Sunscreen Search

Trying to find a good sunscreen is no easy task. Its like finding a needle in the haystack, as there are hundreds of them out there. Most of last year I used Kiehl's Vital Sun Protection Lotion SPF 40. Though good, it causes our eyes to burn and water. So I was on the market for a better sunscreen that doesn't make us cry, gives us good coverage and is safe.

There's been all this talk about how ingredients in sunscreen are not safe, we should avoid using certain chemicals that cause this that and the other. I just wanted to find something that I can put on my kid without worrying about the ingredients and its side effects.

So this year, before the summer kicks in I did some research about sunscreens and what is good/safe and what's not so much. So this is what i found.

Safe ingridents:
Non nano Zinc Oxide
Non nano Titanium Dioxide


Unsafe chemical ingridents:
Retinyl Palmitate - converts readily to retinoids, associated with a risk of birth defects in people
Oxybenzone - interfere with hormones in the body.
nanoscale zinc and titanium oxides have been linked to potential reproductive and developmental effects

Tips when picking up a sunscreen:

• SPF 15-30 is good. More SPF doesn't necessarily mean better coverage. Studies show that sunscreen with SPF 15 can block about 93% of all incoming UVB rays. SPF 30 blocks 97%. SPF 50 blocks 98%.
• Make sure labels list UVA and UVB (or broad/wide spectrum protection);
• Slather it on  and re-apply it every couple of hours, as the ingredients breakdown with exposure to sun, water, sweat. So re-appling is the key and do so generously.

Good Sunscreens:

• Badger Sunscreen
• California Baby

Both of these use either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Badger is deemed to be one of the safer ones by the consumer report and is one of the few sunscreen's approved by the FDA. And it has the non-nano type and is very reasonably priced. That is my sunscreen of choice and that is what I am going to use this year to keep the family sun safe. There many other sunscreens out there which are just as safe, just make sure to check the ingredients.