The Best Chemical-Free, Natural Sunscreens for Babies and Children

To The Test:

“This was a favorite for the whole family,” said one of our mom testers. The smell is a mild cocoa & shea butter smell. Its oily on the skin and goes on very easily and slightly pigmented. It applies very easily. It has zinc as one of the ingredients which is a bonus because it feels it does block sun from penetrating into skin. It feels very good on the face and body.

The sunscreen is water resistant. You could see the water rolling off the skin when wet. The sunscreen lasted in the ocean water for 2 hours. Needs to be reapplied after a couple hours for maximum protection.

I also like the label and ingredients that are in the sunscreen, its very natural and feels good on skin. Its a great sunscreen for the whole family to use head to toe.

Ingredients: Active Sunscreen Ingredient: Micronized Zinc Oxide 20.5%
Other Sunscreen Ingredients: *Extra Virgin Olive Oil, *Beeswax, *Jojoba Oil, *Cocoa Butter, *Shea Butter, and CO2 Extracts of *Rosemary, and *Seabuckthorn Berry. (* Certified Organic)

Cost: $16.00 for a 2.9 Tube

Available At: Badger

To The Test:

Takes a little more effort to rub in than the average organic sunscreen because it is a bit on the dry side. Smell is a very strong Citronella scent and our testers did not mind the smell. It may be too much for those that are sensitive to strong smells, but if you are wanting protection from those pesty bugs, here it is! It is water resistant and we think it is a perfect sun screen for a hike.

There is a whitish tint after applied. If you are already a fan of Badger products, this one will not disappoint you either. We love Badger products.

Ingredients: Active Sunscreen Ingredient: Micronized Zinc Oxide 20.5%
Other Ingredients: *Extra Virgin Olive Oil, *Beeswax, *Castor Oil, *Citronella Oil, *Cedarwood Oil, *Lemongrass Oil, *Rosemary Oil, and *Rose Geranium Oil. (*Certified Organic)

Cost: $17.00 for a 2.9 Tube

Available At: Badger

Put To The Test:

Unlike other sticks I have tried, this zinc sunscreen stick applied easily and evenly. I love the way it travels in purse easily, is not messy and can be applied quickly to face, lips, ears or smaller body parts exposed to the sun.

My daughter is especially sensitive to the sun right under her eyes, and I like how I can apply this stick on her face easily, around her eyes too.

Ingredients: Active Sunscreen Ingredient: Micronized Zinc Oxide 22.5%
Inactive Organic Sunscreen Ingredients: *Olea Europaea (Extra Virgin Olive) Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, and CO2 Extract of *Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary). *( Certified Organic)

Cost: $8.50 for a 0.65 ounce stick in a box

Available At: Badger

Put To The Test:

A good sunscreen for playing in the outdoors since it is not oily and we found it best used when kids are completely dry.

This sunscreen feels dry on the skin and does leave a white tint. The sunscreen did not absorb easily or flawlessly into skin when kids were wet, but it did go on easily when dry.

Our testers did like that it was on the dry side and one of our mom testers said she will always keep this one on hand for her face because it is not oily at all.

The smell is has a very faint smell of Zinc, and a little goes a long way when applying. You will need to work it into the skin a bit if you want to minimize the white-tint.

I would recommend this as a sunscreen to apply at home before outdoor activities. We happened to jump in a swimming pool more than a half hour after applying and the tint completely washed off. It was as if the sunscreen washed off completely. Its doesn’t indicate its water-resistant on the bottle and I don’t recommend this sunscreen as a beach/pool/water sunscreen. I would buy “Beyond Coastal” Sunscreen because it would last a long time, a little drop goes a long way so it’s well worth the price. And its obvious there is protection to the skin because of the tint.

