Pregnancy brings about significant changes to the body. Hormones fluctuate, skin becomes more sensitive, the immune system adapts, and nutritional requirements shift. As a result, products you've used for years without any issues may suddenly feel different.

From a regulatory perspective, this raises an important question:

How should brands communicate with pregnant consumers?

For cosmetic products, safety is assessed before they are placed on the market. However, that safety assessment considers the product's intended use and the population it is intended for. If a product is specifically marketed towards pregnant women or makes claims relating to pregnancy, this can influence the evidence required to support both its safety and its marketing claims.

Many consumers assume that because a cosmetic product is available for sale, it must automatically be suitable for use during pregnancy.

That isn't necessarily the case.

Some ingredients may warrant additional caution during pregnancy, while others may simply lack sufficient data relating to use in pregnant populations. This doesn't automatically make them unsafe, but it does mean brands should avoid making assumptions or overstating suitability without appropriate evidence.

The same principle applies to food supplements.

Pregnancy often changes nutritional requirements, and supplementation can play an important role. However, more is not always better. Certain vitamins and minerals have established upper intake limits, and excessive consumption during pregnancy can be harmful.

This is why supplement regulation places significant emphasis on composition, labelling and claims.

A supplement cannot simply be marketed as being "perfect for pregnancy" without appropriate evidence and careful consideration of the applicable regulatory requirements. Likewise, authorised nutrition and health claims remain subject to the same legislation regardless of the target audience.

Marketing is often where businesses encounter the greatest challenges.

Images of pregnant women, phrases such as "mum-to-be approved," or social media testimonials can all create an implied message that a product is specifically intended for pregnancy, even where that was never the manufacturer's intention.

Regulators don't only assess the words printed on the label.

They consider the overall presentation of the product, including advertising, imagery and consumer perception.

This is particularly important because pregnancy is considered a life stage where consumers may be more vulnerable to marketing messages and more cautious about the products they choose.

For businesses, this means thinking beyond the formulation itself.

Have your product claims been reviewed?

Does your marketing imply a use that your evidence does not support?

Have you considered whether your product is likely to be used by pregnant consumers, even if that wasn't your original target market?

These are all questions worth asking during product development rather than after launch.

Ultimately, pregnancy doesn't automatically make cosmetic products or food supplements unsafe.

What it does do is reinforce the importance of robust safety assessments, accurate claims and responsible communication.

Good regulatory practice isn't about discouraging innovation or preventing brands from supporting pregnant consumers.

It's about ensuring that when businesses make claims about products during one of the most important stages of a person's life, those claims are supported by evidence, communicated clearly and never misleading.

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