The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that sunscreen be applied to any exposed skin when babies under 6 months of age are unable to get dressed or in the shade. Once your baby is over 6 months old, the AAP recommends applying sunscreen to all parts of the body.
Given that recent scientific results indicate that all active sunscreen ingredients (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octyl salicylate, and octosylester) are absorbed into the bloodstream and remain detectable in the bloodstream for a few days, many parents are looking for sunscreens with relatively low risk without exposing their children to harsh chemicals.
In accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines (FDA) and AAP, we strongly recommend using mineral sunscreen lotions instead of sprays. Spray sunscreen can catch fire, children can inhale harmful chemicals, and it can be difficult to see areas you miss during application (resulting in a higher risk of sunburn).
Here is a list of the best sunscreens…
1. Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen, SPF 50+
Note that the Thinkbaby and Thinksport Kids mineral sunscreens seem to be the same, so if you can only find one of these, or if one is cheaper, go for it! Thinkbaby is the best choice of sensitive and chemical-free sunscreen overall, with a price of around $3 per ounce and on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website! Thinkbaby sunscreen contains 20% Zinc oxide (non-nano), a low-risk chemical pigment that provides excellent sun protection while also being reef-friendly. What’s more, Thinkbaby sunscreen does not contain: phenoxyethanol, parabens, PABA, phthalates or BPA, oxybenzone, avobenzone, dioxane, or any other harsh chemicals. In fact, this particular sunscreen was the first to pass Whole Foods’ rigorous sunscreen inspection process (their senior care requirements), and they are known to be very picky about their health and wellness considerations. Beauty products. This sunscreen offers the highest protection of 50+ SPF with the highest level of water resistance (80 minutes)! Note that not only are these numbers impressive, they are also the maximum for any sunscreen mandated by the FDA.
Thinkbaby sunscreen is heavy and creamy, but also very easy to dispense and apply to the skin. It leaves a faint white residue that disappears after a few minutes, leaving behind a slightly shiny film. The smell is largely non-existent, smelling a bit like citrus fruit at first, but then it has almost no smell. This baby sunscreen uses non-nano zinc oxide, which is considered safer for coral reefs than nano zinc oxide, so this is a great reef-safe baby sunscreen option if you’re thinking about going for a swim in the ocean. Overall, we think it’s very effective, especially if it’s repeated throughout the day. It’s basically tightly attached to the baby’s butt and is easy to use and effective, but we prefer a sunscreen that doesn’t contain phenoxyethanol. Thinkbaby also produces a really great baby face and body sunscreen stick, SPF 30, which we have a lot of experience with (especially for quick reapplication).
2. Baby Bum Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
For about a decade, Sun Bum has been producing quality sunscreens for babies, children, and adults, and we have been impressed by the quality and efficacy of their products. They produce plant-based sunscreen formulations that are reef-friendly, cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, hypoallergenic, and sulfate-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, dyes, fragrances, and silicones. What are they left with? Mineral protection with 20% zinc oxide, coconut oil, shea butter and other hypoallergenic and developmentally friendly ingredients. In fact, the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) safety database gives this sunscreen a score of 2 out of 10, which means it’s one of the sunscreens with the lowest toxicity and bioaccumulation scores.
As with any mineral sunscreen, it’s heavy and a bit of a hassle to apply. This is not surprising considering the 20% zinc oxide protection. It will leave a little bit of a faint white film, but you’ll be glad it does, because the protection is really great. It works both in the pool and on the beach without any problems with reduced efficiency. As with most sunscreens, sweating a lot can cause sunscreen to drip into your eyes and cause stinging, so we always recommend placing a towel nearby to wipe sweat off your forehead. This is unlikely to happen for babies or toddlers, but it can happen when they rub their eyes with their hands. All but one of the ingredients in Sun Bum are rated by the EWG as having very low risk (score 1 or 2), i.e., phenoxyethanol (a preservative commonly used in personal care products) with a score of 4. This is the only ingredient that is slightly worrisome, and the reason why Thinkbaby is at the top. Overall, this is a very good sunscreen, easy to apply, smells great, and is very effective at preventing sunburn!
3. Blue Lizard Baby Sunscreen, SPF 50
This Blue Lizard sunscreen is sensitive, fragrance-free, and suitable for both children and adults. Blue Lizard Baby Sunscreen uses a combination of 8% titanium dioxide and 10% zinc oxide and is paraben-free and fragrance-free. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) rated this sunscreen with an overall rating of 2, just like Thinkbaby and Sun Bum. In our tests, we found it to be a bit thicker than some of the other options on this list, but it works really well when it comes to preventing sunburn. Blue Lizard baby sunscreen does not contain any high-risk chemicals, but it does contain phenoxyethanol and several other low- to medium-risk ingredients such as dimethicone, chlorphenesin, and castor oil.
