Q&A: sunscreen

I've gotten a few requests, coming on the heels of the bug repellent post from a few weeks ago, for recommendations of sunscreen.

Bear in mind, please, that I'm not a doctor or a dermatologist of any sort. I am, however, a very fair-skinned, light-eyed person, and my mom had her first skin cancer at the age of 47. So sunscreen is definitely a priority for me, but I'm not super-anal about keeping up with the exact latest. I feel like it's better to be consistent about using something good than always chasing the best thing.

I definitely choose a physical sunscreen over a chemical sunscreen when I can. I don't understand the chemicals or how they work, and that makes me hesitant to spread them all over my kids' biggest organs. (The ingredients in physical sunscreens have a longer record of use and known effects, just because they're less complex.) But lately they've been lobbying me to get the spray-on sunscreen because it takes less time to apply.

So I need some recommendations from you all. Are there sunscreens for kids that come in big enough buckets that I won't have to repurchase every week, and that aren't so thick that it takes forever to apply them? And that are actually affordable, since we go through so much?

I continue to be in love with the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 for my face. It's a mineral powder (meaning it's a physical sunscreen instead of a chemical sunscreen) that comes in a tube with a brush, so you just brush it on your face like you would a loose powder. It's got a touch of a sort of generic beige-ish color to it if you apply a ton, but it doesn't look fake on pale me or on one of my medium-toned black friends. (It looks like they now have it in "Oily Problem Skin" formula and SPF 45. Awesome.)

The SPF 30 only works if you get even coverage, so make sure you spend the minute or two it'll take to really dust it on evenly. The best part about this sunscreen, IMO, is that reapplication is a breeze, and it absorbs oil instead of making you feel like a grease slick. It hasn't been such an issue so far in this damp June, but when it's 90 degrees F at 9 am I'm happy not to be putting anything moisturizing on my face. It's very pricey at $30, but I'm almost at the end of mine after using it all last summer and whenever it wasn't raining or snowing over the winter, so I've definitely gotten my money's worth. Two of my friends got it on my recommendation last year and are now evangelizers for it, so it's not just me.

A reminder that if you can get your kids to wear hats (and wear them yourself) you'll be providing a lot of sun protection. Lots of kids think rash guards are fun to wear while swimming or playing in the water, and you can get them with SPF built into the fabric.

Don't forget eye protection, either. My uncle the ophthalmologist is pretty vocal about getting everyone to wear good sunglasses, including kids, to protect their eyes.

Did anyone try the Peter Thomas Roth and either love it or hate it? Please tell me what sunscreen to use on my kids. And are my kids the only ones who seem to compulsively lose or break sunglasses?

Comments

[paola]

I have just read an article in an Italian consumer magazine about sun protection which mentions:

Benzofenone 3, an ingredient in chemical filters, should be avoided at all costs as it interacts negatively with your hormonal system. In fact tests show that it is still present in urine up to 5 days after application. This chemical is present in Copertone and Piz Buin brands.

For full protection (to achieve the level of coverage indicated by the SPF) you need to apply 6 tablespoons of sunscreen to exposed areas each time, reapplying after physical activity and swimming. A thin coat of the stuff wil not give the same protection, if any.

There is no such thing as 'natural protection'. There are no known plants or herbs that can protect your skin from the effects of the sun.

Wearing a white t shirt (dry) out in the sun is equivalent to a SPF of 10, so it is still important to apply sunscreen underneath tee's, particularly coloured ones.

[Erin]

@ paola - while there might not be plants or herbs that can protect your skin from sun, there are minerals, as Moxie mentioned. The old fashioned zinc oxide is out of style now because of the white residue that has to be rubbed in, but it works and is significantly less toxic/scary than chemical sunscreens. If you look at the cosmetic database where they rate cosmetics by their known environmental and physical contaminants, they do rate a few sunscreens in the "green" or "safe for people and environment" category - these are all zinc oxide based, to my knowledge (which isn't to say zinc oxide is the only way to go). But common zinc oxides are Badger Sunscreen, Blue Lizard (with baby version), and Nature's Gate (which my pediatrician recommended) - the latter of which boasts "Broad Spectrum" protection which is REALLY important in a sunscreen. These range from 20 to 45 SPF. Mine is only 20 but little one has never gotten close to a burn, perhaps through steady re-application, which is just as important as SPF, I hear. My very fair skinned baby comes from a family that has a strong history of melanoma, so he's *always* in sunscreen and a hat, and when outside for longer periods of time, in a UVA-protection shirt or wetsuit (these are pricey, but worth it, IMO). Too little for sunglasses, but coming soon!

