Nanny to Mommy

Have you heard the myth that you shouldn’t wear sunscreen whilst pregnant? There is a ton of misinformation out there, and quite frankly it’s seriously dangerous to be misinformed on this topic. Whilst there are lots of things to avoid whilst pregnant (sayonara soft cheese and retinol), sunscreen is totally pregnancy safe. Keep reading to find out the best sunscreens to wear whilst pregnant and the many reasons you shouldn’t ditch the sun cream for 9 months!

There are lots of ingredients that are recommended to be avoided whilst you're pregnant. When it comes to sunscreen, the quick answer is yes, it’s safe to wear whilst pregnant. The slightly longer answer is that while it’s safe to wear, we recommend opting for mineral or physical sunscreens. The simple reason for this is that there’s not enough research on chemical sunscreens and their potential effects whilst pregnant. Bottom line though, you should absolutely continue to wear sunscreen whilst pregnant and take all the sun protection precautions you normally would.

While it’s safe to wear sunscreen whilst pregnant, it’s also safe to wear it when you’re breastfeeding. Once again, we recommend opting for a physical sunscreen like a zinc oxide formula for extra peace of mind.

There are tons of benefits when it comes to wearing sunscreen including:

- Prevent skin cancer

- Help prevent melasma (which is more common in pregnancy)

- Prevent fine lines and wrinkles

- Keep skin texture smooth

- Hydrate skin

When deciding which sunscreen to wear whilst pregnant, consider:

- Choose a mineral sunscreen

- Choose fragrance free formulas

- Use both a face sunscreen and a body sunscreen

- Always wear broad spectrum sunscreen

- Use an SPF30 minimum or SPF50+

- Use something mattifying if you experience breakouts whilst pregnant

You can read more about pregnancy safe sunscreen from an expecting mum and founder of an Australian sunscreen brand, Ultra Violette now.

Lean Screen is an excellent choice for pregnant women or new mums who want a zinc oxide sunscreen. It’s the highest protection at SPF50+, and fragrance-free, so ideal if you are a touch more reactive during pregnancy. Forget images of cricketers with stripes of zinc on their faces - Lean will sit perfectly under makeup and never leave a white cast or a sticky texture on your skin. We particularly recommend this formula if you’re experiencing hormonal breakouts as it has a subtle matte.

- Fragrance-free

- SPF50+

- Zinc oxide formula

- Matte finish

Clean Screen is a mineral sunscreen formula and great for pregnant women or new mums. With a super lightweight gel texture and a natural finish, Clean Screen has a fragrance-free, SPF30 formula that’s perfect for acne-prone or normal to combination skin.

- Fragrance-free

- SPF30

- Titanium dioxide formula

- Alcohol free

- Ideal for acne prone skin

Inspired to shop for your new pregnancy sunscreen? Make sure to take other sun protection methods like wearing a broad-brimmed hat, protective clothing and staying in the shade too.