Sunscreen Recommendations???

T.,

Water babies brand has always worked for us, and us adults have always used coppertone or banana boat.

K.

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We use Aveeno baby sun screen.

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I am as pale as they come and so are my children - three dermatologists I have seen have directed me to Blue Lizzard because it has the high zink oxide content. Available on-line, just google it.

*K

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Each day I wear Skin So Soft SPF30 sunscreen with bug guard in it from Avon, cool n fabulous. It has a nice smell and it comes regular & in disappearing blue for kids. It has to be a daily routine for me. I buy mine from this rep with free shipping ALL THE TIME-use code FSANY when checking out: www.youravon.com/kaylakinnick

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Hi there, I Love MD Skincare Sunscreen. You can Find them only at Nordstrom or some specality stores. I too am almost finished with school, applying for the Nursing program. I have a 6 year old, and an almost 6 mo old little boy. All of us have extreamly sensitive skin. We have tried So many and tested so many " Test Spots" This one just worked well for us, was Md Skincare. Not to be confused with mdcosmetics, or others. This has White and Orange Packaging. We love the fact that they come in packets, as well.. you just wipe on, and discard, no messy hands. They also have the cream as well.. Hope this helps.. I know its not for every one, but.. Protection from the Sun is so important..
Take care,
A.

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I use Blue Lizard. They make a formula for infants/kids. It is pricey, and I've only been able to find it online, but it has few potentially harmful ingredients.

The Environmental Working Group maintains a searchable cosmetics database where you can check out the safety of various products: www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

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Look into skindeep.org. They rate beauty products based on toxicity. I like California Baby sunscreen and soap the best.

I'm not sure if you have any luck with hats, but that has been the best option for my lilly white daughters face/neck/head (she has thin blond hair so her scalp will burn if I don't have a hat on her). For the rest of her I use Banana Boat baby sunscreen spray spf50. I keep a sunscreen stick by Baby Blanket for her face so i'm not spraying around her mouth/nose/eyes. She doesn't really have sensative skin though so any brand works ok for us.

I do know however that Aveeno, Baby Blanket, California Baby and Blue Lizard are the best for sensative skin (as others have mentioned). Here is a website with some really great info on the ingredients and toxic chemicals in beauty products. You can put in "baby sunscreen" and get ratings of the best and worst brands/types.

www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

Aveeno sunblock, It works well and is gentle on skin.
My son who has severe skin allergies, exzema and sensitivities to almost everything, was able to use this well and have no complications.

You'll probably have the least reaction if you use a physical block rather than a chemical one. I pay more for mineral sunblocks for my girls and myself because of the things I've read about all the leading brand chemical blockers. But I'm still trying out different ones each time I see a sale I buy a tube, and we aren't very sensitive, so don't have a favorite.

I really like the Banana Boat products. My family deals with sensitivities and this seems to work for all of our different problems. It doesn't feel or smell like chemicals or perfume, and is very moisturizing.

T.,

There is a great website that I use whenever I'm looking for products for my daughter. It's www.cosmeticsdatabase.com There is a section specifically for baby care products and sunscreens. The site breaks down products into their ingredients and rates them for safety. I'm not an all-natural mom, but I like having some info about which products are more natural and have fewer fillers/preservatives/etc. Good luck. I'm thinking about getting some SPF clothing for my daughter this summer too, so I don't have to worry about sun exposure as much. They have some items at Target for a really reasonable price.
K.

Jodi has a great recommendation with Blue Lizard. I also consulted the cosmetics database website when searching for a sunscreen for my little one. I ended up with a California Baby unscented #30, it was spendy--but I've had it for two years (it's very concentrated)

I like the Jason for kids. I checked it and it's only 46, but I'd rather have the mineral (physical) sunblock than the chemical additives, especially parabens. It's for sensitive skin, too.
Good luck

CA Baby has been great for us, and I've heard good things about badger too. Good luck!

California Babies is fantastic! I've used it on my son from Hawaii to just our backyard and it works great. And he has never had a single reaction. Smells nice too and it feels very moisturizing. The one I got is waterproof, 50+ SPF, and for sensitive skin. I got mine from www.diapers.com. Good luck!

My favorite is the Infant Banana Boat spray for sunscreen. I spray it on my hands and then apply to son's skin. It absorbs quickly, not greasy, and spreads evenly. You can buy it in double packages at Costco for a great price. (Previously used Water Babies and Aveeno). Also, I bought a lot of different hats to protect his face (as sunglasses were never practical). Best wishes!

My daughter has ultra sensitive skin and got a nasty rash with every sunscreen we tried. I did my research this winter and found that it is best to use a sunscreen with Zinc Oxide instead of all the other chemicals. This year, we are trying Blue Lizard and California Baby. They are top rated. I found Blue Lizard at Bartells and it is a little more expensive but it is made for the Australian Sunscreen Standards which is the highest sunscreen standards in the world. California baby I had to order online.

Hi, I heard (2nd hand) that a study in Australia found sunscreens were most effective if they contain Titanium Dioxide. I'm sure this will change next month but this is as current as I get ;-)
S.

