While retinol is a popular ingredient in many skincare products for its ability to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and skin discoloration, it's not recommended for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Retinol is a form of vitamin A that can be harmful to a developing fetus or infant. High doses of vitamin A have been linked to birth defects, so it's best to avoid using products that contain retinol during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, that doesn't mean you have to give up on your anti-aging skincare routine altogether.

Once you get to the hospital and meet your newborn baby, you are handed a postpartum kit filled with lanolin nipple cream, dermoplast for pain, cold pads for inflammation, and mesh underwear. Since no one took the time and care to offer you something different, you accept the kit, use it in the hospital, and take it home. You assume that whatever the nurses hand to you, are going to have your best interest and healing in mind. Surprisingly, this is far from the truth…

After an exhausting round of breast-feeding, I was handed a nipple cream to soothe the dryness and soreness, but it didn’t give much relief. When I started to research ingredients to make my own all-natural nipple cream, I learned some interesting facts about an ingredient in commonly used nipple creams…