Frequently asked questions

Jouaxia is a skincare catalog that shows each product's full ingredient list, a pregnancy-safety rating, and common allergens, so you can check what's inside a product before you use or buy it. It started with K-beauty and is growing to include brands from around the world.

Jouaxia started with Korean brands and is adding brands from across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Each brand shows its country of origin, and you can filter the catalog or brands by country.

Jouaxia was started by Nita Lee, a K-beauty lover with PCOS who is trying to conceive and wanted to know what was in her own routine. Read our story.

Yes. The catalog, ratings, routines, and articles are free, and you don't need an account.

Jouaxia doesn't sell products. Some links may be affiliate links, which can earn a small commission, but they never change a product's rating or what we flag.

Send it through the contact form. Product suggestions and corrections to ingredient lists or ratings are always welcome.

Each product is rated from its ingredient list. It's rated Avoid if it contains a retinoid (such as retinol or retinyl palmitate) or hydroquinone; Use caution if it contains salicylic acid or betaine salicylate, arbutin, the sunscreen filters oxybenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octocrylene, or avobenzone, or clary sage or rosemary oil; and Pregnancy-safe otherwise. The rules follow ACOG guidance (via MotherToBaby), Mayo Clinic, and Bozzo et al. 2011.

Pregnancy-safe means none of the ingredients are on Jouaxia's pregnancy flag list. Use caution means it contains an ingredient that's often limited during pregnancy, so it's worth checking with your doctor. Avoid means it contains an ingredient that's generally advised against during pregnancy, like retinol.

Ingredient lists come from published product data, and each product page links to its source. Formulas change over time, so check the packaging of the product you buy.

Fragrance, essential oils, denatured alcohol (alcohol denat.), snail mucin, and niacinamide. You can hide products with any of these in the catalog filters.

Sites use different rules. Jouaxia's ratings are precautionary and based only on the ingredient list, not on concentration, so a product with a small amount of a flagged ingredient is still flagged.

Brands reformulate, and the list you see may be an older version. Always check the ingredients on your package, and let us know if something looks out of date.

Retinoids and hydroquinone are the ingredients most commonly advised against in pregnancy. Salicylic acid, arbutin, and some chemical sunscreen filters are often limited or used with caution. Check your own routine with your OB-GYN, fertility specialist, or dermatologist.

Retinoids, including retinol and retinal, are generally avoided during pregnancy, and many people stop using them while trying to conceive. Gentler options like niacinamide, azelaic acid, and vitamin C are often used instead. Ask your doctor what's right for you.

Niacinamide isn't on Jouaxia's pregnancy flag list and is widely considered a gentle option. Read what I learned about niacinamide.

Sunscreen is important during pregnancy, especially for melasma. Some chemical filters (oxybenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octocrylene, avobenzone) are rated Use caution here. Mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are a common choice; you can compare them.

No. Jouaxia's ratings are general, precautionary information based on ingredient lists and published guidance. They don't account for concentration or your personal health, so talk to your doctor about what's right for you.

Cleanse first, then go from the thinnest products to the thickest (toner, essence, serum, then moisturizer), and finish with sunscreen in the morning. See the step-by-step routines.

No. A cleanser, a moisturizer, and sunscreen are the essentials. Add other steps only if they help your skin.

Your vagina cleans itself, so it doesn't need soap, washes, or douches, which doctors advise against. Wash your vulva (the outside) with warm water or a mild, unscented soap, wipe front to back, and see a doctor if discharge changes or you have itching or burning. See the vaginal care routine.

In the catalog, choose Pregnancy-safe in the filters. You can also filter by category and hide common allergens.

Yes. Type an ingredient, like niacinamide or centella, into the search in the catalog or the search icon at the top of any page.

Use Compare to line up to four products side by side, with their ratings, allergens, and shared ingredients. You can start from a ready-made example.

It answers from the Jouaxia catalog: whether a product is pregnancy-safe, which products contain an ingredient, and how ratings work. It runs on our own server, and conversations aren't saved.

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