Affordable Non-Toxic Baby Sunscreen Brands For This Summer

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Protect your little one’s delicate skin with the best non-toxic baby sunscreens. With better options and less toxic ingredients, these sunscreen options are safer for your whole family’s health and for the environment. See our top favorite non-toxic baby sunscreen brands that we recommend for being outdoors this summer!

Recalls are on the rise for more and more products on the market and sunscreen is no exception. Conventional sunscreen is full of harmful chemicals that are not only bad for our health, but also for the environment. Some places you go to won’t even let you wear sunscreen in their waters because it can damage and harm aquatic life. 

Our babies take in the most chemicals due to the increasing number of harmful products we put on them and their body size. These chemicals are also increasing many health issues like asthma, fertility, and even ADHD issues.  The FDA even advises against putting conventional sunscreens on babies under six months of age because “Babies’ skin is less mature compared to adults, and infants have a higher surface-area to body-weight ratio compared to older children and adults,” “Both these factors mean that an infant’s exposure to the chemicals in sunscreens may be much greater, increasing the risk of side effects from the sunscreen.”

The good news is that if you use non-toxic baby sunscreen brands you shouldn’t have to worry about these issues with your baby or children. They are free of harmful ingredients, reduce allergic reactions, are safe for baby’s sensitive skin, are safe for the entire family, and are safe for marine life due to natural ingredients. 

Are conventional Sunscreens Safe?

Conventional sunscreens have tons of chemicals that are bad for our health. Most ingredients are endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, and damage aquatic life like coral reefs. Many of these ingredients are also hardly tested for safety and are not even FDA-approved for use. The FDA has even publicly said that seven sunscreen ingredients enter the bloodstream after ONE single use at levels higher than the recommended safety limit. 

“In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration, which governs sunscreen safety, proposed its most recent updates to sunscreen regulations. It found that only two ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, could be classified as safe and effective, based on the currently available information.  Twelve other ingredients are not generally recognized as safe and effective due to insufficient data: avobenzone, cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, padimate O, and sulisobenzone.” (Environmental Working Group)

A Deeper Look into Some Ingredients in Conventional Sunscreens:

The main, active ingredients in most popular sunscreen brands are homosalate, avobenzone, and octocrylene. All three of these ingredients are not generally recognized as safe, yet they are the main ingredients in sunscreen. 

Homosalate:

Homosalate specifically absorbs short-wave UVB rays, which actually increases skin cancer risks. It also impacts our hormones, mainly estrogen. In human breast cancer cells, which grow and multiply in response to estrogen, homosalate exposure led to 3.5 times more cell growth and multiplication. Homosalate has also been found in breast milk samples as well, which means our children are ingesting this from very vulnerable ages. Homosalate is the most predominant ingredient in most sunscreens and the level that enters our bloodstream after one use is alarming. 

Avobenzone:

Another major ingredient in most sunscreens, Avobenzone degrades when it is exposed to the sun resulting in harmful free radicals being released into the system. These free radicals can actually accelerate the aging process and increase the risk of illness including cancer. 

Oxybenzone:

Another endocrine disruptor, this ingredient was put on the list to not be used on children, yet it is predominant in sunscreens, including kids’ sunscreens. There was a consensus among experts that kids under two and pregnant and breastfeeding women should not use products containing this ingredient. 

Synthetic Fragrances:

Usually not found in kids’ sunscreens, this is an ingredient to always look out for. “Fragrance” is a term for over 4,000 different toxic chemicals and we will most likely never know the true chemical that the term is a blanket for. This should always be avoided, especially for kids. 

Since these ingredients are present even MORE in our kids’ bodies than in adults due to the surface-area to body-weight ratio, that means we are already setting our kids up for failure for their future health! The good news is, there is a solution!

What Makes a Sunscreen Natural?

A safer alternative to toxic sunscreens is sunscreens that have mineral ingredients. The best non-toxic baby sunscreens have few but effective ingredients. Natural sunscreens don’t have artificial fragrances and are safe for the marine environment as well as our environment. 

The best sunscreen to use is a mineral-based sunscreen. This is because these ingredients are natural minerals that occur in the earth. The most common minerals to use are non-nano zinc oxide and non-nano titanium dioxide. Some sunscreens that claim they are “natural” will have regular zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in them, but these are not as safe and effective as their non-nano particles counterparts. This is because when these natural ingredients go from non-nano to nano, they are more prone to cross the skin barrier and enter into our bloodstream.

The EWG Says “More research is needed to fully understand the extent to which nanoparticles may harm cells and organs if they’re introduced into our bodies. And though some studies have produced little evidence that zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles can cross the skin in significant amounts, other research has shown that nanoparticles can still be absorbed through the skin and lead to toxic side effects in skin cells.”

Do Natural Sunscreens Work?

