Ideas for Alternative Sun Screeen

Updated on March 30, 2009
J.A. asks from Gresham, OR
31 answers

My two-year old daughter's face swells and gets red and blotchy when we use sunscreen. I've tried several of the children's brands and have also been to a natural products store and have tried several samples. I thought I had found something there at the end of last summer, but when I used it on her yesterday, she broke out. Just wondering if anyone has any advice before I go the route of scheduling an appointment with her pediatrician. Thanks!

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L.A.

answers from Seattle on

You might want to get an appointment with an allergist. It sounds like the swelling could be a symptom of an allergic reaction, and it's something not to take lightly, could become very serious at any point. Best to you.

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D.G.

answers from Eugene on

Have you tried ARBONNE Baby products? They were the only thing that didn't irritate my daughters skin as a a baby. They are a totally vegan company. You can contact a friend of mine to learn more my friend is April and here-mail is ____@____.com luck!

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J.N.

answers from Seattle on

I know a couple of kids with very sensative skin that have had good luck with Kiehls (sp?). They have a store in University Village and will give out samples so you can try it. My daughter had very fair skin and what we have found to work the best is a wide brimmed hat made out of the sunscrean material, we have t-shirts and swimsuits made out of it too. The hats are easy to find at BRU and The Right Start. THe clothes are harder and we mostly get them on-line.

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A.G.

answers from Portland on

check out ewg.org. (environmental working group) this is a great resource to find out the ingredients for all sorts of products and they go through each and rank it for safety and efficacy. there are about 100 baby sunscreens in their database. also a good place to look up beauty products and cleaning products.

1 mom found this helpful

D.J.

answers from Seattle on

Get someone to bring you few kids sun blocks from Europe. They have different ingredients plus some kind of "special" ingredient that is still not FDA approved here. My mom brings me some from Germany and it works much better than the stuff I find here plus there are no more rushes on my son's cheeks. His cheeks use to get dry and flaky from the sun blocks here.

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B.G.

answers from Portland on

You might just call the nurse at your doctors office, or get a referal to a dermatologist?

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S.W.

answers from Portland on

arbonne sunscreen works for my daughter with excema. it is a home business product. ____@____.com

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J.B.

answers from Richland on

Are you sure it is the suncreen and not the sun?

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L.W.

answers from Seattle on

I am an independent consultant for Arbonne and would love to get you a sample of our sunscreen to try. My son has very senstitive skin and all these products have been great. This is how I became a consultant through using the baby line. Email me a ____@____.com if you are interested in trying the sunscreen! Good luck though.

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T.K.

answers from Medford on

If you don't find something it sounds like she has allergic reations and I know a product that may help her from the inside out, you can call at ###-###-#### T. K

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T.P.

answers from Anchorage on

I am allergic to shampoos and lotions. Most of them have fragrances, formaldahydes, and lots of other chemicals that some peoples skin does not appreciate. I buy my my shampoo, lotion, and sunscreen from an online company called national allergy. They carry a line of products called free and clear, it has been the only brand I have been able to find that is o.k. for me to use. Maybe she also has allergies. Good luck!

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A.B.

answers from Portland on

Have you tried one with only titanium dioxide in it? This is a mild, natural physical only blocker, (meaning no chemicals so it just stays on the surface of the skin)- you have to reapply more often, but it might be gentler on the skin. I get it at New Seasons, but you might find it elsewhere too.

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A.S.

answers from Portland on

Have you tried a hat or a sunvisor?

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B.S.

answers from Portland on

Hi J.. If you are open to alternative sunscreens then you might be open minded about the idea that sunscreens aren't good for any of us anyway. We actually really need some good sunshine and for our skin to soak up vitamin D from the sun, but we also have to be careful not to get burned. I have 2 year old twins, and I don't worry about them out in the sun if they are properly clothed and are wearing a good hat. If they are out for a long period of time and during the peak sun hours, I use a sunscreen by Aubrey Organics called Natural Sun made with green tea and titanium dioxide as it's "screen." It smells really nice and works well for my family. I'm not sure where you can buy it at a store, but I know you can order it online at several places. Anyway, here is a link to a fabulous article that talks about the dangers of sunscreen and why it is SUPER important for us to be getting sunshine every day. Blessings to you.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/0...

