Board-certified dermatologist Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, has a bit of advice for those with melasma who need a good sunscreen. “Generally, I always recommend to look for a broad spectrum SPF protection 30 or higher,” she shares. “Importantly, look for the active ingredients of zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide. On top of that, for melasma, it’s very important to have blue light protection. It helps to prevent hyperpigmentation from blue light, which is visible light, and is not covered by all sunscreens. An ingredient to look for is iron oxide. This won’t show up in the active ingredient list at the very top, you have to sift through the full ingredient list. Also, tinted sunscreens, just by having that tint, help protect from blue light/visible light. Overall, a tinted mineral sunscreen is the very best or one that contains iron oxide.”
If your skin is also sensitive, Murphy-Rose says there are a few things you’ll want to steer clear of. “Avoid purely chemical sunscreens. They will protect from sunburn and skin cancer, but they will not protect against melasma. You really need that mineral shield between your skin and the sun to protect against the hyperpigmentation from melasma.”
For a few of Murphy-Rose’s recs along with a few of our own favorites, keep reading below.
Shawna Hudson
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