It's our job as parents to look out for the health and safety of our children ... and that includes using sunscreen. But with so much competing information about which one is best, how do you ever choose? What do you look for? We know it's tempting to just slather your children in the same sunscreen you use on yourself, but that might not be ideal. After all, kids have different needs, and we'll soon get into all of them.
With so many choices on the market, it's hard for parents to know which sunscreen to choose for their little lambs. What ingredients are OK? What types of sunscreens should babies use? It feels like a chemical puzzle that we have to solve to keep our kids safe and healthy.
That's why we spoke with dermatologists to determine what parents should know about sunscreen, and the ingredients they should be looking for. Diane Madfes, M.D., FAAD, tells Best Products that the first thing parents should understand is that babies and children are not mini adults: Their glands and hair follicles are less mature, and their skin is thinner and more sensitive. Because of this, not only should parents be hyper aware of the products they're using, but also how they're applied, when they're applied, and when they need to be reapplied.
Madfes notes that babies under 6 months old should not be using sunscreen. At that age, it's best to keep them covered and in the shade during the heat of the day when the sun is highest. After that, parents should be applying sunscreen to their babies at least 15 minutes before going out in the sun, and it should be reapplied every few hours (more often if they're playing in water).
Ingredients to Look For
Paraben-Free Zinc: Zinc sits on the outermost layer of the skin, where it reflects ultraviolet light and radiation. It doesn't sink into the skin, making it a safe choice for baby, according to Madfes.
Titanium Dioxide: Similar to zinc, titanium dioxide doesn't absorb into the skin. It is a small-particle layer that sits on top of the skin, and works to protect against UVB rays.
Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides: These are moisturizing agents that help prevent sunscreen-treated skin from becoming dry and flaky. Madfes suggests finding sunscreens with these ingredients added to the zinc or titanium, instead of other chemicals that you may find.
Creams and sticks are best, as opposed to popular sprays, notes Madfes, who suggests using the application time to give your baby a little massage or to bond with your child. Making the experience enjoyable for your kids means they're less likely to balk when the time comes.
Using Madfes’ guidelines and our own years of experience parenting kids who hate sunblock, we've found the best sunscreens for kids available on the market. They don’t stink, are great on even eczema-prone, hypersensitive skin, and are readily available.
Do yourself a favor — if you like this one, set it up on auto-renew. Otherwise, it’s so easy to forget. It’s formulated with zinc oxide and free of parabens, phthalates, and fragrances. It truly smells like nothing and feels like a typical lotion.
It doesn't burn like wildfire if it gets in your eye, either. We consider this a solid sunscreen at a great price.
You know when your kids are running away from you and you need to just get something on them? This is the sunscreen for that. We love it to throw on the kids’ faces before they head outside. It’s great for spot coverage, but if you like it, it’s easy to spread over their whole bodies as well.
It contains zinc oxide and SPF 50, and it is actually sheer, which many mineral sunscreens are not.
If your kids are a little bit older and you want them to put on their own dang sunscreen, Project Sunscreen has an easy applicator for kids to put it on themselves. It’s like a roll-on deodorant or perfume, but it’s a paraben-free, zinc oxide sunscreen. Plus, the top can be hung from your kids’ backpack, so that they don’t forget it.
Yes, it is spendy, but it's easy to apply and smells phenomenal.
Baby Bum is the creamiest option on this list. It's made with coconut oil and shea butter, using zinc oxide as sunblock. There are no dyes, no gluten, and no parabens. It rubs in fairly quickly for a mineral sunscreen, with minimal effort required. And while it does have a light, slightly medicinal scent, it evaporates quickly.
Blue Lizard sunscreen is super water-resistant, which makes sense because it's coral-reef safe. It's a zinc formula enriched with sunflower seed oil and vitamin E to make the stick glide on with ease. And at under $15, it's a really great deal.
It's rare to find a sunscreen that works well for the whole family, but this hypoallergenic, zinc oxide, environmentally friendly sunscreen is just that. It is gentle enough for kids, but clean and sheer enough for parents to feel comfortable wearing it, too. Even better, it's water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Don't worry about the fish: This sunscreen is reef-safe. Babo's sunscreen is made with zinc oxide, and it's gluten-, soy-, dairy-, peanut-, almond-, and walnut-free. It rubs in quickly, and the sunflower seed oil makes it easy to apply for everyone. It's super comfortable, even for the littlest kids.
If you’re a die-hard Coppertone fan (as many are), you’ll love this zinc formula from the brand. It smells familiar, and it’s full of neat ingredients like tea leaf, sea kelp, and lotus extracts that help soothe and protect the skin without traditional chemicals.
This formula is perfect for kids who suffer from dry skin. It's full of oatmeal and shea butter that work wonders on itchy kids. Made with non-nano zinc, it's reef-safe and quick to apply. It smells lightly floral to my nose, likely due to the calendula oil in the formula.
This was the first mineral sunscreen I ever purchased, and I still love it. It's made with non-nano zinc and aloe vera, and was the first sunscreen to pass Whole Foods' Market Premium Care requirements.
SPF 50
Non-Nano Zinc
Aloe Vera
Cat BowenParenting EditorCat Bowen is the parenting editor at BestProducts.com where she researches all of the best products for families from pre-conception through their teen years, focusing on matching scientific evidence with real-life needs.
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