Guide to the Safest Baby Sunscreen and Sunscreen for Kids

Do you want to be sure you are using safe baby sun protection on your child?  In this easy-to-follow guide, you will learn how to identify a safe baby sunscreen based on its ingredients.  Moreover, we will categorize popular sunscreens – such as Neutrogena, Cerave, Coppertone, Blue Lizard, Thinkbaby, Arbonne, Badger sunscreen for babies and many others – into the “not a fan,” “better,” and “best” categories. 

Knowing which brands contain non-toxic ingredients and still work well will help you choose the best natural sunscreen for kids and babies.  Furthermore, you will be able to make an informed decision as to which is better to use – a baby sunscreen spray or lotion.   To pick a non-toxic sunscreen for yourself, visit this Best Non-Toxic Face Sunscreen Guide.  Interested in self-tanners?  Check out the IRLFY shop for Sunless Tanners options!

Safest Baby Sunscreen And Sunscreen For Kids

To start with, any subject related to babies and kids resonates with me.  Indeed, I still remember the challenge of finding safe products for my baby boy.  Actually, that was how the  I Read Labels for You website started – with sharing my research into baby shampoos. 

Since then, I have investigated many other products and industries.  Now, you can take advantage of years of research, which I have compiled into e-books and blog posts.  Thus, you will surely benefit from my Diaper Rating List and Baby Wipes Rating List e-books.  Also, consider reading this post to get help with finding a non-toxic crib mattress for your baby.  Additionally, choose a safe laundry detergent for your baby’s clothes in this Guide to the Safest Laundry Detergents.

Although it is impossible to avoid all toxins in life, even small steps can change the quality of your life drastically.  For instance, it is a good idea to install a water filter system and switch to safe cookware.  In fact, the changes I have made in my life have helped me recover from Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  (Learn about that and another autoimmune disease I’m recovering from in my blog posts about breast implants and explant surgery.)

I believe that self-education into non-toxic living helps us as parents make the right choices for our children’s well-being.  So, let’s discuss how you can identify the safest baby sunscreen and the best natural sunscreen for kids.

The Most Effective Baby Sunscreen

Most likely, for your baby, you want an effective, easy-to-apply, broad-spectrum sunscreen that is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Which protects against both UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of 30 or higher. 

Indeed, UVA rays have a longer wavelength, are not absorbed by the ozone layer, and can be absorbed into the skin.  Namely, they can penetrate to the middle layer of the skin (the dermis).  The UVA rays are divided into UVA-I (340 nm – 400 nm) and UVA-II (315 nm – 340 nm) (source).

As for UVB rays, though shorter and mostly absorbed by the ozone layer, still reach the Earth’s surface and the outer layer of our skin (the epidermis). They cause most skin cancers (source).

There are also UVC rays. But they get completely absorbed by the ozone layer and the earth’s atmosphere (source and source).

Keep in mind that SPF indicates the duration of protection from UVB rays only.  (Stay with me to learn more about health concerns related to SPF!)

The ingredients responsible for filtering UV rays appear on the product label as “active ingredients” and are of either chemical or mineral origin.

Ideally, you don’t want your sunscreen for babies to be chemical sunscreen.  In other words, you want your baby sunscreen to be free of chemical UV filters such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, octocrylene, octisalate, and homosalate.  Instead, you want to find the best natural sunscreen for kids with mineral UV filters such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.  Here is why.

Avoid Sunscreen For Babies With Chemical UV Filters

To begin, the EWG summarizes the concerns caused by chemical UV filters.  Plus, the European Union Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and other scientific sources, including PubMed, reveal the following about them.

Oxybenzone

First, oxybenzone (aka benzophenone-3):

• penetrates the skin and has been found in mother’s milk and 97% of urine samples (source) 
• is linked to hormone-disrupting effects (source)
• may cause carcinogenic effects (source)
• may trigger a photoallergic reaction (source)
• has dermatological and environmental toxicological impacts (source)
• may have possible long-term effects in humans and wildlife (source)
• is suggested by the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) to be used in concentrations of not higher than 2.2%.

