It’s officially summer for us which means lots of picnics, playdates at the park, pool parties, and BBQs, which in turn means a TON of sun exposure. Like most parents, we lather our kids up with sunscreen when we are going to be outside for a while, but did you know that not all sunscreens are considered safe? Did you know that some sunscreens use active ingredients that enter the blood stream at levels that exceed the FDA’s recommended levels? Some ingredients even disrupt hormones (affecting growth, development, and reproduction), and can cause allergies.
There are only TWO sunscreen ingredients that are considered safe: zinc and titanium.
I switched my entire family over to zinc and titanium sunscreens a few years ago after doing some research, and I want to share that information with you!
WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING SUNSCREEN:
If you are shopping for sunscreen (either for you or your children) there are a few things you want to be looking for.
- Mineral sunscreen – make sure the active ingredients are either zinc and/or titanium dioxide.
- Broad spectrum – make sure the bottle says broad spectrum on it. Broad spectrum means that it protects you (and your littles) from both UVA and UVB rays. Surprisingly, not all sunscreens are broad spectrum.
- Water resistance – if it is not marked as water resistant it will likely just wash right off the second you start sweating or jump in the pool.
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE NON-TOXIC, BROAD SPECTRUM SUNSCREENS:
Although most of the sunscreens below are considered “baby” sunscreens (i.e. sunscreen intended for use on a baby), they are fine for all ages. My whole family uses a baby sunscreen!
Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen – SPF 50, water resistant (80 minutes)
Badger Active Baby Natural Mineral Sunscreen – SPF 30, water resistant (40 minutes)
Blue Lizard Australian Mineral Sunscreen – SPF 30, water resistant (40 minutes)
Goddess Garden Kids Mineral Sunscreen – SPF 50, water resistant (80 minutes)
Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Mineral Sunscreen – SPF 50, water resistant (80 minutes)
Thinkbaby Sunscreen – SPF 50, water resistant (80 minutes)
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DANGEROUS CHEMICALS:
There are many dangerous chemicals used in sunscreens, with oxybenzone and octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate) at the top of the list.
Click here to read about more dangerous chemicals – scroll down to find the chart.
WANT TO KNOW EVEN MORE?
If you want to know more, check out these helpful links below.
EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) Sunscreen Guide – this guide is great, and super informative. After you look at the guide, spend a little bit of time on their website. I think you’ll find it really helpful! You can even search for specific sunscreens you may already have to find their safety rating.
FDA’s New Proposed Regulations
Hopefully they will take the dangerous sunscreens off of the market before next summer, but until they do it’s our job to find the safest we can!
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