyl Gallate
Passes into breast milk, Hormone disruptor
Medium risk - Salvia Officinalis Extract
May affect milk supply
Medium risk - Hexamethylindanopyran
Passes into breast milk, Infant exposure, Endocrine disruptor
Medium 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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