Additionally, to preserve marine ecosystems, beginning January 1, 2021 Hawaii banned the sale, offer for sale, or distribution in the state of any sunscreen that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate. Or both, without a prescription issued by a licensed healthcare provider.

Octinoxate

Second, octinoxate:

• is toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects (source)
• penetrates the skin and has been found in mother’s milk (source)
• is under assessment as an endocrine disruptor (source) 
• may have toxic long-term effects in humans and wildlife (source).

Just as with oxybenzone, octinoxate caused a ban (beginning January 1, 2021) on the sale, offer for sale, or distribution in the state of Hawaii of any sunscreen that contains octinoxate or oxybenzone, or both, without a prescription issued by a licensed healthcare provider (source).

Avobenzone

Third, avobenzone:

• is under assessment as to whether it is persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) (source)
• induces mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated apoptosis leading to abnormal placentation during early pregnancy (source)
• is being assessed for causing endocrine-disrupting activity (source)
• functions as an obesogen interfering with normal lipid metabolism (source).

As with the previous two UV filters, Hawaii has banned (beginning January 1, 2023) the sale, offer for sale, or distribution in the state of any sunscreen that contains avobenzone or octocrylene, or both, without a prescription issued by a licensed healthcare provider (source).

Octocrylene

Fourth, octocrylene:

• is under assessment as to whether it is persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (source)
• has shown allergenic potential (source)
• arouses concerns related to potential endocrine disrupting properties (source)
• is considered toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects (source).

Beginning January 1, 2023, Hawaii has banned the sale, offer for sale, or distribution in the state of any sunscreen that contains octocrylene, avobenzone, or both, without a prescription issued by a licensed healthcare provider (source).

Octisalate

Fifth, octisalate:

• has insufficient research data to determine its safety and effectiveness in a baby sunscreen (source)
• is thought to be very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects, and
• is suspected of damaging the unborn child (source).

Homosalate

Last, homosalate:

• arouses concerns related to endocrine disrupting properties (source)
• was found toxic to living cells and damaging to DNA (source)
• adversely affects human trophoblast cells that help protect an embryo in the uterus; therefore, pregnant women are advised to practice caution with personal care products containing homosalate (source)
• is considered very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects, and
• is suspected of damaging the unborn child (source).

Related: Helpful List of Chemicals to Avoid During Pregnancy

Opt For A Mineral Sunscreen For Kids

In my opinion, a kid sunscreen that contains chemical UV filters is far from being the safest baby sunscreen.  

Alternatively, in its 2019 proposal to sunscreen regulations, the FDA states that zinc oxide and titanium dioxide mineral filters are generally recognized as safe and effective (“GRASE”), based on available scientific data.

Unlike chemical filters that absorb UV radiation, mineral filters – zinc oxide and titanium dioxide – reflect, or scatter, UV radiation.  However, reportedly, while they are both effective against UVB rays, zinc oxide is more effective for UVA-I and UVA-II (source and source). 

Also, generally recognized as safe, neither zinc oxide nor titanium dioxide is known to have any negative health effects.  However, please know that when inhaled as dust, powder or aerosol, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide may cause harm to lungs (source).  This is one of the reasons I do not advocate adult or baby sunscreen sprays.  (Read on to see other reasons for choosing sun lotion for kids over spray!)

Know This About Your Baby Sunscreen SPF

First, the FDA warns against adopting a popular misconception that the sun protection factor (SPF) equals the duration of solar exposure.  Rather than time, SPF relates to the amount of solar exposure, impacted by many factors, for example, sun intensity.  Indeed, one hour of sun exposure at 9 am may result in the same amount of solar energy as 15 minutes of exposure at 1 pm.  Bottom line, an SPF 15 does not mean you can stay in the sun for 15 hours without getting sunburn. 

Second, this study suggests that high SPF values create a false sense of security by making users believe that high SPF fully protects them from sun damage.  As a result, they tend to spend more time in the sun. Exposing themselves to risks (such as skin cancers) caused by solar energy.    