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T.H.

answers from Seattle on

J.,

Have you tried the Blue Lizard stuff? It's the only thing that doesn't irritate my daughter's skin and eyes. Good luck.

T.

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J.S.

answers from Seattle on

Hello J.,

I buy sunscreen from a company called Melaleuca. It is a non-toxic formula and is kid friendly and environmentally friendly. My children have sensitive skin and have not had problems with it.

The only drawback is that the company doesn't let you buy just one product unless you can buy through somebody who is already a member. I am a member and I love the other products, so I never have problems. You can check out the company at Melaleuca.com If you want a sample, I'd be willing to send you one. Just let me know.

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C.T.

answers from Seattle on

We're also Melaleuca customers here, we found them because of my DD extereme chemical reactions. I use their Nicole Miller moisturizer for normal skin for my kids faces it has SPF 15 and I use their Sunshades Sunscreen for the rest of their body. We also dress appropriately.

My best friends son (who is a very pale red head) is so sensitive to sunscreen that he used to scratch till he bled. She's been using the Sunshades for 2 summers and it works great for him and their whole family (all red heads w/fair skin) people have even noticed and commented on it to her.

I met an adoptive mom 2 yrs ago while in China to get our DS she was there getting her DS. She went back last year for her DD w/albinism. I told her about the sunscreen and she uses it daily on her daughter. Head to toe she has to wear sunscreen because of the albinism (they live in Arkansas) and she has told me that Rachel hasn't so much as gotten a hint of pink on her to date.

It's a mineral based sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB. It would definitely be worth a try. At least all their products are 100% satisfaction gauaranteed.

C.-WAHM to 4 y/o virtual twins if you have any questions please feel free to shoot me a message.

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M.G.

answers from Seattle on

I would recommend a chemical free sunscreen that uses only zinc oxide as active ingredient - for example from Lavera (www.lavera.com).
In addition use sun protective clothing and a hat to minimize exposed areas.
Good Luck.

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A.D.

answers from Seattle on

Both of my children were allergic to sunscreen as well, and the only kind that didn't make them break out in hives was Dr. Haushka Children's sunscreen (which is like liquid gold at $25 a tube!) I highly recommend trying it. It can be found at Whole Foods or PCC. LAst year my daughter was 9 and used regular natural sunscreen without getting a rash for he first time. Good luck!

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K.G.

answers from Seattle on

I would try a sunscreen that is PABA free, a lot of people are allerigic to PABA and it ends up looking like you get more sunburned while wearing sunscreen then if you go without.

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K.S.

answers from Portland on

AVON is comming out with one that doesn't have any chemicals in it. The sunscreen is from minerals. It is like the mineral makeup that everyone talks about that is good for your skin. If you are interedted talk to your AVON rep or respond back to me and I will get you a sample to try.

GOOD LUCK!

K.

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C.F.

answers from Spokane on

Your daughter may be allergic to harsh chemicals. Conventional sunscreens have phthalates and estrogen mimickers that are absorbed through the skin. A little sunshine in moderation is good Vitamin D.

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C.B.

answers from Portland on

My son and I both have sensitive skin and we like Baby Arbonne. However, I think it would be a good idea for you to see a Pediatric Dermatologist to determine the allergy. Plus, they will give you advice on sensitive skin sunscreens.

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J.C.

answers from Portland on

Hi there,
My son also has extremely sensitive skin. I use a product from Australia called Blue Lizzard Baby. It is the only one I have found that is ok for babies under 6 months old. It is effective the moment you put it on because it does not use chemicals to protect. It simply forms a barrier on top of their skin. You can Google it and buy it directly on-line, or find the list of vendors and get it from a local drug store.

