Sunscreen (Mineral & Chemical Filters)

Pregnancy

ACOG's pregnancy skin page advises sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat outdoors to help prevent melasma from worsening; it does not discuss individual filters. FDA's 2021 proposed order suggested GRASE status for zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and requested more data for several other active ingredients, including oxybenzone and octinoxate. FDA's 2026 Q&A says the request for data is not a finding that those ingredients cause harm, and the remaining provisions of the 2021 proposal are still pending. FDA added bemotrizinol to the U.S. OTC monograph in June 2026 and removed PABA and trolamine salicylate in September 2026 after finding their risks outweighed their benefits; the FDA page says it is not aware of currently marketed products containing those two ingredients. The EU SCCS assessed BP-3 by product format and concentration and described the endocrine evidence as inconclusive or equivocal. UK regulations effective January 21, 2026 limit BP-3 to 2.2% in skin products, including sprays, 6% in face, hand, and lip products excluding propellant and pump sprays, and 0.5% in other cosmetic products. If BP-3 is also used at 0.5% to protect the formula, the UV-filter limits are 1.7% in skin products and 5.5% in face, hand, and lip products. These are consumer-product rules, not pregnancy-outcome studies. Matta et al. studied sunscreen-filter absorption in healthy adults, not pregnant people. The 2019 randomized trial enrolled 24 volunteers and reported concentrations above 0.5 ng/mL for four tested products after four applications on day one. The 2020 randomized trial enrolled 48 adults and found all six active ingredients above 0.5 ng/mL after one application on day one under its study conditions. FDA describes the 0.5 ng/mL value as a trigger for additional nonclinical testing, not a clinical harm threshold. Neither trial measured fetal or child outcomes. Suh et al. reviewed 29 human studies of BP-3 and octinoxate and concluded that the evidence did not establish a causal link between systemic levels and adverse health outcomes. A 2026 cohort of 393 mother-child pairs measured maternal urine filters in the third trimester and assessed child development at age six. Higher BP-3 in the third tertile was associated with lower scores on three cognitive measures. The study measured urinary exposure, not sunscreen use, and its authors called for confirmation in further research.

Breastfeeding

LactMed's February 15, 2026 revision says human milk studies used donated samples and were not designed to measure the mother's sunscreen application or dose. LactMed reports no relevant published information on infant levels or effects in breastfed infants. Molins-Delgado et al. (2018) tested 79 human milk samples; 24% contained ultraviolet filters, with BP-3 among the main contributors. Liu et al. (2022) analyzed 100 pooled samples from 3,467 individual human milk samples and estimated breastfed infants' daily intake of the measured filters below the corresponding reference dose. These studies measured exposure, not clinical effects in infants. LactMed advises that products containing octinoxate, enzacamene, and especially oxybenzone probably be avoided during breastfeeding because of possible endocrine effects. The Breastfeeding Network gives general topical-product guidance, including that sunscreen can be applied liberally as needed. The two sources differ in how they address particular chemical filters. A 2026 HOME cohort study of 373 mother-infant pairs measured maternal urinary phenols during pregnancy and later breastfeeding duration. Each doubling of BP-3 was associated with 13% higher odds of ending breastfeeding earlier than intended, but the authors noted the limited sample size and multiple testing. This was prenatal biomarker research, not a study of sunscreen use while breastfeeding or infant outcomes.

What was tested

Matta et al.'s 2019 randomized trial enrolled 24 healthy adults. Participants applied 2 mg/cm2 to 75% of body surface area four times daily for four days; 23 completed the trial. The 2020 trial enrolled 48 healthy adults and used four product formats. Participants applied 2 mg/cm2 to 75% of body surface area once on day one and four times daily on days two through four; blood levels were measured over 21 days and 44 participants completed the trial. Neither trial enrolled pregnant participants or assessed fetal outcomes. Ying et al. included 393 mother-offspring pairs, measured maternal urinary UV filters in the third trimester, and assessed cognitive and behavioral development at age six. Molins-Delgado et al. analyzed 79 donated human milk samples; Liu et al. tested 100 pooled samples collected from 3,467 individual samples. LactMed says these milk studies were not designed to measure maternal product use or infant health outcomes.