Most importantly, SPF indicates the duration of protection from UVB rays only (not from UVA!), i.e., from getting sunburn.   

Suppose a baby’s skin burns after 10 minutes of sun exposure (with no sunscreen on).  Take this number – 10 minutes – and multiply it by the SPF value of your kid sunscreen.  Thus, technically, SPF 30 should protect your baby from UVB rays for 300 minutes (10×30=300), which is 5 hours.  However, these are relative numbers because there are many variables (e.g., the sunscreen layer thickness, skin type, sun intensity etc.). 

Therefore, I would stick to the general recommendation of re-applying even a water-resistant sunscreen every 2 hours. Or immediately after prolonged contact with water, regardless of its water resistance factor.

Choose Not To Use Sunscreen Sprays

Every time we go to the beach, I do my best not to become a victim of an aerosol attack.  Indeed, there is always someone nearby who uses an aerosol sunscreen that blows into my face, exposing me to unwanted chemicals.  Personally, I see several problems with using sunscreen spray. Especially in an open public area such as the beach or the pool.  

First, it is a matter of simple ethics.  The seaside tends to be windy. And the contents of an aerosol-propelled substance end up on other people’s clothes, bodies, and lungs. 

Second, applying a kid sunscreen lotion on your child, you can tell how much you are using and how thoroughly.  Conversely, though sprays seem easy to apply, if used in the wind outside, there is no way to tell if you have used enough.  Hence, potentially, a baby sunscreen lotion or cream provides more protection. 

Third, the Cancer Council of Australia warns against the use of aerosol sunscreens.  Thus, research conducted at the Queensland University of Technology indicates that it is extremely difficult to get good levels of UV protection from sprays.  Additionally, the use of propellants may dilute the sunscreen, causing it to have a lower SPF than advertised!

Above all, there is a risk of inhaling carcinogenic substances when using a baby sunscreen spray.  Indeed, consider the following information.

Beware Of Inhaling Carcinogenic Substances When Using Sprays!

To begin, in 2021 an independent laboratory VALISURE detected high levels of benzene in specific batches of some sunscreen products.  (For your information, benzene is on the list of chemicals that, according to the state of California, may cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.) 

Specifically, out of 14 products that revealed 2 ppm benzene or higher, 12 products were in the form of spray.  And out of 26 products that contained 0.1 ppm to 2 ppm benzene, 20 were aerosols. 

By the way, none of the kid sunscreen products in the “better” and “best” categories are on the list of products that tested positive for benzene.  Those products in the “better” and “best” categories that VALISURE tested are on the list of sun care products that showed no benzene.  

Further, even zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, though generally recognized as safe, may cause harm to lungs when inhaled in the form of airborne particles (source).    

Moreover, titanium dioxide is a suspected lung carcinogen if its particles/dust are airborne and inhaled.  In other words, it is potentially harmful in sprays and loose powders (not in creams, lotions, or pressed powders).  The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies airborne and inhaled dust of titanium dioxide as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ (source and source).

Therefore, although I researched both baby sunscreen lotions and sprays, I decided not to include sunscreen sprays into my “not-a-fan-better”-best” categorization.  However, if you choose to use spray, here are some safer options.

Safer Options Of Kid Sunscreen Sprays

Personally, I choose not to use spray sunscreen for babies.  However, if you want to use one, here are some safer options, in my opinion:

• All Good Kid’s Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
• Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF30
• Hello Bello Kid’s Baby Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
• Hello Bello Kid’s Baby Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 50 

The reasons I consider these products to be safer kid and baby sunscreen spray options are as follows:

• None of them is a chemical sunscreen, meaning they do not contain chemical UV filters.
• Plus, they do not contain titanium dioxide (so there is no risk to inhale it).
• There are no ingredients of great concern.
• And they should protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

How to use: To make sure your child is not inhaling the vapors, spray some baby sunscreen into your hands.  Then, rub it onto your child’s skin and face, avoiding the eyes and mouth. 