[hush]

Sun protection is something I take very seriously. Living in an extremely sunny place & being the rather vain person I am, I don't wish to prematurely age my skin, nor that of my dear DS. I'm a fair skinned-gal by choice with dark brown eyes, who doesn't burn but can tan like George Hamilton if I'm not extremely careful. I live in a place where white women are crazy enough to slather baby oil all over themselves and lay out in the sun and visit tanning salons- it's a place where almost every every 30+ year old white woman looks at least 15 years older than her real age due to poor sun protection habits.

What I use everyday on my face, neck, and upper chest areas: Eucerin Sensitive Skin Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30, Non-Comedogenic, Fragrance Free. It's widely available for about $9US for 4 fl. oz/118ml. My dermatologist recommended it for use as a daily moisturizer & sunscreen, and as someone on a budget, I love it. For the delicate skin around my eyes I use ROC Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 - available for about $15US for 1 fl.oz/30ml. On my lips I use Chap Stick SPF 15.

The habits I follow: any sunscreen needs to be applied at least 30 minutes before going out into the sun. I always try to walk on the shady side of the street, wear a hat and sunglasses, and generally avoid being outside from 10am to 3pm - harder to do in the summer, but we try to hit the pool after DS's nap and right before dinner instead of at mid-day. DS wears a 2-piece UVA/UVB protectant swimsuit that covers most of his torso, arms and legs. It cost about $15/US. I always wear a cover-up over my swimsuit unless I'm actually in the pool.

Whenever we're by the water in summer or out on the snow in winter, the whole family uses Banana Boat Kids Tear Free Continuous Spray Waterproof Sunblock SPF 50. Picked it up at Costco for about $13US for two 8oz./236ml cans. So easy to apply and we've never had any burns nor skin irritation issues of any kind.

One more thing - I'm not someone who likes to spend a lot, nor who gets all that concerned about the chemical content of products. I realize these values are not the same as most posters on here who are able to make the choice to spend a lot more than me for these kind of products, so please keep that in mind & don't hate! ;) Like Moxie said "it's better to be consistent about using something good than always chasing the best thing." And I'm not naive enough to automatically equate "best thing" with "highest price" or "greenest ingredients" though I could be totally wrong...

[vanessa]

Sun protection is super important to me--I have very pale skin and blonde hair and I never, ever tan. I do, however, burn. Occasionally through sunscreen.
I am a huge fan of Nuetrogena DryTouch for my face and their Cooling Spray for my body. It is a chemical sunscreen, but it has helioplex, which--I'm sorry, I cant cite this, I read in the washington post years ago--helps protect against a certain kind of UV wave. Or something.
Anyway. I am a fan of this sunscreen simply because it is so easy to apply and feels nice and non-greasy. I feel like its OK to put on, provided I soap it off at the end of the day.
I find it works really well for kids, because especially with the spray (or the face stick) there is no need to rub it in, so its quick and easy to apply.

[rachel]

I use two chemical-free sunscreens on my son (not at the same time): California Baby's SPF30+ Sunscreen and Baby Lizard's SPF30+. Both are fragrance free. I plan to get Mexitan for the next sunny trip me and the huz take. I found out about these through EWG's helpful (but not perfect) http://cosmeticsdatabase.com.

[rachel]

FYI, "son" is 13 months, and we started using sunscreen on him on our trip to Florida when he was 8 months.

[Cecily T]

We love TruKids Sunny Days sunscreen. We've only tried the liquid form, not the stick. The kicker is that it is sold out everywhere at the moment. It gets an awesome rating from EWG for safety and it works.

