Is Glycerin Safe During Pregnancy?
Updated September 12, 2026
The Answer
Yes, glycerin is generally compatible with pregnancy in normal topical cosmetic and food use. This does not extend automatically to inhalable sprays or laxative use outside label or clinician guidance.
Using glycerin on your skin is different from using a rectal suppository: laxative use needs to follow the product label or clinician guidance.
FDA food substance listings and Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments support glycerin’s food and cosmetic uses, while pregnancy exposure from topical products is expected to be low.
Already used it? If you have used a glycerin laxative outside its label directions or clinician guidance, ask your clinician about that use.
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What Is Glycerin?
You may also see it listed as: glycerine, glycerol, E422
Glycerin, also called glycerol, is a clear, odorless liquid that attracts and retains moisture. It works as a humectant and solvent in moisturizers, cleansers, soaps, and toothpastes, and also appears in foods, medicines, and rectal suppositories.
What Other Ingredients Should You Look Out for in Products With Glycerin?
A product's full ingredient list determines whether it's pregnancy-safe or not. These ingredients also appear in some of the glycerin products we analyzed and may deserve a closer look.
Alcohol
AvoidOn a glycerin containing herbal supplement, check whether “alcohol” means ethanol remains in the finished liquid, rather than merely being used during extraction. Pregnancy guidance recommends avoiding alcohol containing oral supplements, so check the finished product alcohol information and whether an alcohol free formulation is available.
Flagged in 4 products (9.3%) in this analysis.
Berberine
AvoidLook for “oregon grape” in herbal supplements: it is a source of berberine, which has limited pregnancy data and bilirubin and medication interaction concerns. MotherToBaby and NCCIH advise against unsupervised berberine use during pregnancy; ask your clinician to review the supplement.
Flagged in 1 product (2.3%) in this analysis.
Chamomile
Caution“Chamomilla recutita flower extract” identifies chamomile in these hand soaps and body washes; pregnancy specific topical evidence is inadequate, and allergy is the clearest known concern. Check this label especially if you are sensitive to ragweed or other daisy family plants.
Flagged in 5 products (11.6%) in this analysis.
Calendula
Caution“Calendula officinalis flower extract” appears in these hand soaps. Normal use on intact skin is lower concern than concentrated oral use, but allergy is possible; check for sensitivity to Asteraceae plants rather than applying oral extract warnings to handwashing.
Flagged in 4 products (9.3%) in this analysis.
Avobenzone
CautionCheck the SPF moisturizer’s active ingredients for “avobenzone,” a UVA filter with limited direct pregnancy outcome data. Absorption in high use testing did not establish clinical harm; review the sunscreen actives separately from glycerin rather than treating this caution as a reason to skip sun protection.
Flagged in 1 product (2.3%) in this analysis.
Fennel
Caution“Fennel” in a glycerin containing herbal supplement is different from culinary seasoning. Concentrated preparations have limited pregnancy data and estrogenic or possible uterine stimulant concerns, so check with your clinician whether this supplement use is appropriate.
Flagged in 1 product (2.3%) in this analysis.
Does Glycerin Strength or Product Type Matter During Pregnancy?
Normal use in creams, lotions, and cleansers is compatible with pregnancy, with exposure from topical products expected to be low. Normal food use is also compatible. Inhalable sprays and product contamination need separate consideration; the skin use conclusion does not cover breathing in a mist or using a contaminated product. For rectal suppositories, the relevant boundary is laxative use within label or clinician guidance.
What Products Contain Glycerin?
Pregnancy Safe has looked at 47,656 products that have glycerin as an ingredient. The category and grade breakdowns below use 43 products whose names mention Glycerin or another name for it.
What Types of Products Contain Glycerin?
Products You May Have That Contain Glycerin
| Grade | Product | Brand | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| B+ | La Roche Posay Lipikar Ap+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizing Cream Body And Face Moisturizer For Dry Skin With Shea Butter And Glycerin | La Roche Posay | Body Moisturizer |
| C+ | Cerave Hydrating Face Wash With Hyaluronic Acid And Glycerin For Normal To Dry Skin | Cerave | Face Wash |
| C+ | Cetaphil Oil Free Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser With Glycerin - 8 Fl Oz | Cetaphil | Facial Cleanser |
| C- | Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Facial Scrub With Glycerin - 4.2 Fl Oz | Neutrogena | Facial Scrub |
| C+ | Lubriderm Fragrance Free Daily Moisture Lotion + Pro-Ceramide, Shea Butter & Glycerin Fragrance Free | Lubriderm | Lotion |
| A | Fleet Liquid Glycerin Suppositories | Fleet | Suppository |
| C- | Glysolid Glycerin Cream 400Ml | Glysolid | Skin Cream |
| A | Ontu Hydrating Body Cleansing Oil With Triple-Oil Complex + Glycerin | Ontu | Body Cleansing Oil |
How Do Products Containing Glycerin Score?
It can be helpful to see how products containing glycerin generally score during pregnancy. This does not tell you whether your exact product is safe, but it gives you a general idea of what we found. In this breakdown of 43 products, 44% receive a C grade. A C grade means the complete formula has some pregnancy considerations, so use it sparingly and consider a higher scoring alternative when one is available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Glycerin During Pregnancy
Can I use glycerin in a face wash or moisturizer?
Glycerin itself is generally compatible with pregnancy in normal topical cosmetic use. It helps attract and retain moisture, but you still need to check the product’s other ingredients.
Does the same answer apply to glycerin suppositories for constipation?
Not automatically. A rectal suppository is a laxative, not a skincare exposure, and its use needs to stay within label or clinician guidance.
What about a glycerin facial mist?
Inhalable sprays are a separate caution. Applying glycerin to your skin is not the same exposure as breathing in a mist, so the normal topical use conclusion should not be extended to inhalation.
Is glycerin in food treated differently from glycerin in medicines?
Normal food use is compatible with pregnancy. That does not establish suitability for every medicine containing glycerin; laxative use, in particular, needs label or clinician guidance.
Are glycerin, glycerine, and glycerol the same ingredient?
Yes. Glycerine and glycerol are alternative names for glycerin, and E422 is another label name you may see in foods.
Why can products containing glycerin have different grades?
A product grade describes its complete formula, not glycerin alone. Other ingredients can change the assessment, so glycerin’s compatibility with normal cosmetic use does not make every product containing it pregnancy safe.
How Do We Score Products for Pregnancy Safety?
We analyze each product's ingredients and category to flag known risks and provide cautionary notices for general category safety concerns.
A - Safe
Excellent choice! All ingredients are considered safe during pregnancy.
What to do: Use with confidence.
B - Likely Safe
Pretty much safe with very minimal risk. Some ingredients may have limited pregnancy studies, but no significant safety concerns have been identified.
What to do: Use with confidence.
C - Limit
Contains ingredients with some pregnancy considerations. Research shows these ingredients may have limited safety data, potential for minor hormonal effects, or require caution based on animal studies.
What to do: Use sparingly and consider safer alternatives when available.
D - Caution
Similar to C grade but contains multiple cautionary ingredients. The combination increases overall concern.
What to do: Try to avoid if that makes you feel better. If you've already used it, no need to panic.
F - Avoid
Contains an ingredient Pregnancy Safe recommends avoiding during pregnancy. This may reflect an established risk or a precaution based on limited evidence; check the ingredient guidance and exposure context.
What to do: Do not use during pregnancy. If you've already used it, don't worry - contact your OBGYN if concerned.
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