Sunscreen: Just Say NO to Toxins!

Buying Sunscreen to prevent sunburn? Avoid the ingredient “Oxybenzone” and “Retinyl Palmitate.”

Conflicting studies (and availability of other products) have motivated me to make a list of sunscreens currently safe to use.

List of Oxybenzone and Retinyl Palmitate Free Sunscreens for Babies and Children

Adorable Baby

Aubrey Organics for Kids

All Terrain Kid Sport

Babyganics

Baby Pibu

Banana Boat Baby and Kid, Lotion Only

Burt's Bees Baby Bee (I love this name!)

California Baby

Caribbean Solutions Kid Kare

MD Moms Baby Sunscreen

TruKid All Natural

As always, read your ingredients.

I will add more as I find them. If you are aware of any Oxybenzone / Retinyl Palmitate-free sunscreens, feel free to message me.

Moving forward now.

Use sunscreen, then prevent sunburn with the following tips.

Get the shade going! Does that sound obvious? Whenever you can find shade for your child, then go to it.

Cover up. The more body surface area you've covered, the better. Swim shirts. Trunks. Cover Ups. Hats, hats and more hats.

Reapply sunscreen. Reapply every 2 hours when playing outside, every 1 hour when in water. For extremely fair-complected little ones, reapply hourly. I know this sounds compulsive, just go with it.

Plan activities in morning and evening. Of course, get out and have fun in the sun! But, if you are planning an event, say a swim party, why not have it in the morning or evening?

Here's a word of caution about sun exposure.

Hydrate. Babies should not be in the sun for a prolonged period of time, but if they are outside they should be drinking more than usual. Toddlers and older kids should drink plenty of water while outside. Keep water handy.

Pink child. If your child looks pink, then it's time to get out of the sun for the day. This means a sunburn is imminent if your child stays in the sun. This could also be a sign of too much heat. Ensure she is drinking well. She should be urinating normally, and have a good activity level. If any of these three components are missing, contact your doctor immediately.

Cloudy day? Don't let the absence of sun fool you. Your child can still get sunburned. So, sunscreen up!

For further information, reference the National Institute of Health.