Why you and your bump need protection from the rays—plus the safest creams you can buy.

By Anna Getty, Eco Editor

There are many mysterious and wonderful things about being pregnant—from the feeling of your baby growing inside you to the desire to sleep like a cat all day—but pregnancy mask, also known as melasma or chloasma, isn’t one of them.

Melasma happens when your pregnancy hormones trigger your skin to darken (aka hyperpigmentation). The darkening usually crops up around the eyes, hence the name “pregnancy mask.” Although melasma often goes away postpartum, in some women it
never disappears entirely—I still look like I’m wearing brown rouge, thank you very much!

Besides hormones, time in the sun can cause or worsen the darkening. That’s why you should never go outside during pregnancy—OK, I’m kidding. But if you think a deep tan might add to your “pregnancy glow,” think again. Pregnancy is not the time to skimp on sunscreen, because even if you don’t develop melasma, your skin is still extra-sensitive.

So when you do spend time in the sun, cover up with a wide-brimmed hat and a long-sleeved, light cotton shirt. And, yes, slather on ample amounts of sunscreen about 30 minutes before going outside. During both my pregnancies, I chose (and continue to choose) non-toxic creams made with mostly organic ingredients—and avoided oxybenzone, a sunscreen chemical that is on the Teens for Safe Cosmetics “Dirty Thirty” for its link to cancer.

The mild, mineral sunscreens zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been tested safe. Because these ingredients are white and reflect light, they can leave a white film unless they’re turned into smaller particles, so many formulas do so (the Food and Drug Administration still hasn’t reviewed the safety of micro- and nano-izing these minerals, but I feel OK about it).

I usually use children’s sun protection products because they’re made specifically for sensitive skin. Stick to a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has protection against both UVA and UVB rays and is at least SPF 15, so it filters 93% or more of the sun’s damaging rays. View the chart below for paraben-free recommendations for pregnancy suncare, and to use later on the whole family.