Our Favorite Natural Sunscreens for Kids

With summer well underway, finding safe yet effective sun protection for family days at the pool or beach is key. After spending a crazy amount of time researching how to choose the best sunscreens for my daughter when she was a baby, I learned that many of the standard sunscreens you find on store shelves are loaded with concerning chemicals like oxybenzone and synthetic fragrances. I also learned that it’s best to avoid spray sunscreens and anything advertising an SPF above 50+. The easiest way I've found to navigate all the sunscreen options to find ones with both high protection and low health concern is to consult the EWG. They rate sunscreens on multiple fronts, and you can look up any brand to see how it scores.

A few natural sunscreens we’ve used the past few summers that have become favorites are ThinkSport’s Sunscreen, Badger’s Sunscreen Cream, and California Baby Super Sensitive Sunscreen. I love the fresh orange scent of both the ThinkSport and Badger Kids, and both brands also have baby versions we’ve used previously. This summer I noticed that EWG ranked Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sunscreen high, which is great because it’s available at Target, making it probably the easiest to find option (I find the others at Whole Foods, Walgreens, or Amazon).

xxLC