While pregnancy is a beautiful and natural process, it also brings about a bunch of new questions and concerns — the biggest being whether or not your practices and the products you use are safe for your baby. This can truly be a very overwhelming time in your life, thus, it's best to take things one step at a time!

Today, let's focus on pregnancy-safe hair conditioners. Thus, we've compiled a list of the best pregnancy-safe hair conditioner brands available in Singapore and their respective benefits. 

Why you need pregnancy-safe hair conditioner

Pregnancy-safe conditioners are safe and suitable for use when you're pregnant as they are made without any potentially harmful chemicals such as parabens and formaldehyde.

What's more is that they are a godsend for when your hair needs a health boost or some extra loving, especially during the period of hair loss during and after pregnancy.

Hair loss from pregnancy: what you must know

During pregnancy, your estrogen levels typically see an increase which in turn slows the shedding of the hair follicle.

As a result, some women lose fewer hairs while pregnant and enjoy thick luscious locks. However, this is not always the case for many women.

For some women, the abrupt and drastic hormone changes that occur early into pregnancy result in more hair loss than normal. This is a phenomenon that can last up to six to 12 months after pregnancy.

What then can be done to maintain the health of one's hair even with all this hair loss?

Well, pregnancy-safe conditioners are no 'quick fix', but are sure to work wonders on your hair and give you a sense of reassurance along the way. We have included some of its main benefits below.

Benefits of pregnancy-safe hair conditioner

The key benefits of these conditioners are to avoid any damaging ingredients that can harm not only your hair but also your baby.

Secondly, hair conditioners for pregnant can help boost your hair health through the works of helpful ingredients that encourage hair growth and enrich your scalp.

Furthermore, a pregnancy-safe hair conditioner is great at improving the appearance of your hair and can contribute to getting your soft locks and shine back.

How to choose the best pregnancy-safe hair conditioner

The delicate state of your scalp during pregnancy coupled with the fact that your baby can be affected based on the type of pregnancy-safe hair conditioner you use, it's very important that you choose the best products for yourself and your little one.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing the best product:

Ingredients: Conditioners are bound to contain different helpful ingredients; however, there are beneficial ones that you can look out for. For example:

• Natural oils, such as argan oil and seed oils, are great for moisturising and infusing your hair with nutrients.
• Natural extracts are safe and come with their own respective benefits. For instance, green pea extract is greatly helpful in the protection and repair of hair.

Safety: The best hair conditioner should be generally safe for regular use. However, things are different when you're expecting! Normal conditioners may contain a few ingredients that can be harmful to your growing baby.

In detail, below are a few of the ingredients that you should actively avoid: 

• Firstly, phthalates are a common ingredient in many beauty products. However, recent studies have associated phthalates with numerous illnesses and disorders that include asthma, breast cancer, obesity, and neurodevelopmental issues.
• Secondly, parabens can cause changes in hormone function that can result in a higher risk of cancer, obesity, and fertility issues.
• Finally, other common chemicals to avoid include sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate and formaldehydes.

Best pregnancy-safe hair conditioner

Here are our top five picks for pregnancy-safe hair conditioners as well as their specific target areas:

Mama's Choice Treatment Conditioner for hair loss during pregnancy

Losing handfuls of hair during pregnancy, while normal, is still a frightening experience that can affect one's self-esteem. Luckily, Mama's Choice Treatment Conditioner works on tackling just that.

Specially formulated to cater to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, this conditioner is enriched with loads of beneficial ingredients such as kiwi, which is useful for strengthening hair roots.

Not only is this product able to gently nourish one's scalp effectively, but also promises to be free from numerous harmful chemicals like parabens and sulphates. Perfect conditioner for dry hair! 

Features we love:

• Contains candlenuts and green peas for hair growth stimulation
• Hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and sulphate-free pregnancy-safe hair conditioner

ATTITUDE Pregnancy Hair Conditioner

Crafted with the key concern of hair health, ATTITUDE Pregnancy Hair Conditioner contains hydrolysed wheat protein that helps to nourish and soften your hair. It is a great conditioner for dry hair. 

Suitable for expectant mothers, this product not only contains just plant and mineral-based ingredients but is also free of potentially harmful preservatives.

Most important of all, this best hair conditioner has a hypoallergenic formula and is great for those who have sensitive scalps or who are extra allergy-prone.

Features we love:

• Enriched with argan oil for hair protection and restoration
• Vegan and cruelty-free 
• Free of dyes and parabens

Klorane Ultra Gentle Conditioner With Oat Milk

Klorane Ultra Gentle Conditioner With Oat Milk is great for softening, moisturising, and detangling hair when you shower.

Its high tolerance and plant-based formula make it gentle enough for all hair types, even for those who have sensitive scalps.

What's more? It feels ultra-lightweight on your hair! Finally, it has also been dermatologist and pediatric-tested to ensure safety.

Features we love:

• Contains organically harvested oat milk which helps to protect the scalp
• Accommodates all hair types and can be a conditioner for dry hair
• Free of sulphates and parabens pregnancy-safe hair conditioner

SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration Conditioner

Say goodbye to parched hair with the SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration Conditioner.

This conditioner was specially formulated to enrich and soften dry, brittle hair through the use of restorative oils.

Its key ingredients include manuka honey, which is essential for bringing moisture to your hair, and vitamin-enriched baobab which strengthens your hair.

Furthermore, this product is effective in detangling hair and improving the shiny appearance of your hair.

Features we love:

• Contains manuka honey for that extra moisture boost
• Sulfate-free and phthalates-free formula pregnancy-safe hair conditioner

FEKKAI Technician Colour Conditioner

For those who love mixing it up and styling their hair, FEKKAI Technician Colour Conditioner would be your ideal pick!

This pregnancy-safe hair conditioner is a vegan, silicon-free conditioner enriched with Mirabelle plum seed oil which boosts colour vibrancy and aids in cellular repair.

Not only does it deeply nourish and revive your hair, but also keeps it protected from heat, sun, and any antioxidant pollution present.

Moreover, it's able to promote a healthy shine without any unwanted lingering residue through the work of its jojoba and olive oil-derived silicone alternatives.

Features we love:

• Free of paraben and sulphates
• Vegan, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free

Price comparison

To aid you with your choice, here's a quick summary of the prices of the best pregnancy-safe hair conditioner available in Singapore.

Note: Each item and price is up to date as of publication, however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.

ALSO READ: Mum's guide on how to care for your postpartum wound - vaginal or caesarean delivery

This article was first published in theAsianparent.