Pregnancy in the summer: how to protect the skin from the sun

Pregnancy in the summer: how to protect the skin from the sun
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Under certain conditions the sun is a health ally, because it stimulates the production of vitamin D, puts you in a good mood and can even help out when you suffer from certain skin diseases. Even in pregnancy, therefore, there is no reason to avoid it, but you have to expose yourself carefully.



A little because, in general, if a little sun is good, too much risks hurting, provoking sunburn and erythema and increasing the risk of developing skin cancers. A little bit because the hormonal changes that occur in pregnancy make the skin more sensitive to the sun's rays and more at risk of developing unpleasant spots, especially on the face (chloasma or melasma gravidarum).



Read also: Pregnancy, the spots on the face

Crucial to the protection is the constant use of a good sunscreen. Here how to orient yourself in your choice and how to apply it so that the tan is really safe.



In this article

  • choice of sunscreen during pregnancy
  • Are Sunscreens Safe During Pregnancy?
  • how to apply the cream
  • how often to put the cream
  • cream and skin type
  • Should the cream be used even when in the shade?
  • should the cream be used even if it is cloudy?
  • does sunscreen expire?
  • do you get tanned even if you put on cream?
  • what to do if stains have already appeared?


1 Choice of sunscreen: do you need special products during pregnancy?

No, you do not need to buy special products, unless you have an allergy to some ingredient (in this case the doctor will suggest the most suitable cream).



What matters is that it is one cream with a high protection factor: better to start with Spf50 +, and eventually go down to a slightly lower protection (but still average, with Spf30) after a few days of exposure. But be careful: on the face it is better to continue to use the high protection, because that is where the skin spots keep appearing.

Furthermore, it is good to verify that in addition to the filters Uvb (those that the protection factor Spf deals with), the cream also possesses Grape filters. The equivalent for the Spf grape is the pf filter. Therefore the label should also explicitly mention the indication Grape pf. If there is only a generic reference to UV, type of UVA / UVB protection or a stamp with the wording Grape, it means that by law the product contains an anti-grape filter equal to at least one third of the sun protection factor Spf indicated on the label. Therefore, if the cream is Spf30, the Grape-pf will be at least 10.

Read also: Sun creams, everything you need to know

Grapes and Uvb, what's the difference

As the biotechnologist and science journalist explains well Beatrice Mautino in his book The trick is there and it shows, the Grapes, which make up more than 90% of the UV rays we encounter every day, do not cause burns, but they penetrate deeply into the skin and there they stimulate the formation of free radicals: molecules that promote skin aging and damage the DNA of cells, increasing the risk of developing tumors.

The Uvb instead they are few and stop in the most superficial layers of the skin, but they are the main culprits of sunburn.

2 Is it safe for the baby?

Some studies have indicated the possibility of some substances contained in sun creams passing into the blood. Some of these are suspected to be endocrine disruptors, ie substances potentially capable of altering hormonal balances. But beware, it doesn't mean you need to worry.

"There are no specific indications for pregnancy," says Beatrice Mautino, biotechnologist and science journalist, expert in cosmetics. “Although some filters can pass into the blood, they do so with a margin of safety which is considered more than acceptable for European standards ".

For some substances, 14 in all, the European Union has initiated a procedure for the collection of further data which will then be evaluated by the Scientific Council for Consumer Safety. “If we really want to apply the precautionary principle, we can avoid them while waiting for their opinion in Brussels. However, taking into account that these are in any case molecules that have already passed tests, so that they have not shown evident effects ”underlines Mautino. The list of substances can be found in this document (in English).

3 How to apply the cream

The cream willapplied evenly and abundantly 15-20 minutes before sun exposure, so it has time to distribute itself well on the skin surface and there is no risk of being "uncovered" on the way to the beach (or the path for walking in the mountains) or forgetting to put it on as soon as you arrive.

The cream should be put on dry skin: on the wet or sweaty one it risks slipping away.

As for the dose, think that the indication would be 2 milligrams per square centimeter of skin, which corresponds to about 30 ml of cream (equal in volume to a ping pong ball). So don't be afraid to overdo it.

4 How often the cream should be used

The application must be renewed every 2-3 hours, because the protective efficacy decreases over time. And if you've bathed or showered or sweated a lot, it's better to put some more cream back on, even if it says it's water resistant on the label.

5 Yes, the cream should also be used when you are already tanned or with a dark complexion

At the most, as the skin tans, you can go down to medium protection.

6 And even when you are under an umbrella or in the water


Even in the sea, you can get tanned and burned anyway. Of course, the cool temperature does not make you feel the effect of UV rays, but the water filters only a small part of the radiation, not to mention that there is also reverberation. Same thing if you are under the umbrella: surely the fabric filters a little, but not completely, while the sand reflects the sun!

7 And yes, it should be worn even if it is cloudy

The clouds filter very little UV rays and in addition when the sky is cloudy you do not feel the sensation of heat, so you do not feel the need to take shelter under the umbrella (which in any case does not protect completely). Moral: the risk of getting burned could be even higher, therefore the cream must be applied equally.

8 Can I continue to use last year's cream?


In reality, the duration of a cream after opening is specified on the label: in the case of sunscreens on average, the duration is 12 months. However, I realize that solar is often left in the beach bag, warm in the sun and that sometimes you forget to close the cap and a little sand could get into the bottle.

In short, there are factors that could alter the cosmetic and decrease its effectiveness, for this reason better not risk it and buy a new cream at the beginning of the season.

9 Don't worry: you can tan just the same with the cream

Often, the fear that putting them on you won't get tanned is holding you back from using sun creams. This is not true, although it will inevitably be a more gradual and a little less intense tan.

10 What to do if stains have already appeared?

First of all it pays to be even more cautious with sun exposure and protect your face with a high protection cream. If the blemish is particularly evident, you can contact the dermatologist, who will be able to recommend creams with a slightly lightening action compatible with the state of pregnancy.

Read also: The sun in pregnancy

Questions and answers

When to apply sunscreen?

The best protection is obtained by applying the cream a quarter of an hour or half an hour before exposing yourself to the sun and reapplying it about twenty minutes after arriving on the beach.

Which sunscreen to choose?

No special products are needed: it is better, however, to start with a Spf50 + cream

- Updated on 10.07.2022

TAG:
  • Sun
  • tanning
  • sea
  • mountain holidays for children
  • family vacations
  • pregnancy sun
  • skin
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