My New Favorite Sunscreen
Considering that my children are pretty much naked nearly all of the time while at home, we invest in a lot of sunscreen.
I use the Environmental Working Group database to analyze how toxic sunscreens are because it has never made sense to me to try to protect your skin from cancer by slathering on known-carcinogens.
And yet the more natural the sunscreen, the more impractical it tends to be. The healthiest kinds (those with a rating of 1) are so thick, so pasty, and so frustrating. Then you don’t want to put on the sunscreen at all. And then you are back to the original cancer.
So I’ve finally landed on a compromise. I use Sun Bum, which has an okay rating at 5. It’s so light and easy to put on. It rubs in fairly well for less toxic kinds of sunscreen. Heads-up: It does smell of coconut, which may not appeal to some people. I tend to get put off by strong smells, but this one is really light to me.
We feel ready for the summer!
4 Comments
Rebecca
I always check EWG too and we had been using either Honest or Babyganics creams. I just bought the Babyganics 50SPF spray (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/661453/Babyganics_Mineral-Based_Sunscreen_Spray%2C_SPF_50%2B/) and used it all this weekend for 6+ hours outside each day – it was great. It goes on much easier than any of the 'natural' creams we have used – you still have to rub it in after you spray but it is much thinner (my 6 and 3 year old were able to rub it in them selves for the most part) and leaves very little white residue.
If for some reason the Babyganics stops working for us, I was going to try the Alba 50SPF spray next – I've had good luck with their products.
Unknown
ThinkBaby is great! SPF 50+ and a EWG rating of 1! It is easy to rub in and not thick and greasy at all! We get it on Amazon, but saw it at Target in the kid's section recently.
Moxie
We use this one: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/728848/NO-AD_Sun_Care_Sport_Sunscreen_Lotion%2C_SPF_50/
It got a 3 in the EWG database and was top rating/review from here:http://m.thesweethome.com/reviews/best-sunscreen/
Plus it was even cheaper in brick and mortar stores (I think $7 at HEB)
Sara E. Cotner
Thanks for sharing, Everyone! I look forward to trying out some new leads!