Sunscreen for Babies

My pediatrician said Waterbabies is the best for young children. There is also a new one I started using that is suppose to be as gentle as water. I have already used it once on my 3 mth old and it never bothered her. Unfortunately I can't remember the name. Sorry and good luck

Hi K.,
You'll want to stay away from sunscreens with avobenzone, it's more irritating to skin, Blue Lizard has a good sunscreen for kids, but it's pretty expensive. I've always used Walgreen's brand for babies, It just has zinc oxide and it stays on the skin well without irritation.

You can try Ocean Potion brand. Here is the website to check it out. http://www.opotion.com/
I was a lifeguard for 8 years and have been through about every available brand myself. I use either Ocean Potion or Hawaiian Tropics on myself and my kids now. My only advice is to reapply Ocean Potion often. It doesn't seem to have the same oil base most others have and if you go into the water it comes right off. So re-apply, re-apply! Which is always a good idea anyway! Good luck!

I use Ocean Potion spray SPF 45 on my 6 mo son. My doctor has okayed it for babies, as it is one of the best on the market. She said there is only one that is better and she couldn't remember the name. The spary works really well for us. We all have pretty fair skin and not one of us has come home with a sunburn yet. If you want to research Ocean Potion, do a google search for the website. I found loads of good info when I was investigating it. Oh, and it doesn't smell like coconut like all the other brands out there. It has a more pleasing scent.

I hope it all works out for you!

Hi K.,

I recommend choosing a "physical" or "chemical-free" sunscreen made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide — look for one of those ingredients on the label.

Unlike chemical sunscreens, which may cause irritation or allergic reactions because the skin absorbs the active ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sit on top of the skin, forming a barrier against the sun's rays. There's no evidence chemical sunscreens are dangerous or toxic, but we just don't know enough yet about how young children react to the ingredients. Also, sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide start protecting as soon as you put them on, whereas chemical products need to be slathered on 30 minutes in advance so the skin has time to absorb them.

If you do use a chemical-based sunscreen, do a patch test first to make sure your child won't have a reaction to it. Apply a small amount to the inside of her upper arm. If she develops a rash or redness at the site by the next day, choose another formula instead. Also make sure any chemical sunscreen you use is labeled "PABA-free." PABA was once widely used in sunscreens but now has been linked with skin irritation.

You may have heard you should look for a "broad-spectrum" product that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Any sunscreen that contains the physical blocker zinc oxide or titanium dioxide will do this.

The sun protection factor (SPF) should be at least 15, but you generally don't need to go above 30: Higher than that and you're getting smaller and smaller amounts of added protection — which, in a chemical sunscreen, means a higher dose of unwanted chemicals. It's fine to use a "children's" sunscreen, but don't go out of your way to buy one of these, since they're usually no different from the adult versions.

Hope this helps!!

Maybe she doesn't like the smell.

Hi K.,

You can look up the ingredients that is in the sunscreen and you will probably be amazed that they make it with harsh chemicals. I am a member of a wellness company that use natural ingredients in all their products as well as their sun screen. Truely a change of life!
Cyndi
____@____.com

Hi K.,
I use the same exact sun tan lotion, but didn't start putting it on my 4 year old until last year. When she was a baby I used Water Babies and it worked fine. I used that for the first two years. The SPf I believe is 45 but they may go higher. When she was 3 I tried the Disney brand. I DO NOT recommend it. It did not protect my daughters skin very well. That's when I started putting the same stuff I use on her.

I'm not sure if Aveeno has sun block but that brand is suppose to help with sensitive skin. If nothing you try works, ask her doctor he might be able to recommend something.

Good Luck!

I had the same problem witht he coppertone line for the babies. We experienced redness with the eyes and watering along with allergy like symptoms. We tried the banana boat line for the kids and she had no problems...

good luck.

Hi K.,

My daughter has sensitive skin also. Our pediatrician recommended Neutrogena products. I have been using the neutrogena healthy defense oil-free sunblock lotion spf 45 on my daughter since she was 2years old. Ask your pediatrician - becasue there were a list of other sunblocks that she recommended but neutrogena was the least expensive and works just fine for my daughter.
good luck.
ps also search for 'natural lotions for baby' or organic lotions for baby on the web.

K..
I myself am allergic to sunscreen, but only on my face. It burns like you would not believe, but there is no rash or redness.
I use waterbabies on my daughter and have used it a couple times on my face and it seems to be ok. Mostly, I use the sunscreen stick, whcih is made more for faces because you can just put it on like a big marker. This has never bothered me.

My adult sister is allergic to PABA in sunscreen. It leaves a burning feeling on her skin but she gets no rash. You could try a sunscreen that is paba-free.

I use Aveno Baby 45. My son also has sensitive skin and it does not bother him. I have also used just the aveno 30 and 45. Even though it does not say baby, it is the same stuff.

We always use organic sunscreen on our baby, and have never had any problems. I think California Baby is the one we use, but any thing that says organic should be fine. That way, you know you are not covering your baby with a bunch of nasty chemicals.

K. Maybe she has alittle Itch and sensitive to this type of lotion / sunscreen.

I would highly recommend trying an organic sunscreen. You can usually get one at any organic store such as Granary

N.
www.discoverytoyslink.com/N.