

“ may not give increased UVA protection and can fool people into thinking they’re safe from sun damage.” While you might be tempted to grab the sunscreen with the highest SPF levels, Spilman suggests avoiding SPF levels above 50. Sadeghpour says they are “not only excellent measures of sun protection, but they don’t require reapplication.” If, while pregnant or nursing, you’re experiencing more perspiration, Sherber says these conditions could “warrant more frequent reapplication.” More tips for choosing a sunscreen while pregnant or nursingĮach expert leads with the fact that sunscreen is only one part of sun safety and pregnant or nursing women should also employ other forms of protection like wearing protective clothing, hats and sunglasses avoiding extensive sun exposure during peak hours (10 a.m. Should women who are pregnant or nursing apply sunscreen more often? “Since pregnancy state does not change the photosensitivity of the skin, the recommended SPF is the same during pregnancy as non-pregnancy state,” Sadeghpour tells us. Sherber, Sadeghpour and Spilman recommend choosing a sunscreen that is labeled broad-spectrum - meaning it offers UVA and UVB protection - with a SPF level of 30 or higher. Is there a certain SPF level that pregnant or nursing women should use? Overall, yes! Like foods, there are certain ingredients to look out for and avoid, but you should still be wearing sunscreen daily and taking sun protection measures while pregnant the same way you would when not. Shop Show your mom she's not a 'regular mom' with these 24 cool Mother's Day gifts Frequently asked questions Is sunscreen safe during pregnancy? Overall, she emphasizes the importance of reading sunscreen ingredient labels and avoiding the above ingredients in not just sunscreens, but any type of products, whenever possible. Fragrance (or parfum, as it may be called on some labels), can mean “an undisclosed mix of scent chemicals and ingredients used as fragrance dispersants,” and such mixtures have been linked to allergies, dermatitis, respiratory issues and reproductive system effects, she says.
#Sun bum sunscreen pregnancy safe skin
She references a 2012 FDA study that suggested retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin and exposed to sunlight, can potentially speed up the development of tumors and lesions. Spilman also calls out retinyl palmitate (another vitamin A derivative) and fragrance as harmful. While she tells us that fewer sunscreens are currently made with oxybenzone, “the EWG still found it in 30 percent of the non-mineral sunscreens reviewed.” Other consequences of exposure to oxybenzone Spilman mentions include being a potential endocrine disruptor and linked to shorter pregnancies, lower birth weights and an increased risk of endometriosis. In addition, a 2022 study conducted on mice in perinatal development found that oxybenzone, even delivered in low doses, negatively altered the mammary gland stroma. “Studies have shown that oxybenzone can contaminate the placenta and breast milk of marine mammals and humans,” she tells us.

Spilman references a FDA study from 2019 that found that oxybenzone was one of the ingredients absorbed by the body after one use and can be detected on the skin and in the blood weeks after that use.
