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10 Best Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreens 2022, According to Skin ExpertsMineral-based options to use on your face and body.
 courtesy The need for sun protection doesn’t go away when you're pregnant. It's important to do everything you can to prevent UV rays from harming your skin. Fortunately, choosing a pregnancy-safe sunscreen isn’t hard. While there are certain ingredients in cosmetics you should avoid when you’re pregnant (like retinol), there’s not much in sunscreens that’s off limits. Is it safe to use sunscreen while pregnant?Yes! “Sunscreen is generally regarded as very safe and effective in protecting against skin cancer,” says Steven Q. Wang, M.D., chair of The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Photobiology Committee and Chief of Dermatologic Oncology & Dermatologic Surgery at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California. It’s understandable that people who are pregnant may be more cautious about what they put in and on their bodies. “I think for anyone who is concerned, especially about the organic sunscreens that have systemic absorption, the recommendation is a using mineral sunscreen,” says Dr. Wang. “That includes titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.” When it comes to the delivery method, lotion, cream, liquid and gel sunscreens are all safe to use while pregnant, according to explains Valencia Thomas, M.D., a professor of dermatology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “As long as the individual is careful not to inhale sunscreen sprays during application, sprays may be used during pregnancy,” she adds. Sunscreen is a great help for protecting your body from harmful UV rays, but it’s just one part of a comprehensive approach. Dr. Thomas recommends avoiding the sun during peak hours (usually 12 to 4 p.m.), wearing sun-protective clothing and seeking shade to prevent skin cancer. It's also important to schedule your annual skin cancer screening. “For individuals who have a history of skin cancer, especially melanoma, they should not forgo their annual exam,” Dr. Wang says. If you see something abnormal, schedule a visit with your dermatologist because they can follow pregnancy-specific guidelines to ensure safe care. Below, top dermatologists answer your biggest questions around sunscreen that’s safe to use during pregnancy. We also have a list of the best sunscreens to use during pregnancy, according to the Good Housekeeping Institute. However, it's important to note that the best sunscreen is actually one you'll use every day. Remember, skin cancer is a known risk of exposing yourself to UV rays, but there are no proven risks to using sunscreens that are currently sold in the U.S. Our top picks:
Best Overall Pregnancy-Safe Suncreen for Body Hawaiian Tropic Mineral Skin Nourishing Milk SPF 50
Best Overall Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen for Face Sun Bum Mineral Sunscreen Face Lotion SPF 30 Best Value Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen (Body) Coppertone Pure & Simple SPF 50 Best Value Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen (Face) Bare Republic Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Face SPF 30 Best Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin Australian Gold Botanical Sunscreen Mineral Lotion SPF 50 BEST Pregnancy-Safe SUNSCREEN FOR COMBINATION SKIN ULTA Mineral Sunscreen Body Lotion SPF 50 Best Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen for Face and Body MDSolarSciences Mineral Moisture Defense Body Best Absorbing Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen La Roche-Posay Mineral Anthelios Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50 Best Fragrance-Free Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen Babo Botanicals Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 Best Pregnancy-Safe Gel Sunscreen Bare Republic Mineral Sunscreen Face Gel-Lotion SPF 30 Best Moisturizing Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen (Face) Olay Regenerist Mineral Sunscreen Face Moisturizer Active sunscreen ingredients fall into two categories: inorganic (more commonly known as mineral or physical) and organic (more commonly known as chemical). Organic sunscreens are not organic the same way that fruits or vegetables might be organic. They’re organic in the sense that they are chemicals that are carbon-based (you might remember the term “organic compound” from high school chemistry class). Meanwhile, inorganic sunscreens are made of minerals. As a result, organic and inorganic sunscreens differ in how they protect us from ultraviolet (UV) rays. “Organic sunscreens absorb ultraviolet radiation,” explains Valencia Thomas, M.D., a professor of dermatology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Inorganic sunscreens, like zinc oxide and titanium oxide, block the sun.” Are there sunscreens that are not safe for pregnancy? In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (which classifies sunscreens as over-the-counter drugs) made noise when it proposed that only the inorganic active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide should be generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) in sunscreens. The FDA also noted that the chemicals aminobenzoic acid acid (PABA) and trolamine salicylate should not be GRASE because of safety concerns (although those ingredients aren’t really found in sunscreens in the U.S. anymore), and that 12 other organic active ingredients should not be GRASE because more data is needed to support their use. The main issues for the 12 chemical ingredients in question are related to absorption. “The FDA has conducted a number of studies investigating the absorption of organic sunscreen in the skin,” says Dr. Thomas. “Although blood and skin samples revealed some absorption of sunscreen ingredient, researchers did not recommend changing the current recommendations for sunscreen use. Further tests were recommended.” While some research on rodents who were fed high doses of organic sunscreens has suggested the ingredients can affect estrogen levels, “the effects in humans have not been proven in randomized, controlled trials,” says Dr. Thomas. What’s more, one research paper noted that a person would have to cover 25% of their body with a typical amount of sunscreen continuously for 277 years to absorb the volume of chemicals ingested by the rats. “The physiological difference is enormous,” adds Dr. Wang. Since inorganic sunscreens sit on top of the skin, there’s been less worry about their potential for absorption, although concerns have been raised about newer formulations that use smaller nanoparticles. “Multiple studies have concluded, however, that although the sunscreen may penetrate into the outer layers of the skin, inorganic nanoparticles do not reach the deeper layers of the skin and therefore do not result in significant absorption,” says Dr. Thomas. The bottom line? Yes, the FDA requested more research to demonstrate the safety of some organic sunscreens, but it has not said you should stop using them. “Sunscreens are considered to be safe and effective for most people, including pregnant women,” says Dr. Thomas. The only people who shouldn’t use it, she notes, are infants younger than six months old — they should be kept out of the sun or wear sun-protective gear. Note: In 2021, a number of sunscreens were recalled after tests identified low levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical compound. None of GH's recommended sunscreens are part of the sunscreen recall. If you’re wondering about inactive ingredients you should avoid during pregnancy, ask your dermatologist for recommendations. There are a few mistakes that are commonly made when it comes to using sunscreen. The first has to do with the amount of product applied to your skin. “If you’re looking at the laboratory study, people use 2 milligrams per centimeter squared,” says Dr. Wang. “But in general, most people only use a quarter or half that amount, so in reality they don’t get the adequate protection.” That means, if you’re a typical person putting sunscreen on, you’re probably not giving yourself the full SPF protection that’s touted on the product label. It’s best to liberally apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more to dry skin 15 minutes before going outdoors (even on cloudy days!) and then reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating. RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Applying Sunscreen Properly Why trust Good Housekeeping? Kaitlyn Pirie is a senior editor in the Health Newsroom at Hearst, where she reports, writes and edits research-backed health content for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day. She has more than 10 years of experience talking to top medical professionals and poring over studies to figure out the science of how our bodies work. She then turns what she learns into easy-to-read stories about medical conditions, nutrition, fitness and mental health. For this story, she and veteran health journalist Marisa Cohen consulted with two top dermatologists as well as Danusia Wnek, a chemist in the Health, Beauty and Environmental Sciences Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Danusia analyzed the results of the Institute's sunscreen tests to select the best mineral sunscreen products for pregnancy. Kaitlyn Phoenix Senior Editor Kaitlyn Phoenix is a senior editor in the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she reports, writes and edits research-backed health content for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day. Marisa Cohen Marisa Cohen is a contributing editor in the Hearst Lifestyle Group’s Health Newsroom, who has covered health, nutrition, parenting, and culture for dozens of magazines and websites over the past two decades. |