Other Ingredients Of Concern In A Baby Sunscreen

For starters, the focal point of this guide as to the safest baby sunscreen is the safety of ingredients, not the product’s effectiveness.  Hence, I have grouped kid sunscreen products into the “not-a-fan,” “better,” and “best” categories based on available ingredient safety data.  Please bear in mind that these are my opinions only, formed from thorough research and study of scientific sources.  

Obviously, the safest baby sunscreen should have none of these ingredients. 

“Not-A-Fan” Sunscreens For Babies And Kids

The sunscreens for kids and babies in the “not-a-fan” category contain chemical UV filters and/or multiple ingredients of concern. There are three groups of products in this category:

• baby sunscreens with SPF under 50
• baby sunscreens with SPF 50+, and
• sunscreens for kids.

Baby Sunscreens With SPF Under 50

Baby Sunscreens With SPF 50+

Sunscreens For Kids

“Better” Mineral Sunscreen Options

“Best” Natural Sunscreen For Kids And Babies

A Note On Badger Baby Sunscreen

Initially, I placed Badger sunscreen for kids in the “best” category.  Then I removed it, following a concerning FDA investigatory letter to Badger in 2022.  The letter states in part, “This warning letter summarizes some violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for finished pharmaceuticals.”

Concerned, I reached out to the manufacturer to determine the status of this investigation and received the following response:

Thank you for reaching out to us! Our Badger staff and leadership are working diligently with our FDA experts to comply with the additional documentation requests to resolve this matter. We have already addressed many of their concerns and are in the final stages of completing this work. All Badger products, including sunscreens, are rigorously tested to meet the highest quality, purity, safety, and efficacy before being approved for final sale.

In 2024, Badger said this:

Thank you for checking in! We completed our final commitment from the warning letter (the cleaning validation), but the warning letter won’t be closed out until after our next FDA audit which can be at any time (determined by the FDA).

I will update this review based on any new evidence and response provided by the FDA and the manufacturer. And may well ultimately place Badger products in the “best” category.

Summary Of The Safest Baby Sunscreen Post

It Is Best To Use Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion With Mineral UV Filters And Avoid Aerosol Sunscreen For Babies.

To sum up, in this guide, you have learned how to identify the best natural sunscreen for kids based on its ingredients. 

In addition, you have been able to see which category (and why) I assigned for Arbonne, Blue Lizard, Cerave, Coppertone, Neutrogena, Thinkbaby, Badger, and many others.

Plus, based on the knowledge you gained about aerosol products, you can make an informed decision as to whether to use a baby sunscreen spray or lotion. 

Most importantly, there are many variables that affect a sunscreen’s protection ability: solar energy intensity, duration of exposure, SPF, skin type, geographical location, wind, water, sweat, sunscreen quantity and layer thickness, thoroughness, and frequency of application etc.  As consumers, we cannot be sure that sunscreens will work as promised by the manufacturers because their SPF testing techniques may differ from real-life scenarios.  Neither are we privy to the intricacies of manufacturing processes and interaction of ingredients in the product.

Therefore, it is a good idea to follow the general rules for sun protection, especially when it comes to children.  

For instance, when at the beach, my son wears a long-sleeved shirt or rash guard and a hat.  Also, we avoid sunbathing during the most active sun hours from noon till 4pm.  In addition, we use mineral-based, water resistant sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher and re-apply it every two hours and after contact with water or excessive sweating, regardless of the sunscreen water resistance factor.

Browse the I Read Labels For You blog for tons of useful information on the health and safety of your baby, e.g., the Best Baby Shampoo Guide.  For non-toxic face sunscreen options, visit this Best Non-Toxic Face Sunscreen Guide.  And for self-tanners, check out the Sunless Tanners listing in the IRLFY shop.  Also, book a service if you need help understanding a product’s ingredients..

Download The Free Guide!

5 Powerful Steps To A Non-Toxic Home

Join our informed consumer community and get our free guide the “5 Powerful Steps To A Non-Toxic Home”.

SUBSCRIBE