[momgawaga]

A subject near & dear to my pale skin! My mother is a dermatology nurse, and I practically grew up in a derm office. As an oncology social worker, one of the patient populations with whom I worked had late stage melanoma diagnoses. I am going to sound like an ad for Neutrogena here, but I find that their sunscreens work really well.
For everyday, I use the new Bare Minerals mineral sunscreen on my face, and Neutrogena UltraSheet sray in spf 70. (I spray it outside.) My super-pale husband uses the Neutrogena spf 85, and it works fantastically! (For perspective, he once was sunburned in January, in a light snowfall, in Portland, Oregon. Did not think he needed sunscreen due to cloud cover.) The spray gets excellent coverage! (We haven't branched into sprays for Q, as she is only 2 yrs old, but use a Solumbra or iPlay coverup & hat... with the new Neutrogena Pure & Free baby sunblock all over including scalp.)
I am sure there are greener alternatives, but I personally would have no hesitation in using the spray for convenience (in a well-ventilated area) when Q is a little older, as I know that proper sun protection can make a huge impact.

[Kate]

Consumer Reports just did a thing about sunscreen. One of their best was Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50. I've had severe hives from sunscreens before and I use this without any reaction at all (actually the Target brand version of this). Personally I'm not worried about the chemicals too much but when someday I turn blue and grow horns out of my nose I completely give you all permission to point, laugh, and tell me I told you so.
@ paola I just checked the ingredient list and it doesn't list benzophenone-3 as an ingredient so maybe it's in the italian version of coppertone but not the U.S. version? Or is the chemical called by a different name sometimes?
I use a mineral makeup that I love but have noticed that the higher percentages of zinc oxide in the makeup make my skin itch on hot days and I guess this is a pretty common reaction. So if you're using a sunscreen with a really high percentage of zinc oxide and you are itchy or your baby seems fussy that might be the cause.
Oh and Consumer Reports found all the sunscreen they tested to work well except the Banana Boat Kids Tear Free Spf 50 because it only provided fair uva protection. The sprays worked well, they just said you have to be careful to be aware of the direction of the wind and make sure you're not spraying too far away or too close to get full coverage.

[Nell]

We are currently using Blue Lizard sunscreen on our son, and have used Neutrogena in the past. I've also bought a couple of shirts with SPF from Lands' End.

I have a related question. Is there a way to apply sunscreen so that your kid won't collapse in giggles because it tickles? This happens every morning, and makes the whole process take three times as long.

[Amanda]

Like Rachel we use the EWG a lot, and they have a National Brands List to make it easy.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/brandranks.php

We use Blue Lizard and CVS w/ Zinc Oxide because they are the cheapest (per oz) on the list.

[hedra]

My kids react to a lot of the ingredients, so we're down to either Durascreen (which bonds to skin, so, er, maybe not a favorite for many people) or the Neutrogena spray. Neither makes my kids turn bright red on contact. WOO! Many others do (including the copertone water babies, at least in the past - they may have changed their formulation). I haven't figured out what ingredient does it, yet. The Durascreen stick is great for faces - it goes on white, and then fades, so you can draw pictures on their faces and then blend it in. That made it possible to get sunscreen on their faces when they would otherwise freak out. And it doesn't run, so never gets in their eyes. For me, that's worth the expense (the stuff is on the pricey side).

As for sunglasses, at the end of the summer, I pick up a couple dozen pair of kid sunglasses (uva/uvb) for a dollar each on discount. So we usually have a good 3 or 4 we can find... sigh. We 'seed' the car and the house with extra pairs.

[anaximander]

Add me to the list of people that's burned under cloudcover - I've been sunburned so bad under regular sun I've had to go to the hospital. I use a coppertone 70 spf that works well and doesn't irritate my crazy sensitive skin. (Hate the smell, but what can you do?)

[ruth]

@Nell- Wow, I would really prefer giggles. We get writhing and screaming in agony.

I liked California Babies sunscreen (especially the stick for faces) when my guy was smaller and easier to wrangle. Now that he's 2, he hates it and wiggles so much that I can't get it on him and rub it in effectively. As much as I would prefer to use something with zinc oxide, I have resorted to various sprays. They are SO much easier. I hope to switch to something less toxic when he gets a little older and can withstand the application, but for now I'm going to use what works.

[Brooke]

Be careful that you get enough of the spray-on sunscreen on. Also, don't try to apply it in the wind.

