Find the Best Sunscreen for Melasma and Bask in the Light of the Sun

Many people have melasma.

It is a skin condition which forms dark brown-grey and tan patches on the face, most often on the cheeks, nose, chin, upper lip and forehead.

It also sometimes appears in other places that are exposed to the sun such as the forearms and neck.

Melasma causes no physical discomfort, but dark marks on the face can cause embarrassment and loss of self-esteem (1).

Melasma can be treated, but unless best sunscreen for melasma is used to prevent damage by the sun's ultraviolet rays, the unsightly spots will return.

Best Sunscreen for Melasma - Top 3 Recommendations

What causes Melasma and Hyperpigmentation?

More women than men get melasma also known as hyperpigmentation. In fact, nine of every ten people with this condition are female. Most are between the ages of twenty and fifty.

While little is known about the causes of melasma, there seems to be a strong hormonal connection. Pregnant women in their second and third trimester appear to be particularly prone to the condition. It is commonly referred to as the pregnancy mask and medically known as chloasma (2).

Estrogen, Progesterone and Melanocyte-stimulating hormones are elevated in pregnant women, but it is the progesterone that is believed to be the trigger for melasma. This is because menopausal women who are given progesterone as hormone replacement therapy are also inclined to get melasma, but those given estrogen do not have the problems. 

Birth control pills are also a risk factor for melasma. Scented cosmetics can also be the trigger for those who are particularly prone to melasma. Stress can also trigger melasma.

The condition typically occurs in people with darker complexions, afflicting mostly Asians, Hispanics, Africans and Middle Eastern women.

It also has genetic connections as those with blood relatives with the condition are more prone to getting melasma. People with thyroid problems are also more likely to develop melasma. Studies have shown that the melasma is darker in the summer months, fading in the winter.

Ultra-violet rays from the sun cause Melanocytes in the skin create melanin. It is the body's way of building up protection from damaging ultraviolet rays. When they produce too much melanin, dark patches can occur.

Getting a Diagnosis

Dermatologists will examine the skin under a woods light to determine how deeply the melasma penetrates into the skin.

The light will also show up any bacterial or fungal infections of the skin. If the dermatologist is unsure of the diagnosis, he can quickly and easily perform a biopsy of skin taken from the affected area. In this way, he can eliminate other conditions that may look similar to melasma.

When a hormonal condition causes melasma, it can clear itself once the cause is removed, so melasma caused by pregnancy is likely to clear up once the baby is born, and that caused by hormonal additives may clear when the medication is changed or discontinued.

Prevention is Key

People with melasma must protect their skins from the sun, and most will have to re-apply a broad spectrum 30+ sunscreen every two hours.

Sun avoidance is the best way to prevent worsening melasma. 

Wearing a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors will help to protect the facial skin from the sun’s rays. Some cosmetics may worsen the melasma. Waxing should be avoided as it can cause the melasma to darken.

Melasma Treatments

Some medications can cause skin irritation.

A Review of the Best Sunscreen for Melasma

What to Look for in a Sunscreen

A broad-spectrum sunscreen will protect you from UVA and UVB. UVA causes the skin to age and UVB causes the skin to become burnt. It causes sunburn, peeling, and blisters. It burns only the top layer of skin.

UVA penetrates the epidermis and excites the melanocytes, which causes the skin to darken. Both types of UV damage cause skin cancer.

The Sun Protection Factor or SPF gives you a measure of how long you can stay in the sun without burning. It is an indication of the amount of time that it will protect you from the UVB rays.

Dermatologists recommend that you should use an SPF of at least thirty for adequate protection. The thirty indicates that you can stay in the sun thirty times longer than you could if you had no protection.

There two basic classes of sunscreens, chemical and physical.

Physical sunscreens bounce the UV rays off the skin and protect against both UVA and UVB, which is why they are generally the best sunscreen for melasma. They typically contain zinc oxide or titanium oxide.

Make sure that you discard your sunscreen when it reaches the expiry date, as it will start to degrade and you will no longer have the protection that you think you do. If it is not in a cool, dry place, it may expire even more quickly

The Best Sunscreen to Use for Melasma

In the final analysis, Neutrogena was the best sunscreen for melasma.

Inexpensive, and recommended by dermatologists, this broad-spectrum sunscreen has twice the SPF of all the others.

It is also water resistant, so it continues to protect the skin when in the water or when sweating.

Don’t take the risk of increasing the dark spots on your face, a few weeks of care by a dermatologist and the application of a good sunscreen and slowly those spots will start to fade.