If that still doesn't work I would try protective clothing. Many companies are making hats, shirts, and shorts out of cloth that has an spf of 50+. Hope that helps.

R.M.

answers from Medford on

Hi, My daughter has fair and sensitive skin so sunscreens can burn her skin. I put hats on her that cover her neck and face. Hats from, Flap happy, are our favorites!
R.

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S.N.

answers from Medford on

I am a red-head and have fair-skinned children with skin allergies, so we have to be consistent about sunsreen use and careful about the type!! Try Arbonne's sun care products. they are pretty good. I have also had luck with Mary Kay. However, when my kiddos were babies, the thing that seemed to bother their skin the most was the water-proof types. When they are babies, they really don't need water-proof, and you can pick up a sunblock without water-proofing chemicals at most health food stores. What I have found myself doing mostl is just keeping them covered so that they don't have to suffer through sunscreen use. They wear rash-guard swim shirts with long swim trunks, and hats made by Columbia that fit well, cover their ears and necks and can be worn in the water. That is working best for us, and my boys mind the extra clothes much less than the goopy sunscreen. Hope that helps!!

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E.E.

answers from Eugene on

Hi J.,
You have gotten good recommendations so far. The best sunscreen I know of is the one that I sell. Miessence Reflect outdoor balm, which uses a physical blocker, zinc oxide.

Miessence products are manufactured in Australia and are shipped to the US from our US warehouse in Nevada.

The Reflect Outdoor Balm is tested up to SPF 30 (although they cannot state that on the label, the label says SPF 15.)
If you want to learn more about this send me an email.

http://elyorganics.com/products/13430/

A water-free nourishing balm with natural minerals that help reflect damaging ultraviolet radiation. Microfine (NOT nano) zinc oxide offers protection from harmful rays while organic olive oil keeps the skin supple. Potent antioxidants including natural vitamin E, beta carotene and polygonum extract, protect the skin from premature aging and prevent damage caused by the elements.

Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm Complete Ingredients List:

Organic olive fruit oil, Zinc Oxide, capric triglyceride, Organic Shea Fruit Butter, Organic unrefined beeswax, oat kernel flour, polygonoum multiflorum root extract, natural vitamin e, organic carnauba wax, Organic olive fruit oil, Organic Rosemary Extract, dunaliella salina algae extract

All sunscreens using zinc oxide are not created equal. Many companies use coatings on their zinc oxide, we do not use any coatings the zinc oxide used in the Reflect Outdoor balm

The Environmental Working Group is the best place to look up products and ingredients: http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com

All of the Miessence products are listed on that site, and I am the Independent Representative that got our products listed there. This is a fantastic resource to learn more about these issues. Oh darn, I just looked on the database and it looks like the ratings for our products are not up right now, we are in the process of updating all of our information on the site so they must have removed the products while they are updating them.

I'll update you when they have the ratings back up.

You can read more about issues with chemicals for children's products on my website that talks about this very issue.
http://elyorganics.com/pages/miessence-organic-baby-child...

I have a offering in the Perks for 20% off and free shipping on orders over $100.

I also live in Eugene and have products at my house too. I have a home based business.

If you have questions about this please feel free to ask me more.

Regards,
E. E.
Independent Representative
ONE Group/Miessence Certified Organics
http://elyorganics.com/

Earn income from home selling certified organic products.
http://www.elyorganics.info/

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J.B.

answers from Seattle on

Alba is a good natural alternative sunscreen. You can find at PCC and Bartells. (I think) It could be a reaction to the sun. I believe someone said that previously. If that is the case protective clothing is your best option! Hope things get better.

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B.G.

answers from Seattle on

Get her a hat with a big brim as well.

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M.S.

answers from Portland on

My nephews have eczema that only flares up if they use the wrong soaps or lotions, especially sunscreens. Behind the pharmacy counter is sold a lotion that helps clear up flare ups that is called U-Lactin. The only sunscreen they have found that does not cause flare-ups is Banana Boat. It says it is "gentle as water". It is also PABA-free which she could be allergic to

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