[Summer]

Sunscreen is a 365-days-a-year issue for us now that we live in Florida. I don't have specific brand recommendations, but I can say with authority that my favorite application method to get it on my 6 year old son is the aerosol spray. I always have a can of SPF 30 sitting on the porch, and I spray him down as soon as we step outside. (I spray it into my hand to apply it to his face.) I can have him fully sunscreened in under a minute!

It does bother me that the cans aren't recyclable, but I'll keep spraying down my kid and hope that my line-dried cloth napkins make up for the eco-sin of spray cans.

[Lisa]

We're big fans of using clothing as sun protection here. I splurged on a few suits from Nozone which are unbelievably expensive but which dry in a microsecond and come in a version with an easy zip bottom for diaper changes. I put my son in his all summer long last year even if we weren't going to any sort of watery place - we had 2 suits in rotation - and are planning to do the same thing this year. But the caveat is that my husband and I both have no skin cancer in the family and are olive-complexioned. I've maybe had 2 sunburns my entire life. So maybe not the best recommendation for the fair and freckled.

[12tequilas]

Am I the only one who really does NOT like spray sunscreen? I never feel confident that I'm getting it all over; somehow a lotion gives me that reassurance.

[Cloud]

Moxie, the chemicals work by absorbing the UV rays- UV rays are just energy waves with wavelengths at a certain point on the spectrum. All chemicals (including the minerals you mention, which are really just a type of chemical) absorb energy at some wavelength. By absorbing the energy, they prevent it from getting to the DNA in your skin cells. DNA also absorbs energy in the UV spectrum, and this causes mutations in it, which can cause cancer.

One thing to keep in mind with chemical sunscreens is that when they absorb the UV rays, the compounds in them are often destabilized and eventually fall apart, rendering the sunscreen useless. This is why they are all in opaque bottles, and is one reason why you have to reapply so frequently. I read somewhere that the compounds in the higher SPF sunscreens (above 45) are less stable than those in lower SPF sunscreens, and so need to be reapplied more often, but while that makes intuitive sense to me from a chemistry standpoint, I don't know if that is actually true.

We're everyday sunscreeners, too, being fair-haired and fair-skinned residents of Southern California. For those putting sunscreen on screaming, non-cooperative babies/toddlers, there is hope- Pumpkin used to fight the application of her daily sunscreen. We started watching TV in the morning to distract her while we applied it. Now we're still stuck with Elmo in the mornings, but she actually helps apply her own sunscreen (we have a stick for her face, and she likes to rub some on).

[electriclady]

I'm a fan of California Babies sunscreen--I don't like using chemical sunscreens on my kid. It's more expensive than drugstore brands with the chemical sunscreens but less expensive than some other brands with physical sunscreen. We use SPF 15 for everyday in summer months, SPF 30 for longer outings like going to the pool. My daughter is relatively docile for a 2-year-old and will stand still for application, though. We'll see how she does next month when we go to the beach.

For myself, my Oil of Olay has (chemical) sunscreen, so I use that every day along with my Bare Minerals foundation which also has SPF 15, so I figure between the two I get at least SPF 10 on average. If I'm going to be out longer, like at the playground, I'll use the California Baby all over, and put Bare Minerals over it to cut the greasiness (bonus: the sunscreen sort of acts like a primer so I don't have to use as much foundation).

How and when I became someone who wears foundation to the playground is a topic for another time!

[Clare]

We stick with zinc oxide sunscreen (Blue Lizard in particular, but I will check out some of the others suggested). The chemical sunscreens give my kids terrible rashes.

[Jill]

The rashes people are talking about may actually be from the preservatives- our worst are BHA, BHT, and TBHQ; all petroleum based, and terrible for you. They are also found in foods, chapstick, gum... lots of places, so if you have a rashy kid, avoiding them is worth a try.

[Judy B]

We were just in for a check-up and our pedi recommended mineral sunblocks that just use zinc oxide or titanium oxide. And to try to avoid any that use nano-particles.

He specifically recommended Badger brand- but that was a bit $$, so I got a different brand...

I think sometime we forget that their skin is their biggest organ and anything we put on it goes straight into their little bodies.

[Dawn]

I have to confess that I'm total crap about the sunscreen, but I do make sure to use it when we're out in the sun (at the playground, etc. - I'm just bad about the days when we're running from place to place). Both of my kids have had bad skin reactions on their faces, so I've been using Blue Lizard (a plus - the 5 year old loves watching the cap turn blue in the sun) on their faces and I spray their bodies (in the interest of time and cooperation). I've also successfully used the Arbonne baby sunscreen, which a couple of my friends sell. For me, I use Neutrogena Dry Touch on my face and the same spray as the kids on my body. I use Kiehls Lip Balm #1 all year round on my lips and I buy the version with higher SPF for going to the pool, beach, etc.

[Kate]

@ 12tequilas, I don't like the spray either because I can't see it. And ALSO because I have to put in on my hands to do their faces, then I STINK of it.

My kids looks Irish (fair, red/strawberry blond hair). Which is ridiculous, because they're not even close. Anyway, I am incredibly anal about sunscreen for them, but after a summer of using California Baby/Nature's Gate on my daughter when she was little, it was clear that I didn't have bank to do that all the time (I apply to them 2-3 times a day during the summer!). I use the Target Kids SPF 50 and go through 3-4 bottles April-September.

(Does anyone else use this? Did they change it when they changed the packaging to "Up & Up"? It seems runnier to me now and I don't like it as much.)

I am at least a couple shades darker than my kids and I use Neutrogena. I probably don't need SPF 70, but that's what they had at Costco. Last year it was SPF 55.

[mom2boys]

Younger DS, 21 months, has my skin type only fairer - pale that tans. I've been worrying about this topic more recently as I've noticed the parts of his skin exposed to just daily sunlight exposure has started to darken in contrast with the pale pale color of his skin that's hidden under his clothes. Does this mean I need to put sunscreen on him every morning before he goes off for the day? And do I ask his daycare to re-apply before they go outside to play? I cover him in sunblock when we go poolside or to the beach but I'm not a daily sunblock wearer so it hasn't occurred to me up until now to think about adding sunblock to our morning routine. He's not a big fan of either the spray or the gunky lotion but he does tolerate the face stick and I can use that all over his body - time consuming but better than rubbing down a screaming toddler. He also has very sensitive eyes and often complains that the light is too bright but he loves to wear sunglasses – and will break the occasional pair.

[MLB]

I also use California Baby and sometimes Blue Lizard for my kids. Works very well and is very safe re: other stuff soaking into their skin. The big drawback is it's incredibly expensive, esp. California Baby.

[Imanitsud]

My husband has had 2 cases of skin cancer removed, and his derm. recc'd Neutrogena with Helioplex. What we've discovered, however, is that the spray on stuff only works if you apply it and rub it in at least 15 mins prior to exposure AND hardly works at all in the second half of the bottle. It's very convenient, but also very expensive when you realize practically half the can is worthless. (Okay, maybe slight exaggeration -- one-fourth of the can is definitely worthless, though). From what I gather, that's a problem for all the sprays, not just Neutrogena (my sis-in-law just got really burnt after applying a spray on brand that was not Neutro).

[Andrea]

I alternate between the spray-on aerosol sunscreen and the slather-on Nature's Gate, depending on Mr.'s mood and need for convenience.

He's 9 months old, and he really tolerates these sunglasses well: http://www.iplaybabywear.com/flexispec.html I got them cheap on Amazon. Unfortunately, it's either sunglasses OR hat, not both, as the hat knocks the sunglasses off. But hey, I'm trying, right?

[Charisse]

Another Neutrogena using family here. The Drytouch stuff is the one sunscreen that doesn't make Mr. C break out. We use the 30 and 45 in San Francisco, more if we travel somewhere sunnier.

[mo]

We just started using the TruKid on my boys (they are 4 yrs old) and we all love it. I love the texture; they love the smell and so will not whine/rush me so much when we put it on them. The biggest drawback as another poster mentioned above is it is so hard to find and the second is that is a bit pricier than more mainstream brands.

When the boys were younger we used the California Baby. It works - it is just super thick (probably why it works) and hard to get in.

For me, I'm a huge fan of the Nutrogena Dry Touch. I think I'd have a hard time using anything else as it would feel so oily/greasy compared to the Nutrogena that I'm now used to.

We did just buy the rash guards with sunscreen in them and I have to say I'm going to love that we don't need to put any sunscreen on their torso's when they have those on at the beach/pool, etc. Who knows we may make the boys live in those just as part of their play clothes :)

[pnuts mama]

sorry if i repeat others, no time to read yet today-

for me, i use a fancy schmancy moisturizer with spf 30 in it every morning, and kids sunscreen on my hands/rest of me after i rub it on them.

we started using the lizard sunscreen after the recs here last year due to their sensitive skin. we also have one of those baby 'tents' with spf in the screen for the beach as well as those swimsuit tshirts for the kids now- thank god so many are wearing them my daughter thinks they are 'cool'- hats and sunglasses are a must although the bean (12 months on friday!) fights me on both, always. we wear sunglasses all year long here.

[Mog]

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/findyoursunscreen.php?sunscreens=1&haz=g&eff=g

California Baby rates really well here.

I use the Kinesys spray (pump, not nano-tech canned spray) for easy application.

[rkmama]

My daughter just had an awful reaction to the blue lizard for faces sunscreen last week so this is a timely post for me. I have been using sprays on my son- a combo of neutrogena, bull frog and huggies, but his arms are STILL tanning. I almost always put it on 20-30 minutes before we go out and reapply throughout the day so I'm not sure how this is happening. I have switched over to California Baby Lotion SS for now but it's pricey and I am REALLY missing the convenience of the spray as both my kids view sunscreen application as some sort of WWF training competition.

[erin]

Here's the Safemama cheat sheet for sunscreen. Great reviews and explanations of some of the ingredients.

http://safemama.com/2009/04/13/safemamas-2009-safer-sunscreen-cheat-sheet/

I use TruKids on my kids and Neutrogena Helioplex on myself. I also apply 30 minutes before going outside and preferably before clothes go on to make sure everything is covered. I'm lucky that my kids like to wear hats, so sunscreen in their hair isn't an issue!

[hush]

@Kate, thank you so much for sharing the sunscreen info from Consumer Reports. Just my luck that the one I picked (Banana Boat Kids) isn't up to snuff on the uva protection! Will try Coppertone Water Babies or Neutrogena (whichever is in stock at Costco).

[Scotti]

I too love the TruKid sunscreen - and really appreciate the SafeMama rating sheets. One of our local mom blogs also had a recent discussion about "green" sunscreens:
http://www.enviromom.com/2009/06/mexitan-wins-the-ecofriendly-sunscreen-test.html

[Christiana]

I'm a fair-skinner red head who never tans, only burns and I am a firm believer that Scarlett O'Hara had it right when the fashion was to stay completely fair instead of tanning. My mother always put Water Babies on me as a kid and I've used some of that on my 15 month old. I never had a problem reacting or whatever. My first bad sunburn was when I was 14 years old - one of the first times I was soley responsible for my sunscreen application. My mom was really good about applying sunscreen on me.

[Joye]

It's funny that this should be the topic because moments ago I discovered that if I tape a picture of a horse(my tiny tots totem animal!) over the sunscreen label, my typically sunscreen phobic son is eager to have the "horse protection" applied. I think I'll be spending the rest of the day taping horses to our baby cosmetics.

[Jo]

Timely topic--Just today I drove into our nearest city to pick up 3 bottles of SolBar SPF 50 cream that I had to special order for my red-haired, blue-eyed, freckled SENSITIVE SKIN 10 year old (thankfully his 3 year old brother doesn't have the same kind of skin!) Our problem with him is that no matter what kind of sunscreen we put on him (even the Neutrogena ones), at re-application time he has an extreme reaction to some ingredient and it would burn his face terribly. So one of our pediatricians or dermatologists long ago turned us onto the SolBar sunscreens. We've also used the SolBar 38SPF with Zinc Oxide and it works well too, but you have to do a lot more rubbing itn. You don't need a prescription for them, but you do have to ask your pharmacist to order it for you.
We also make sure he wears a huge O.R. hat whenever he's outdoors and he also wears longsleeved rashguard shirts for swimming. He wears sunglasses without complaint, and now little brother wears them also since he's moved past the rip-them-off stage.

[the milliner]

Well, count us in to the fair-skinned group. DS & I are very light skinned redheads, DH is a very light skinned ('pink' is his answer if you ask him what skin colour he is) blond who has recently had 3 skin cancer lesions removed from his face.

Our derm recommended La Roche/Posay 60 SPF Anthelios XL sunscreen. It's pricey, but I love it as it's non-greasy and blends into the skin really well. I've always been in the habit of applying sunscreen after my moisturizer in the am and have gotten DH to do the same.

We've yet to decide on which sunscreen to use for DS who is as fair as can be, so all your responses will help us decide. FWIW, when we asked our derm what he recommended, his response was 'Well, they shouldn't have direct contact with the sun under the age of 2.' Um, OK. That's all fine and nice, but not very realistic. Not to mention, the daycare is required by law to put sunscreen on DS. We try to keep to the shade, but we don't want to keep our little guy inside all the time. So we'll just make our own choice. And we've had the windows of the car tinted (with prescription to go darker) to reduce exposure that way.

We're pretty conscious of what chemicals we put on and into our body. That being said, there are only so many hours in a day, and sometimes you just have to make a choice. For me, I'd rather apply a chemical sunscreen than deal with the very likely result (for our history & skin type) of not applying it.

If you're looking for info about sunscreen, and regarding the chemical content and safety of that content in the sunscreen, check out this post with a link to The Environmental Working Group:

http://green514.com/2008/07/31/skin-deep-as-it-were/#comments

[the milliner]

Oh yeah! Forgot to mention. I figured out a long time ago that I had reactions to any sunscreen with PABA in them. So if you or your little one is getting rashes from the sunscreen, check the ingredient list for that culprit.

[Lightey mc sunburner]

I'm so glad to share this, and hope you find my info helpful. We are fair skinned and have very light hair. We burn easily...
We took our 2 year old son to Hawaii in February. I went to a local Baby store, and bought baby blanket sunscreen. My son had a HORRIBLE reaction where he turned red all over, started coughing up phlegm, and getting hives. We washed it off in the ocean, and he was fine after a little while. I found out later this is one of the worst sunscreen companies when it comes to chemicals. (FWIW, I called the company to complain, and they would not respond to numerous requests.) Please don't buy anything from Baby Blanket. Don't risk it.
Luckily, I had brought along California Baby sunscreen (I don't know why I even tried the other one first) and it worked the whole trip- He never even turned pink. The bottle may seem pricey, but a little goes a long way. We used it on him head to toe on the whole trip, and I have been using it all summer, with more than half of a bottle left. I will buy it again.
For us, we use the aerosol suncreen in SPF 30 or 45 when we go to the beach. We just need at least that much to make sure we don't fry. We reapply after swimming- it really works.
Hope that helps...

[Lisa C.]

I'm incredibly fair-skinned, but my son is olive skinned and tans (the little devil!). So because of my background I have always put sunscreen on him. Normally I'm not too concerned about chemicals, but since this is something I am rubbing into the skin, I plonk down $$$ for a couple of tubes of Badger SPF 30 sunscreen and a couple of swim trunk/rashguard shirt combos (which are SPF 50) and these tend to last us all summer. Since the clothes are sunproof it really saves on the cost of the more expensive sunscreen.

I do use bargain basement whatever works sunscreen on my face, because the Badger will cause me to break out.

[Colleen Pence]

Has anyone tried Dr. T's Supergoop? Pricey but have been hearing good things about it from one of my clients (who sells it).

[Sky]

Another fair skinned family here - I have burnt in 20 minutes in the UK sun! For myself and my fair skinned husband, we use the once a day application Parasol brand and it's brilliant. Put it on once thoroughly, at least half an hour before you go into the sun and you are fully protected. I was sceptical that once a day would be enough but we've used it in 40plus degrees heat in Spain and Thailand and have never burnt. It even works and is non-greasy on husband's scalp where things are thinning a little. They have a children's version, but I think its for over two years old, so for Little Miss we are using Simple Baby factor 50, which has worked really well for us so far.

We also do the hat thing if we're outside and by far the best adults and children's hats I've found are by Sunday Afternoons, a US company. The hats are cool to wear and have wide brims and sides which fully cover the ears and neck. We bought 2 for Little Miss and will likely buy another couple for our youngest.