Ingredients: Active: Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide Inactive: Shea butter, Jojoba seed oil, Cocoa seed butter, Comfrey plant extract, Rose hip oil, Aloe vera, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Green tea extract, Grape seed extract, Algae extract, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Glycerin, Pro Vitamin B, Deionized water,
Phoenoxyethanol, Potassium sorbate, Caprylyl glycol, Fractionated Coconut oil, Dimethicone, Glyceryl stearate, Cetearyl alcohol coc-glucoside, Aranchidylglucoside oleyl alcohol, Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, Cetearyl alcohol (coco fatty acid).

Cost: $11.99 for a 2.5 ounce tube.

Available At: Beyond Coastal

This sunscreen has a delightful smell of sweet shea butter. I really enjoy the way that this sunscreen goes on easily and evenly. It leaves no visible white tint and feels good on skin because it is not greasy or heavy.

If nanoparticles are of concern to you, this is your product! It’s active ingredients are more from Titanium Dioxide (10%) than from Zinc Oxide (4%) which makes it a little different from all the rest.

A friend of mine who owns a spa states that she sells this at her salon also and that she has plenty of satisfied and returning customers.

Ingredients:

Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (Sunscreen) 10%, Zinc Oxide (Sunscreen) 4%
Inactive: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol (Plant Derived), Glyceryl Stearate (Plant Derived), Ethylhexyl (Octyl) Palmitate, Beeswax (ORGANIC), Polysorbate-60 (Plant Derived), Aloe Barbadensis (ORGANIC Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin (Plant Derived), Sodium Chloride (Natural Sea Salt), Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Camellia Sinensis (ORGANIC Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Capryl Hydroxamic Acid (Natural Preservative), Caprylyl Glycol (Natural Preservative), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), Allantoin (Comfrey Root Derived), Carthamus Tinctorius (ORGANIC Safflower) Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (ORGANIC Sesame) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (ORGANIC Avocado) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (ORGANIC Shea Butter), Lecithin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Stabilized Vitamin C).

Cost: $14.99 for 4 ounces.

Available At: Episencial

Use code EPI15 to get 15% off at www.ecomom.com

Put To The Test:

Green Screen feels a little bit heavy on skin and leaves a mild white tint. The scent is extremely mild to fragrance free. It almost feels as if the lotion adheres to the top layer of the skin, not necessarily penetrating the skin.

We really love that this Green Screen® Organic SPF 20 Sunscreen is made from only EIGHT edible-grade organic (86% certified organic!) and natural ingredients and that this sunscreen is approved for use on children under 6 months of age, which illustrates its safety for all of us.

Another product they offer is the same sunscreen, but tinted. Ingredients:
Green Screen® Organic SPF 20 Sunscreen ONLY contains the following EIGHT organic and natural edible-grade ingredients: 1. 25% Zinc Oxide
2. Eldorado Springs Artesian Water
3. Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4. Organic Jojoba Oil
5. Vegetable Glycerin
6. Organic Shea Butter
7. Vegetable Emulsifying Wax
8. Vegetable Vitamin E

Cost: 1 ounce tube $6.00.

Available At: Green Screen

Put To The Test:

This is the only sunscreen that we tested and in our safe alternative sunscreen guide that sprays on and is effective immediately. The spray does mist out a little bit messy (see our photo above) and you still have to rub it into the skin, but my daughter really seems to like this one and asks for it.

It is very mildly greasy but feels good on skin and spread in evenly. It does leave a very mild white tint.

Ingredients: Coated Titanium Dioxide, coated Zinc Oxide,
Water, Glycin,e Soja Oil*, Grain Alcohol*, Lysolecithin,Sunflower Seed Oil*,
Sodium Lactate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Evening Primrose Oil*, Glycerin, Licorice Root Extract, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides,Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid,Alumina, Tocopherol,Betaglucan, Rapeseed Oils, Sea Buckthorn Extract*,Vitamin C. (* indicates ingredients fromCertified Organic agriculture)

Cost
$33.006.6 fluid ounces

Available At:
Laverna

Use coupon code SAFBABY to get 10% off at www.lavera.com.

Put To The Test:

This sun screen had a very mild scent and the packaging/tube is just super cute.

Little Twig sunscreen goes on very easily and spreads well. This one is a keeper if you have a squirmy kid who does not enjoy getting sunscreen applied to them becuause of how easy and effortlessly it applies onto skin.

