Keihl's eye-gel a no-no???

[beckyr88]

Hi, I just "rediscovered" some eye gel I bought a while ago (darn all these new no-sleep wrinkles... ) and was thoroughly enjoying it....then I happened to read the label and it says not to use it while pregnant or lactating? Does anyone have a clue why that would be? As far as I can tell, it's just vitamins and such in it, no serious anti-wrinkle stuff.

Huh. TIA!

[lizamann]

Hi Becky! Sounds like you were shopping in your medicine cabinet! Is it their vitamin A in it? That could be why. I'm trying to remember my acne-fighting days (which were only a couple years ago, and I'm 35!). Accutaine is a form of vitamin a, and it can cause birth defects. I don't know about plain old vitamin a, though.

I hope someone knows better than I and can give you a better answer. In any case, if a product hasn't been shown experimentally to be safe for breastfeeding, then people err on the side of caution and warn against it, which doesn't necessarily mean that it's harmful.

[beckyr88]

Thanks, Beth...that's exactly what I was doing! Easier on the wallet, these days...

I think it's plain old vitamin A, but you're probably right about the label 'erring on the side of caution'. Guess this means I just have to go *real* shopping!

[Sarah1]

Becky,

I had the same question, because when I was in my first trimester I was using a Vitamin A cream (think it was Vit-a-Plus). I asked my dad about it, who is a retired OB, and he said the amount was so minimal it posed NO risk. But regardless, if it makes you nervous, then I'd just stop using it.

The one ingredient that DOES pose a real risk is hydroquinone which is a bleaching agent that is in some lightening creams.