Natural sunscreens are shown to be safe and effective against the sun. However, you do have to apply them a little more frequently than conventional sunscreens. Non-toxic baby sunscreens are water resistant and protect from UV radiation. They are also reef-safe sunscreens because their ingredients don’t harm marine life. Natural sunscreens have broad spectrum UVA protection and UVB protection just like conventional sunscreens. 

Ingredients in these non-toxic baby sunscreens and their function:

Non-nano Zinc Oxide: This ingredient provides a protective barrier over the skin and is water resistant which means it will not wash off in water right away. This is the active ingredient in all-natural mineral sunscreen brands. Other ingredients are inactive ingredients and can vary in different brands, but some of the other common ingredients are

• Coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil
• Organic Shea Butter 
• Organic Beeswax
• Tocopherols (Vitamin E)
• Natural Vitamin A such as carrot Seed oil (replaces retinyl palmitate, a synthetic Vitamin A)

Other ways to prevent sunburn and skin cancer:

Before sunscreen was around, people took different measures to protect their skin from the sun. Some of these ways were

1. Brimmed hats
2. “Summer clothing.” Protective Clothing that covers extremities but has a thin and breathable fabric, such as cotton, that absorbs sweat and is breathable and circulates air to keep the person cool.
3. Umbrellas
4. Avoiding direct sunlight during the time of days the UV rays are strongest (Roughly 10 am-2 pm)

Using natural sunscreens prevents Vitamin D that comes from the sun’s rays from coming into our bodies. If you want to be out in the sun for Vitamin D exposure, it is best to limit your time, especially between 10 am-2 pm, and be aware if your skin is burning or not. 

Is there a difference between kids’ sunscreen and regular sunscreens?

When looking for sunscreens, conventional sunscreens market “safe for kids” and regular sunscreens. This is because the kids’ sunscreen doesn’t have fragrance in it due to their sensitive skin. When looking for natural baby sunscreen, you don’t have to look for a specific label. 

Top Picks for best non-toxic baby sunscreens

Non-toxic baby sunscreens are all physical sunscreen products. Aerosol spray sunscreen, even ones that may be natural or organic, can pose health concerns, especially inhalation concerns. They also show to not protect as well because it does not cover all of our skin as well. 

• Badger Sunscreens: ($15) Active ingredient is non-nano zinc oxide. They use clear zinc oxide so that you do not have a white residue on your body! Their baby sunscreen has a calendula and chamomile scent while their kids have a tangerine and vanilla scent! The others are unscented if you prefer an unscented version as well. 

• Earth Mama Sunscreen: ($18) Earth Mama is a very reputable brand for all-natural products. They have a range from baby sunscreen to tinted sunscreen as well! 

• Raw Elements Sunscreens: ($17) This has been my favorite sunscreen to use. They have sunscreen sticks that don’t leave a white residue on the body and they have unscented options!

• Rowe Casa Organics Sunscreens: ($16) I love Rowe Casa Organics because they commit to using the best ingredients possible. This sunscreen has both non-nano zinc and non-nano titanium dioxide. They also have a tinted option to use. When you apply this sunscreen, it does leave a white film, which is why I like the tinted better. 

• Earthely Wellness Sun Shield: Note, this is not sunscreen per se. Instead, this is a sun lotion that “soothes skin and protects against the free radicals damage at a cellular level. Organic, cold-pressed oils and butters are rich in antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties, natural SPF, and are high in vitamins A, C, and E to soothe and protect your skin naturally.” If you are going to be out for long periods of time or will be in the sun uva rays are strongest, I don’t advise using this. 

Tips for using non-toxic baby sunscreen effectively:

In order to protect against harmful UV rays, the important thing is to make sure you are applying non-toxic baby sunscreen correctly. You will apply a small amount to the top of the skin. Then, you will want to make sure the skin is dry when applying it to make sure it provides that physical barrier between the sun and the skin. You Will have to apply sunscreen more frequently than conventional sunscreen. Most brands recommend reapplying every 40-80 minutes if in the water and no longer than every two hours. 

Conclusion:

It is always best to research ingredient lists in the products we use. Just because there are organic ingredients in a product, doesn’t mean it is necessarily the best product for you. You can use websites like the EWG website to look up an ingredient and see if it is safe or not. It is important to do the research and find better products for you and your family to use! These are the best non-toxic baby sunscreen brands we have used and work effectively. There may be others out there that are great as well!

Sources:

Should You Put Sunscreen on Infants? Not Usually | FDA

Seven sunscreen chemicals enter bloodstream after one use, FDA says, but don’t abandon sun protection | CNN

The trouble with ingredients in sunscreens | EWG’s Guide to Sunscreens

Nanoparticles in sunscreens | EWG’s Guide to Sunscreens

Homosalate – Safe Cosmetics

Avobenzone and Other Harmful Sunscreen Chemicals 

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO