Skin Cancer from exposure to the sun is a serious risk. Luckily it can be prevented if we cover-up and wear sunscreen. But wearing sunscreen can create a new problem and all sunscreens are not made the same.

Conventional sunscreens have suspected carcinogens like DEA and TEA. Add on parabens, benzophenone, homosalate and octinoxate which research has linked to hormone disruption and PABA which can cause a skin rash and we have a chemical cocktail that causes concern.

But that’s not all, now they’ve added Nanoparticles to the mix, to make the sunscreens we use more transparent.

As you can guess from the name, these particles are very tiny. Because of their size they can easily penetrate skin, especially the skin of a baby or toddler, which is thinner than that of an adult.

Since babies and toddlers are more vulnerable than adults and because the jury is out on the effects of Nanoparticles…it’s no no to Nanoparticles.

We can’t keep our kids inside all summer long, so here’s a few good options you could consider using when you slather up:

Bright white zinc oxide (like the lifeguards use)
California Baby SPF 30+
Baby Avalon Natural Sunscreen
Ecolani
Alba Botanica
Jason’s Chemical Free Sunblock

Now go have fun in the sun.

P.S These chemicals are not only bad for us; they’re effecting animals and fish as well. But that’s a story for another day.

The sensitive skin of infants must receive special attention and parents can find a plethora of products (including clothing) that will be kind to the skin of a baby and protect them from the rays of the sun. Keep in mind that The American Academy of Pediatrics does not advise direct sunlight for infants under the age of 6 months.

Here’s a list of skin products and clothing that will help protect your little one’s skin from the damaging rays of the sun. All of the following can be purchased online and delivered right to your front door.

- Sunblock:

California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion – 2.9 oz. – $17.99

This sunscreen is fragrance free, paraben free, free of chemicals and uses 70% organic ingredients. You can purchase this item directly from the California Baby website.

Jason Natural Products Earth’s Best Organic Baby Sunblock – 4 oz. – $9.00

Jason’s sunblock is SPF 30+, organic, fragrance free and paraben free. This product is made without mineral oil or petrolatum. Purchase this item from your local natural product store.

Alba Botanica Sun Care Kid’s Sunscreen 30+ – 4 oz.- $5.99

Skin-loving line Alba Botanica has made its way into the kid’s sunscreen market with this wonderful product.. Alba Botanica has enriched their product with vitamins and organic herbs including green tea which soothes and repairs skin. This sunscreen is water-resistant which makes it perfect for splashing around. Purchase this item from your local natural product store.

- Just in case baby gets burned, these products will help with healing:

Earthlings Organic Baby Lotion – 4 oz. – $8.95

Another great baby lotion is from Earthlings. This lotion contains aloe vera and jojoba along with organic shea butter. Comfrey added for healing.

Angel Baby Organic Lotion – 4.6 oz. – $14.95

This gentle lotion contains rooibus which is used to soothe eczema and skin allergies. Aloe leaf juice is a key ingredient in this product. Fragrance free, paraben free. Angel Baby is a certified vegan lotion.

Protective Clothing:

Cabana Life – They have an adorable selection of infant clothing with UPF protection of 40-50+. Styles are available for both boys and girls in sizes up to 6x/7. Some of the many items for girls are dresses, coverups, hats & tee shirts. For boys, they carry baseball hats, sunhats, tee shirts and hoodies. This clothing is easy to launder, holds up well and does not require special care. Purchase from the Cabana Life website.

BluKuda by Sun-Togs

All clothing by BluKuda is rated UPF 50+. They have a large line of items including playsuits, hats and bathing suits for both boys and girls. Sun-Togs also has swimming accessories. Order from
the Sun-Togs website.

Coolibar has some great swimming items for infants. Their infant swim suit really gives full coverage for baby, is easy to get off and on (usually a big issue) and is made with baby’s comfort in mind. Sun protecting hats are available to match the suits. Order from the Coolibar website.

Eye Protection:

Baby Tudes by Parker Grace – These are so adorable and practical, too. The sunglasses are built into a protective hat, so when baby’s head is protected, so are the eyes. Baby Tudes are impact resistant and the lens will easily flip up once you go inside. $34.00.

Baby Banz Sunglasses – These cute sunglasses block 100% of UV rays. They are adjustable & safe (shatterproof with a strap). Comes in 9 colors. $13.99.

Frubi Shades – These sunglasses provide complete blockage of UV rays. They wrap around baby’s head with a velcro closure. Frubi Shades come in solid colors & designer prints. $14.95 or 3 pair for $29.95.

Natural Baby Body Lotion By Mom’s Skincare

Mom’s Light Baby Moisturizer is a pure and gentle baby lotion for mom’s who know best. This light moisturizing baby body lotion is made from the purest natural oils and vitamin rich plant extracts to protect and nurture your baby’s skin – and your skin as well. Essential oils offer a pleasant natural scent of Rosemary, Lavender, and Chamomile.

Unconditional Love, Water, Aloe, Vegetable Glycerin, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Coconut Stearic Acid, Chamomile Flower Extract, Calendula Flower Extract, Cabbage Rose Water, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Shea Butter, Jojoba Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Avocado Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Allantoin, Beeswax, Xanthan Gum, Lavender Oil, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Rosemary Oil, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (Salt Based Preservative)

How it Works

This soothing diaper ointment is rich with vitamins A and E to help nourish baby’s skin, while chamomile moisturizes and soothes. Sweet almond oil and beeswax, natural barriers, seal moisture into your baby’s most sensitive skin. Phthalate- and paraben-free.

How to Use It

Cleanse your baby’s skin and pat dry before applying ointment to diapered area.

