The Ingredient in Bug Spray That Pregnant People Should Avoid, Plus 7 Expert-Approved Brands That Are Safe

If you’re expecting, you’re probably spending quite a lot of time and energy focusing on what you should be doing to ensure a healthy pregnancy. While many things are out of our control when it comes to our health during pregnancy, there are many things we can be doing to keep things as on track as possible. And that includes finding a pregnancy-safe bug spray to protect yourself from mosquitos and avoid absorbing harmful chemicals.

The best pregnancy-safe bug sprays, at a glance:

Shoosha Organic Lemon Eucalyptus Summer Spray, $18

Wild Creek Naturals Junglista, $12

Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent, $9

Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus with Picaridin, $24

Repel® Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent (2-pack), $16

Hello Bello Organic Bug Spray, $9

Badger Anti-Bug Shake & Spray, $11

In addition to eating and drinking all the right things—nutritious foods, prenatals, and, of course, non-alcoholic beverages—it’s also important to be mindful of what you put *on* your body. Yep—it’s not only what goes into your body that can have an affect on your growing baby. The products we use on our bodies eventually end up inside our bodies, which, by extension, also means that our developing babies are potentially affected by anything we use on our bodies, explains Canada-based naturopathic doctor Sarah Connors, ND.

“As a product is absorbed through the skin, it will usually end up in our blood stream and then get shared with a growing baby via the placenta and/or umbilical cord,” she says. “Keeping in mind that any products we use can end up getting shared with our unborn children makes it that much more important to be aware of the ingredients in that product.”

Learn more about safe bug spray ingredients, written by Jenn Sinrich here.