Mommy Transforms

I started my foundation-free skin journey with DR’s Secret/Aestier skincare products in April 2020, when the lockdown just kicked in not long ago in Malaysia due to COVID-19. While I was still happily looking forward to transform my skin, I found myself pregnant in June the same year. In fact we had been trying to have a OX baby actually, so this was slightly late but that’s a moment to cherish still!

Here I am going to share the information I gathered about the safety of DR’s Secret/Aestier skincare products, not only for the preggies, but also if you are expecting, or trying to have one as well. Perhaps this may be a great time to reassess your skincare products. I became more conscientious about the ingredients’ safety of the products only after my firstborn came to my life. Singles, feel free to bookmark this for future reference if you find it helpful 😉

Before starting my foundation free journey I was quite happy when finding out that the products are safely certified by third party SGS on yearly basis. The test reports of each product can be obtained at SGS (search for Best World International Limited if you are not directed to the specific site) but they are only available in Chinese. DR’s Secret skincare products are generally safe for pregnant women and there are many many many pregnant ladies using it already. Just if you have some concerns, hope you find this sharing helpful:-

1. Vitamin A Derivative

The Aestier Eyecream contains Retinyl Palmitate, a Vitamin A derivative. You may omit it during pregnancy.

Compared to other types of Retinoids which commonly used in skincare, Retinyl Palmitate is in fact a gentler one (in a way also less irritating). More intense Retinol can be found in most of the OTC skincare products.

However, to be more user-friendly Retinyl Palmitate is removed from the batch of eyecreams manufactured with Lot No. L0607W onwards. Yeah so you can continuously fight with the wrinkles in that 40 weeks huh.. :p

2. Alcohol

The Alcohol listed on the label of DR’s Secret No. 8 Spot Serum is actually Ethanol. This is in accordance to INCI (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient , an international uniform system of labelling names for cosmetics to avoid confusion and misidentification) Name assigned. It is used to keep the formula lightweight and effective for acne treatment.

As for Benzyl Alcohol in DR’s Secret 6 Moisturiser, it is actually an organic alcohol that occurs naturally in some fruits and teas, with a mild pleasant aromatic smell. It’s widely used as a “natural” preservative in skincare and cosmetic products.

3. Steroids/Hormones

Some people experiencing tremendously quick results, but don’t be traumatized as there are NO ingredients containing hormones or steroids in any of the products. You may want to refer to the test reports of each product from SGS website as provided above.

4. Preservatives

If you are asking “Are DR’s Secret/Aestier skincare products all-natural?”, the answer is NO. But the preservatives used in the products are safe and permissible for skincare use according to SGS test reports. 

Anyway I kind of agree that NATURAL DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN SAFER OR BETTER. In a nutshell, just like food, natural products need preservatives, the simplest ones are sugar and salt, to guarantee the safety for our consumption and a reasonable shelf life. Even if the skincare product comes in vacuum container, without preservative, it is almost impossible to keep them from bacteria, mold or yeast contamination.

Imagine how long you can keep the vegetables in vacuum pack after opening it? A week? A month? The same goes to our skincare products that are mostly extracted from plants/fruits. As long as the product formulas contain water, they require a preservative system. Water is where little organisms love to grow, you do not want to get infected, don’t you?

5. Fragrance

Honestly this was not really my concern, but my pregnant friend did share to me her worry on about fragrance in skincare products so here you go! Some products do contain fragrance which are clearly listed on the labels, always check the product label before use if you are allergic to certain ingredients.

Nonetheless I understand that BWL is putting efforts continuously to improve the product quality while ensuring the compliance of regional and international regulations. One of the products that contain fragrance was Aestier A1 Cleansing Cream, but it was already replaced with natural essential oil, namely Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, at the same time assuring that the efficacy, actives and textures remain the same.

As a side note for Vegetarians, DR’s Secret 6 Moisturizer previously contained Hydrolyzed Collagen derived from cow but it has already been replaced with Sodium Hyaluronate, making it a vegan-friendly formula. But do bear in mind T4 Skinrecon, Pure Mask, Eye Cream and Age Arrest still contain collagen that is extracted from fish, and Refining Serum 9 contains Hydrolyzed Albumen that is extracted from egg white.

Lastly if porcine extract is your concern, then don’t be worry the answer is NO.

Again all the information above are based on my personal findings, everyone has different condition and every pregnancy is unique, you may want to check and get your doctor’s opinion for a peace of mind.

Also you may write to BWL directly at inquiry@sg.bwlgroup.com if you have any doubt, I don’t mind if you can share to me too 😉