The short answer
Mineral filters are the ones most often recommended during pregnancy.
On labels you may see it as: mineral sunscreen, physical filter.
Context
What Zinc Oxide does
It absorbs and scatters across UVB and the full UVA range, including UVA1, which most single organic filters cover poorly.
It is photostable, meaning it does not break down under sun exposure the way avobenzone can without stabilisers.
Typical use on shelf: 10%–25% in mineral and hybrid sunscreens..
Watch-outs
What to keep in mind
- White cast on medium and deep skin tones, unless tinted or heavily optimised.
- High-zinc formulas can feel dry or draggy.
- Nano vs non-nano is a common concern; regulatory reviews have not found evidence of nano zinc penetrating intact skin.
Next step
Check your whole routine, not one ingredient
One ingredient rarely decides anything. Paste the full list from each product you use into the pregnancy ingredient checker and take the flags to your clinician. The full write-up on Zinc Oxide — what it does, irritation, pore-clogging risk — is on the Zinc Oxide explainer.
Other ingredients in pregnancy
AllantoinAlpha ArbutinAvobenzoneAzelaic AcidBakuchiolBenzoyl PeroxideCentella Asiatica ExtractCeramidesCoconut OilDimethiconeGlycerinGlycolic Acid
See every ingredient at a glance →