Hi T.,

I would recommend trying the California Baby, Badger or UV Natural brands. The Badger is all zinc oxide for protection. The other two have zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. (I could be wrong on the California Baby, it has been a while since I have used it.) The Badger and UV Natural (Australian brand that you can find online and at Whole Foods) are both pretty think creams with oil in them and you have to follow the directions. I know people who complain that these sunscreens don't work but that when I ask them about when they applied them it is clear why. All the sunscreens that use zinc and/or titanium oxides that I have seen say they need to be applied 20 minutes before sun exposure. I think people are so used to the chemicals ones that they just don't think they have to do that. My skin and my son's can't take the chemical sunscreens so we have to plan ahead a little. I am prone to break outs with really oily products but with all three of these products I haven't broken out at all. And I have to tell you I used the UV Natural both in the foothills of the Washington Cascades and on a Carribbean cruise last August and my skin looked better than it ever has before. I stayed protected and my skin actually got healthier. The Badger and UV Natural both have to be worked since they are so thick. If you don't want to mess with working in the sunscreen then try the California Baby. You had another response about SPF and I just wanted to say that I have heard that as well and it seems to be true from my experience. Also, I do think that the most current information says that the zinc oxide is the best at blocking harmful rays, someone else pointed this out as well.

Good Luck,
S.

I used a 50+ Trader Joe's brand with my children & myself.

we've had allergic reactions to banana boat spray-on sunscreen, almost worse than having sunburn! we switched to california baby sunscreen as it doesn't contain nasty chemicals. we also use badger sunscreen but it is really thick and my girls don't like the scent. they both work really well but it takes a bit for it to soak in and it's a little greasy (altho we've never broken out because of it).

whatever you choose, don't forget to check out the safety of the ingredients at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Try going to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com for information about what's really in sunscreen (or any cosmetic). My daughter is fair-skinned too and I put a lot of time into researching what sunscreen is best. I use Blue Lizard for Baby (in the pink tube - found it at Rite Aid). It works fantastically - no sunburn ever! When it comes to baby, I try to limit exposure to chemicals as much as possible. I used to use Mustela and Cetaphil too before I switched to more gentle organic, naturally-fragranced products like California Baby and Weleda (much better!) And never, never use J&J type products - they're cheap but full of bad stuff!

Without hesitation, I recommend the Kinesys sunscreen. My son has red hair and very fair skin, and is prone to eczema. Any sunscreen with alcohol in it just about makes him scream. This is fantastic product and it works - he has not gotten any color while in the sun, let alone a sunburn, even though it's only SPF30. Here's the info:

• Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection with Parsol® 1789
• Oil–free / alcohol–free / PABA–free
• Water–resistant / sweat–resistant
• Hypoallergenic / Non–comedogenic
• Fragrance–free

Here's the link from where we buy it from:

http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/3497.htm

It's a bit pricey, but one bottle should last you the entire summer. It's not at all greasy and the spray is a fine mist - I've used it on my son's face too with no problems.

Hi! We've had luck with California Baby products, especially the sunscreen. I got mine at New Seasons, but I think I saw it at Rite Aid the other day,s o maybe more places are carrying it now. Good luck!

K.

We have used many brands but the one we liked best was Avon's "Skin-so-soft". My grandparents also used it on their wiener dog. It also keeps the bugs off.
I am allergic to many sunscreens, even though I use the ones for babies.

We had great success with waterbabies (I believe that is the coppertone brand - pink bottle) and I also tried the Aveeno baby - it was fine, can't say I preferred one over the other...

Aveeno products have worked well for my daughter and i.

One thing to consider is investing in a good sun hat and long sleeved/legged but light clothing - then you can avoid the sunscreen on short trips.

We use Kiehls baby sunscreen. Our daughter was allergic to banana boat products.

I too have a fair and sensitive skinned child. Our favorite sunscreen is Badger (http://www.badgerbalm.com/p-372-spf-30-for-face-body.aspx). It can get oily if too much is applied, but a paper towel after application can fix that in a jif! You should be able to find it at Whole Foods, PCC, or most natural foods stores. We've also used Aveeno, but it has some toxic ingredients so it's our backup. When I was doing research on sunscreen before taking my 6 month old to Hawaii last winter, I read over and over that any SPF over 35 is the same. As I said, we were taking a fair baby to Hawaii in the middle of winter, but she never burned or even turned pink. We did try to keep her in the shade when possible but that was more for comfort due to the heat. I really like badger and feel like it's a great sunscreen!

I've also heard good things about California Baby from other moms with fair kids, but haven't used it personally. We use their body wash and lotion and really like those though so I do have confidence in the company and it's products.

T.,
My family just spent two weeks in Maui with a 3 year old and a 7 month old. We live in Alaska, so I was very worried about the sun exposure. Someone recommended Blue Lizard for babies & sensitive skin. My 3 year old has very sensitive skin and we didn't have any reactions. I found it online at Drugstore.com. It worked very well, in fact, on the hottest day in Maui (over 85 degrees) we were at the pool from 10-4 and my three year old barely had a tan line and no redness at all. I just made sure to reapply every hour and a half to two hours. I think it's only a 30SPF, but I was told by my dermatologist that there isn't that much difference after 30SPF. Hope that helps.

I love Loreal's Ombrelle. You need to purchase it from Canada or online. They have a kid's version as well. It truly blocks all of the UVA and UVB rays. Although sunscreens in the States say they block UVA and UVB rays, I still get freckles even when using them. When I use Ombrelle, no freckles.

My daughter has extremly dry skin and exzema and is red headed and fair with freckles. For me the best has been the baby coppertone in the lotion formula or the spray lotion. DO NOT use any sprays unless it says lotion spray. From my experience they are very very drying to the skin.

Last summer we had great luck with the coppertone baby product in the baby formula.