Now that the weather is undeniably warm and the sun doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, here is a list of my favorite sunscreens for parents and kids, as well as some general tips for sunscreen application.
For myself, I really like Jurlique’s Sun Lotion, SPF 30. It’s lightweight, it smells lovely with a hint of pine, and doesn’t irritate my skin or make me break out. It has both physical and chemical sun protection, is broad spectrum, and contains Vitamin E for antioxidant protection.
Another brand I really like is Coola. Their face sunscreen is SPF 30, light in texture, and contains lots of organic ingredients. They have their classic sunscreen with chemical protection, but they also just introduced a mineral collection that’s physical sunscreen, which is better for sensitive or oily skin types. Both are broad spectrum and come in either a yummy cucumber scent or unscented.
Suntegrity received a 1 (low hazard) on the Environmental Working Group/Skin Deep Cosmetic website, which rates products according to toxic ingredient levels. I really like Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen, Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Light and can wear that as my foundation in the summer. They also make baby sunscreen and sunscreen towelettes which are great on the go.
When my kid was an infant, we used a lot of California Baby products on him and especially the sunscreen, which was the first one I ever used on his pure baby skin. Their products are gentle, get consistently good reviews, and do the trick. I especially like the sunscreen stick which you can slap on exposed skin and easily reapply to wiggly tots.
I also used Babo Botanicals on my babe when he was smaller. Their products are pure and have gorgeous floral scents that I love using on myself! They’ve launched a sunscreen that I really like. It’s SPF 30, has broad spectrum protection, and a clear zinc sunscreen—and, best of all, has an amazing fruity scent. It comes in both cream form and the all-important sunscreen stick which I will totally be throwing into every bag I carry this season. Great for lips, too!
Now that my baby is three and we’ll be spending more hours outside this summer, I’m going to also throw the Noodle and Boo Play-Day Broad Spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen into my arsenal. It contains both chemical and physical protection, has no fragrance (seriously), and is pediatrician tested and hypoallergenic. I used it on my décolleté this morning to go running and it performed beautifully.
Tips for sunscreen application: When it comes to sunscreen, dermatologists always advise to buy a new bottle each season, as some ingredients can degrade over time and are not as effective after a year (especially true for your child). You should be using enough sunscreen to use up a regular-sized bottle in one season anyway. Recommended doses are a teaspoon for your face and a shot-glass-sized amount for your body. Reapply after sweating or swimming or every few hours if you’re in direct sun. Sunscreen can have residual effects on the skin, so use it often and a lot. Don’t be shy, reapply!
Happy Spring!
Amity Spiegel is a total beauty junkie who lives in Brooklyn with husband Mike and son Cole. She is an esthetician with a holistic focus, a once and future triathlete/marathoner, a lover of trashy rock biographies and healthy eating and cooking.