To throw the cat among the pigeons though, I read a newspaper article recently that said we are all so paranoid about covering up from the sun that many of us have very low Vitamin D levels, as sunshine is practically the only source of vitamin D. Now I'm confused! I've settled on trying to get sunlight on us in the early morning or late evening. If there are any Moxie scientists out there I'd love to hear more on this.

[Lightey mc sunburner]

We are lacking in vitamin D in colder climates, but it is easy to take a supplament. Just get an over the counter vitamin for you and the kidlets. Problem solved!

[Heidi]

Hoping not to hijack here, but two sunscreen-related questions. I constantly get staining from sunscreen on my kids' white clothes (I'm generally using Water Babies or Coppertone Kids), and I've gotten some indication from Googling that this may be a reaction between chemicals in sunscreen and in my water. The staining doesn't show up after the clothes have just been worn but appears during the washing process. The questions are these:
1. Does anyone have any tips for getting the yellow stains out of the clothing?
2. Are there any brands that people could recommend for avoiding the staining?
I'd do more research on this myself but don't have much computer time lately (4-year-old has discovered computer games and Youtube!) and hope to benefit from the wisdom of those who may have already figured this out!

[Anon]

@Sky- Prior to becoming a SAHM I worked in the biomedical field and was involved with Vitamin D (I worked on the testing side of Vitamin D, not research). Although I'm not an expert by any means, I do know a lot about Vitamin D and its growing importance. I am a huge proponent for getting enough Vitamin D! As @Lighty Mc Sunburner posted, we are very Vitamin D deficient, especially the northern latitudes.

Research has already shown a link between low levels of Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis (I believe that study was done in the UK). There's lots of research looking at Vitamin D and other auto immune disorders, colon cancer, preeclampsia and even autism. The autism studies are very interesting. Researchers are wondering if maternal levels of Vitamin D while pregnant are linked to autism in the child. They noticed that Somali immigrants in Sweden and Minneapolis have a higher rate of autism. There are several reasons why they are looking at Vitamin D. 1) Both locations are in the northern latitudes where it is not possible to get enough Vitamin D from the sun in the winter months. 2) The mothers are dark skinned (the darker your skin the more sun exposure needed to produce Vitamin D) and they wear a burka, thus shielding the majority of their body from the sun. 3) The rates of autism in the general population increased around the same time that sunscreen use and higher SPF's became recommended. It is still not known if the autism/Vitamin D relationship is correlation or causation but it sure makes you wonder.

While I don't think Vitamin D will be the cure all to everything (nothing ever is), I do think that our current culture of avoiding the sun at all costs is causing low levels of Vitamin D. To get enough Vitamin D from the sun, they recommend that you get 10-15 minutes of sun exposure 2-3 times a week. That's 10-15 minutes for your arms, legs and face without sun screen. For my family, we try to get that exposure before 10am or after 3pm (avoiding the intense hours). We also supplement. I highly recommend Carlson Baby D drops. One drop contains 400 IU which is the current RDA for Vitamin D. It is tasteless and super easy to use. I put it in my boys yogurt, but you can put it in a drink or even on a sandwich! Super easy! Vitamin D is the only Vitamin that Pediatrician's recommend for breastfed babies. You can drop it in the baby's mouth or put a drop on your nipple before breastfeeding.

I personally feel that the RDA of 400 IU is too low and will be increased with more research. "Normal" Vitamin D levels were established by testing a large population of people and creating a range based on the results. The problem is that since we now believe that most people are deficient, "normal" might be normal, but it's not ideal. I personally take 2400 IU per day and I give my children 2 drops or 800 IU per day. I recommend that you talk to your Dr and consider supplementing, especially if you always wear sunscreen. You can also have your levels tested if you're concerned.

I'm sorry that I don't have time to link to actual research articles. As a scientist I always need to see the research myself. But with two little monkeys, my computer time is very limited! Please Google Vitamin D and read some research for yourself.

I hope this helps!

[Anon]

I forgot to mention that after our 10-15 minutes of sun exposure I use California Baby SPF 30. It's a little thick and has to be rubbed in well. We like it and best of all my very sensitive 15 month old doesn't have a reaction to it.