A little amount goes a long way and it leaves a faint whitish tint to the skin.

Ingredients: Micronized Zinc Oxide, Micronized Titanium Dioxide, Deionized Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safllower) Oil, Caprylic/capric, Triglyceride, Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Cetyl Ricinoleate, C12-C14 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosqualane, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Lavandula Angustifolia(Lavender) Extract*, Chamomillia Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Arnica Montana Flower Extract*, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract*, Alpha Amylase, Aloe Barbadensis Extract*, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Allantoin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid *Certified Organic

Cost
$20.99 for a 2.9 ounce tube.

Use Coupon Code SAFBABY10 to get 15% Discount until August 28th, 2010

Available At:
Little Twig

Put To The Test:

This sun screen had a peachy tint. The lotion has a nice consistency that goes on well and spreads easy.

A little drop goes a long way and we like that. Effecitive and not wasteful a bit. Also, the tube itself is great because the whole that the sunscreen comes out of is the smallest one of this entire list. This really allow you to have control of what comes out of the tube.

Seems very resistant because of tint, although it does leave the skin looking awkward if you have dark skin.

Loving Naturals feels so good on skin, so soft, so smooth. It states it is not greasy, but it feels a bit greasy or oily but yet dry at the same time. Smell is very mild, like earthy oats.

Ingredients: Acitve: non-nano Zinc Oxide, Inactive: grape seed oil, organic sunflower oil, caprylic/capric triglycerides (derived from coconut oil), soy way (non0GMO), organic sesame oil, organic plum kernel oil, candelila wax, organic cocoa butter (fair trade), organic hemp seed oil, organic macadamia nut oil, organic cocoa (fair trade), organic green tea, salt, water.

Cost: $9.99 for 2.7 ounces

Available At: Loving Naturals

Put To The Test:

This is an odorless sunscreen that you must knead the tube to make sure that the ingredients are mixed well before you apply.

It has a thin and creamy texture and rubs in easily with no trace of white tint. It is very water resistant and you have to reapply after two hours of swimming. Yes, our testing kids were in the ocean playing for 2 straight hours and came out without any trace of the sun tinting their skin and their skin seemed to still look/feel protected.

Applies very easy and absorbs all the way into the skin very nicely. When applied, it makes skin very shiney and tan. Are testers with dark skin and fair skin loved how it looked on. “This is a favorite. I rate it fantastic,” said one of our testers.

Ingredients: Zinc Oxice 22.3% active ingredient, vitis vinifera seed oil (grapeseed), sunflower oil, capric/caprylic triglyceride, vegetable oils, candelilla cera, beesway, macadamia termifolia seed oil, Theobroma grandiflorum seed butter, camellis sinesis leaf extract, roman chamomile, lecithin, safflower oil, cucumber extract, tocopheryl

Cost: $21.99 for 2.8 ounce tube

Available At: Soleo

Use coupon code SB10 to get 10% off at www.soleousa.com

Put To The Test:

There is a smell of fruity beeswax. When applying to skin it spreads easily and leaves a very faint whitish tint.

This sunscreen is pretty runny however and comes out of the tube very easy, almost too easy because you often end up pouring out more than you truly need which may end up being wasteful.

This sunscreen feels good on the skin and rubs in easy. Nice feature if you have a squirmy kid who doesn’t like too much fuss rubbing sunscreen in.

Thinkbaby also sells a sunscreen targeted for athletes too.

Ingredients:
Active Ingredient: ZnO – 25%
Inactive Ingredients: Distilled buffered water, vegetable glycerine, whole leaf aloe vera gel, raspberry seed oil, carrot oil, jojoba oil, rice bran oil, gamma oryzinol, olive oil, aribinogalactan, L-arginine, vitamin E, vitamin C, orange peel wax, bees wax, frankincense, rosemary, cornstarch, arrowroot, carageenan

Cost: $16.99 for 3 ounce tube

Available At: Think Baby