The price is very good, around $2.50 per ounce. Be sure to reapply frequently and monitor closely for burns. Blue Lizard also produces a 30 SPF version of this sunscreen, which is thinner and cheaper, but the sun protection won’t be as good.
4. Badger Balm Kids Sunscreen, SPF 30
This is the easiest, 100% natural, non-GMO, 95% organic sunscreen for babies and kids on our list. Badger Balm sunscreen somehow contains only 6 ingredients, the first being reef-friendly, non-nano 18.75% zinc oxide, and the rest being some exotic oils and natural scents of citrus and vanilla. We think it smells great and is a refreshingly easy option in the chemically saturated sunscreen market. This is evidenced by the Environmental Working Group’s rating of 1 or 2 for each ingredient in this sunscreen, which we have never seen before! It provides 40 minutes of waterproof protection and should be reapplied at least every 2 hours. Since it has an SPF value of only 30 (not 50), be sure to apply it more often and carefully monitor for sunburn. One small problem is that the smell can be a bit overwhelming for our children. Prices are also a bit high, averaging around $5 per ounce. Note that Badger also produces the Baby Badger sunscreen, which is scented with chamomile instead of vanilla. We haven’t tried the option yet, but will update when we try. Overall, we think it’s an excellent option for parents looking for the most minimalist sunscreen, although it’s more expensive and relatively difficult to apply.
5. Earth Mama Baby Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 40
Mother Earth takes health and beauty products very seriously, considering the sustainability, safety, and sensitivity of all the ingredients they choose for their products. This is especially true of their baby products, such as baby lotions and sunscreens. Earth Mama Baby Mineral Sunscreen has an SPF level of 40 and a whopping 25% zinc oxide content!But what makes this sunscreen so impressive are the other ingredients – coconut oil, beeswax, olive oil, raspberry seed oil, pomegranate seed oil, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, tocopherol (vitamin E), and calendula extract. In fact, the ingredients are so harmless that even the EWG has given it the safest rating of 1!
But given all these potencies and natural ingredients, you’ll be compromising on a few things. First of all, it’s very mushy and white, and the chalk-like white surface doesn’t rub or fade as quickly as some others. The zinc oxide content is 25%, which is not entirely surprising, but it is worth pointing out. Also, for the same reason, you may find that the sunscreen may wipe off and stain some clothes or baby items (car seats, strollers) due to the higher levels of zinc oxide. Again, this isn’t necessarily unique to Mother Earth, but it’s worth pointing out. If you’re looking for an all-natural sunscreen for sensitive skin with the safest rating we’ve received from EWG, look no further than Earth Mama. Please be prepared to make your kids look a little like a ghostly white on the beach!
6. Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sunscreen, SPF 50
We all know and love a variety of Aveeno lotions, including its popular line of baby lotions and daily moisturizing lotions. Aveeno Baby Sunscreen is a new addition to our list of the best baby sunscreens last year, and it offers protection with SPF 50 and a whopping 21.6% zinc oxide content. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) gave the sunscreen an overall rating of 5 for moderate risk, and this higher level of risk may be due to unfortunate ingredients such as phenoxyethanol, dimethicone, chlorphenesin, and glyceryl behenate. Given these ratings, this sunscreen is not ideal for babies or toddlers with relatively sensitive skin, or parents who are concerned about the environmental and health-related risks of chemical exposure. That being said, it is a very effective sunscreen. It glides on easily, smoothly, and is not mushy or chalky, and any residual white color will fade over time. The sun protection is very good. If the sun is strong, you need to reapply every 90 minutes or so, but it works really well at preventing sunburn. We didn’t have any problems, it rubbed onto our baby carriers or clothes and there was no strong smell. Overall, we love how easy this sunscreen is to use and how effective it is, and it’s affordable – about $3.00 per ounce.
7. Alba Botanica Kids Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 30
We love Alba Botanica a lot, especially their adult sunscreen products, such as Hawaiian Sunscreen SPF 45, which smell and work so well and don’t contain any high-risk chemicals. Formulated with a combination of 2% titanium dioxide and 14.5% zinc oxide, this mineral sunscreen for kids is reef-safe, biodegradable, gluten-free, paraben-free, artificial colors, oxybenzone, and avobenzone. Note that this is not the case with all children’s sunscreens: the SPF 45 version contains some medium-risk chemical sunscreen ingredients. This special, children’s mineral version, is much better. The children’s version provides 40 minutes of waterproof protection and is smooth and dense after application without any oily residue. We also liked that it smelled very little.
When looking at the ingredient list, there are some concerns, including phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, and dimethicone. Benzyl alcohol, in particular, has an EWG rating of 5 and may cause skin irritation in babies or young children with sensitive skin.