Featured Ingredient

Sweet Almond Oil — Cold pressed from the dried kernels of the almond tree, this medium-weight oil is rich in proteins and vitamin D, and is excellent for the skin and nails.

Read more

Ingredients: Prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, zinc oxide, beeswax, lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, tocopherol, lavendula angustifolia (lavender) oil, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower extract, calendula officinalis flower extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, canola oil, glycine soja (soybean) oil

Tips:

• Whenever possible keep children out of direct sunlight. Protect them with natural shade such as trees, and specialized UV Tents and encourage them to wear hats, shirts and other UV protective clothing.
• Pay special attention to usually forgotten areas, such as: ears, necks, and feet
• Purchase sun cream specially designed for babies and toddlers. Adult sun cream will not be suitable and may be harmful to your child’s skin. Read the instructions of the sun cream bottle carefully, and reapply as instructed. .It is all too easy to think just because we have covered our children with sun cream on the beach that the walk back to the hotel will be fine. If in any doubt, reapply the cream!!
• Pay special attention to your child as they are playing in water. Again reapply sun cream to all unexposed areas, even if it is water resistant. Make sure your child has special UV protective sun suits for playing in and around water.
• Do not purchase novelty children’s sunglasses without checking they are compliant with the BS:EN 1836:2005 sunglasses standard. Your child’s eyes are incredibly vulnerable to bright sun light, and only specialized UV protective sun glasses should be worn

Product Recommendations:

uv tent
Available in sizes from 0-2 years and from 2-5 years, the UV travel tents offer protection for your little ones to the equivalent of SPF50+. The tents pop up ready for use in seconds, and are easily folded away to be carrier in a simple holdall. Not only do they become a safe play place for your child, they are also ideal for nap time

uv hat
Baby and Toddler sun hats should now all come with back and side flaps to protect your child’s ears and side of the neck which are particularly susceptible to the sun’s harmful rays

sun milk
Specially designed to protect sensitive skin, whilst also containing less of the usual ingredients in adult sun cream which may irritate your child’s skin. Sun factor of 50+ and water resistant, it is essential to have ample supplies if holidaying in the sun.

uv suit
The UV sun suits are designed to provide additional protection to your child’s upper body, shoulders, arms and thighs. They are made from light weight material and designed to dry quickly, so your child can comfortably keep them on all day when playing in and out of water or just the back garden.

sunglasses
Designed to fit children from 0-2 and from 2-5, the Baby Banz range is widely recognized as the leading manufacturer of children’s sunglasses. The UV400/category 3 polycarbonate lenses protect the child’s vulnerable eyes from harmful UV radiation, and the molded polycarbonate frames ensure a secure yet comfortable fit on the child’s face.

Designed to provide UV protectio for the delicate skin on feet, the protector socks also serve the purpose of preventing your child scalding their feet on hot sand.

Full-length coverage, wrists to ankles from these baby rash guards
Generous lap shoulder neckline for easy on and off
Snap-close bottom for on-the-go diaper access
Extra-soft aqua SUNTECT® fabric
Easy care: machine wash, line dry
Imported
Rated UPF 50+

TruKid’s SunnyDays sunscreen – Safe and affordable.

California Baby SPF 30 + Sunblock Stick – No Fragrance – Our top pick for kids! This is a non chemical sunscreen. It uses non-penetrating titanium dioxide (no nano particles) to protect against the sun. It is also made with organic & sustainably grown ingredients.

California Baby SPF 30 – This is specially for children to be safe and it a favorite among many natural parents. We have used this on my own kids and I really like it. I usually opt for the fragrance free versions.

California Baby SPF 30 + Bug Repellent – This is a good sunblock/bug repellent combo that is DEET free.

Badger Face & Body Sunblock SPF 30 – There was huge run on this sunscreen not long ago and you could hardly get it. It is known to be one of the safest sunscreens out there.

Miessence Organics Reflect Outdoor Balm SPF 15 – We have some if this and I like it…very clean smelling and not sticky. It is also made by a great company with organic ingredients. It has added antioxidants and beta carotene to help nourish skin and protect it.

Lavera Baby and Children Sun Screen Lotion, SPF 30 – Contains organic peach seed, apricot seed oil and calendula and protects against UV A, B and C rays with waterproof protection.

Jason Natural – Sunbrellas Chemical Free Sun Block SPF30+ – Chemical, Fragrance and Paraben Free Complete UVA & UVB Protection Ideal for Sensitive Skin.

Dermalogica Ultra Sensitive Faceblock SPF 25 – Another chemical free sunblock using non-penetrating titanium dioxide. This has a hint of color…most likely to hide the streaky whiteness of the natural titanium dioxide.

Sunscreen SPF 30 by Soleo Organics – Made with Zinc Oxide, it provides 3 hours of water resistant protection without the use of chemical UV-absorbers or synthetic preservatives. This sunscreen is made with nano particles.

Also don’t forget your protective gear…so you won’t need sunscreen as much:

Legionnaire Hats – These hats for kids have flaps on either side that protect the face, head, and neck areas from getting burned. They are also made with UV protective fabric.

Sunday Afternoon’s Kid’s Play Hat UPF 45 – Made of lightweight water-resistant supplex fabric, blocks UVA and UVB rays, rated 45 UPF. Full veil covers back of neck, mesh panels for ventilation, down-sloped flexible brim shades face.

Baby Banz Sunglasses – 100% UV/UVA & UVB ray protection. You can also get a sunglasses/hat combo.

Also Frubi Shades. I have used both of these brands with my own kids and I like them.