What Can I Use for Acne During Pregnancy?

You can still treat acne while you are pregnant. What changes is the list you choose from, because a few of the most common acne actives are handled differently in pregnancy, and the safest choice depends on the exact ingredient, the strength, how much acne you have and your own medical history.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Michael Paltiel, MD, Board-Certified Dermatologist | 17+ Years Experience | Last Updated: September 2026

Why acne flares or changes during pregnancy

Hormones shift quickly in the first and second trimester, and oil production usually rises with them. Skin that behaved for years can start breaking out along the jaw and chin, and skin that was already acne-prone can get worse before it settles. Some people see the opposite and clear up. Both are normal, and neither tells you anything is wrong.

For most people the breakout is the easy part. The hard part is opening the bathroom cabinet, reading the labels they trusted for years, and finding that half of them now carry a warning.

What to do before you use any acne product in pregnancy

Start with the label, not the brand. Two products that look identical on the shelf can contain completely different actives, and it is the active ingredient and its strength that decide the conversation, not the packaging.

Then bring that list to someone who can read it against your pregnancy. Here is what Dr. Michael Paltiel tells patients who ask:

There are pregnancy safe cream alternatives such as erythromycin and azelaic acid.

Azelaic acid and topical erythromycin are prescribed and managed by a clinician, so treat those two names as the opening of a conversation with your dermatologist and your obstetric clinician, who can agree on the strength and the schedule between them.

Which ingredients need a dermatologist or obstetric clinician to review

Several of the most familiar acne actives belong in that review. Dr. Paltiel names them plainly:

Retinoids, topical and oral antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.

That list includes products sold over the counter, which is exactly why it matters. Seeing an ingredient on an open shelf does not tell you how it fits your pregnancy, your trimester or the rest of your prescriptions.

One more thing worth saying clearly: if you are already on a prescription acne treatment, do not stop it on your own because of something you read. Bring it to your dermatologist and your obstetric clinician and let them make that call together. Stopping and starting treatment without guidance is its own problem.

How to look after your skin while you wait for the appointment

While the treatment decision is being made, keep the rest of your routine calm and simple. A mild cleanser twice a day and after sweating. A light moisturizer, because dry, stripped skin does not clear faster. Sunscreen, since pregnancy can make skin more reactive to sun and darker patches harder to fade. No scrubbing, no picking, no stacking three new actives at once to make up for lost time.

None of that clears acne on its own. It protects your skin barrier so the treatment you do agree on has something healthy to work with.

When pregnancy acne should be looked at in person

On timing, Dr. Paltiel is blunt:

Ideally as soon as you start breaking out in acne.

Earlier is easier. Acne that is caught while it is still surface-level is a different conversation from acne that has been deep, painful and cystic for four months. Book sooner rather than later if the breakouts are painful or deep, if they are spreading across your face, chest or back, if you can see marks or scars forming, or if you have been swapping products for weeks with nothing to show for it.

How a dermatologist builds a pregnancy-appropriate plan

A visit for pregnancy acne is mostly a conversation and a close look at your skin. Expect to go through what you are using now, what you used before, how your acne has behaved so far, how far along you are, and what your obstetric clinician has already advised. From there you get a plan built for your skin and your pregnancy, with a clear instruction about what to stop, what to keep and what to add.

If you are pregnant and your usual products are suddenly off the table, that is the visit to book. You can read more about acne treatment at Adult and Pediatric Dermatology, or call our Forest Hills office at (718) 896-3376 and we will get you in.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please schedule a consultation with our team to discuss your individual needs. Reading this article does not create a physician-patient relationship.