ILIA Beauty products are generally considered safe during pregnancy. The brand itself states that all of its products are non-toxic and safe for use while expecting, and ILIA’s founder, Sasha Plavsic, wore the brand throughout her own pregnancies. That said, it’s worth understanding what’s actually in these products so you can make an informed choice.
What ILIA Says About Pregnancy Safety
ILIA’s official position is straightforward: all of their products are pregnancy-safe. The brand specifically addresses the concern about essential oils, noting that any essential oils in their formulas are present at extremely low percentages and will not induce labor. This matters because certain essential oils at higher concentrations are on the “avoid during pregnancy” lists that many dermatologists and OBs circulate.
Ingredients Worth Knowing About
One of the biggest pregnancy skincare concerns is retinol and other vitamin A derivatives, which are widely recommended to avoid while pregnant. ILIA doesn’t use retinol in its products. Their Bright Start Eye Cream is actually marketed as a “retinol alternative,” using sea fennel extract and caffeine instead of traditional retinoids. This makes it a notably pregnancy-friendly option in a product category where retinol is common.
For preservatives, ILIA avoids parabens entirely. The only traditional preservative the brand uses is phenoxyethanol, and it appears in just one product: the Clean Line Liquid Liner. Phenoxyethanol is considered safe for cosmetic use at standard concentrations and is widely used in clean beauty products as a paraben replacement.
Their True Skin Serum Foundation is formulated without fragrance, which is a plus for anyone dealing with pregnancy-related scent sensitivity. The formula relies on ingredients like niacinamide, jojoba seed oil, squalane, and allantoin, all of which are well-tolerated during pregnancy. The pigments used are standard mineral-based iron oxides and titanium dioxide.
Sunscreen: Mineral, Not Chemical
ILIA’s Super Serum Skin Tint, one of the brand’s most popular products, contains zinc oxide as its active sunscreen ingredient. This is a mineral (physical) sunscreen filter, which sits on top of the skin and reflects UV rays rather than being absorbed into it. Mineral sunscreens are the type most commonly recommended during pregnancy because they don’t enter the bloodstream the way chemical filters like oxybenzone or avobenzone can. If you’re looking for a pregnancy-safe tinted SPF, this product checks the right boxes.
Heavy Metal Testing
Trace amounts of heavy metals like lead naturally occur in mineral pigments used in cosmetics, which is a reasonable concern during pregnancy. ILIA tests all products for heavy metals and holds itself to stricter limits than regulatory requirements. Their internal lead limit is 5 parts per million, half of what’s considered a trace level (10 ppm). They also test for mercury (1 ppm limit), cadmium and arsenic (3 ppm each), and antimony (5 ppm). These thresholds are well below levels that would pose a health concern, and the fact that the brand tests proactively puts it ahead of many cosmetics companies that only test when required.
Products That Stand Out as Pregnancy-Friendly
- Super Serum Skin Tint: Mineral-only SPF with zinc oxide. No chemical sunscreen filters to worry about.
- True Skin Serum Foundation: Fragrance-free, no retinoids, no parabens. Contains skin-soothing ingredients like niacinamide and allantoin.
- Bright Start Eye Cream: Uses sea fennel extract instead of retinol, making it one of the few eye creams you don’t need to swap out during pregnancy.
- Lip products and cheek tints: All tested for heavy metals at stricter-than-required thresholds, which matters more for products you might accidentally ingest.
The One Product to Double-Check
If you’re being extra cautious, the Clean Line Liquid Liner is the only ILIA product containing phenoxyethanol as a preservative. While phenoxyethanol is widely regarded as safe in cosmetics and is approved by both the FDA and the EU at concentrations up to 1%, some people prefer to minimize preservative exposure during pregnancy. Every other product in the line uses alternative preservation methods. For most people, this single product isn’t a concern, but it’s the one worth flagging if you’re following a particularly strict ingredient protocol.