“Can you use sunscreen on babies?” Absolutely! Like adults, children also need skin protections! As early as 6 months, you can start finding the best baby sunscreen for your kids!
Yes, you can use sunscreen on babies 6 months or above, while younger babies may use other forms of protection against the sun. Furthermore, it is important to avoid exposing your baby to the sun, especially when the sun is at its peak hours and make sure to dress up your baby in protective gears, sunglasses, and a hat.
On the other hand, if your kid hasn’t reached 6 months yet, it is best to keep her out of direct rays of the sun. Simply dressing up her well would be enough.
Now, if there’s a more important question to ask, that is, “What is the best baby sunscreen to use?”
More...
Rank | Image | Product Name | Our Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | 98
/100
| ||
2 |  | 97
/100
| ||
3 |  | 95
/100
| ||
4 |  | 93
/100
| ||
5 |  | 90
/100
|
Top 5 Best Baby Sunscreen Products In 2022
When finding the right baby sunscreen, choose a sunscreen with a good level of SPF. Put on sunscreen liberally, and reapply as needed.
In order to avoid irritation on your baby's eyes and skin, see to it that you are using a sunscreen that has titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Make sure that you’re not using products that are mixed with insect repellent DEET because sunscreen has to be reapplied regularly and insect repellent usually does not have to be reapplied.
Guide to Choosing the Best Baby Sunscreen
When you chooses a baby sunscreen for your kid, there are standard rules you may want to follow.
Using sunscreen on babies doesn’t have much difference from the sunscreen that adults use, it just that the lotions for babies are gearing towards the baby skin.
When choosing a sunscreen for babies, here are some things you must consider:
Skin Type
If your baby happens to have a sensitive skin or prone to rashes, then it means that you really have to be careful in choosing the baby sunscreen for her.
If you have used a sunscreen for her in the past but your baby had a bad reaction to it, then extra caution would be necessary. Going to the doctor would be a great idea and they’ll inform you which ingredient triggered the rash on the skin of your baby.
Tip: Make sure to only apply a good amount of sunscreen on your baby’s skin. Putting too much may contribute to your kid’s reaction to it.
Frequency of Application
When looking for the best baby sunscreen, it’s necessary for you to know, along with other important things, how often you must use the sunscreen on your baby. Most of the time, lotions sold in the market comes with instructions as to how to use them properly. However, as a rule of thumb, using them every two hours would be necessary. On top of this, it’s recommended that the sunscreen has to be applied to the skin at least 15 minutes before being exposed to the sun.
Level of SPF
And lastly and probably the most important factor when buying sunscreen for baby is checking the SPF level. SPF or Sun Protection Factor is used to specify the protection level you get against UVA and UVB. When choosing, it’s recommended to cling to the old rule that says the higher the ranking of the SPF, the better protection it will give you. It’s specifically because of this that it’s important to say what the SPF level of the sunscreen is.
But how does the SPF system actually work?
The SPF system of sunblock measures the duration a sunscreen will guard your skin against burning from AVA or UVB rays. So, let’s say, it takes for your skin about 20 minutes to burn under the sun without wearing sunscreen, supposedly, by using a sunscreen that claims to have an SPF 15, it will prevent your skin to burn or red for about 15 times longer.
In Europe, sunscreens are limited to being claimed as an SPF 50+, while it’s stricter in Australia where manufacturers cannot claim that their sunscreen is more than SPF 30+.
Today, you are able to find Sun protection products that are rated from 2 to 100.
But you’re probably asking – Do you really need a sunscreen with a high level of SPF?
Well, YES and NO.
YES because getting a higher level of SPF means you can stay out longer under the sun without getting burned.
NO, because a lot of people do not apply enough sunscreen as needed or recommended, which makes SPF 50 work more like an SPF 30.
It usually depends on how much sunscreen lotion you apply and how frequent you reapply it.
Contrary to popular belief, the level of SPF does not indicate the level of protection it can give you.
There’s only a small difference in extra protection a higher level of SPF offer.
However, this is not to say that buying higher SPF means it is not worth it, as even small amounts of sun exposure you get can total to a great amount of sun damage.
Our Top Picks for 5 Best Baby Sunscreen Products
When you consider the factors mentioned about, buying sunblock for your baby should not be so difficult anymore. However, with the number of products available in the market, some people may still have trouble finding the right one for them. In order to help parents with their quests, here are our top picks for the best baby sunscreen.
Via Amazon.com
First on our list is Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen with SPF 50+, which is rated by EWG as number 1 since 2010. It’s a mineral-based sunscreen that has 20% zinc oxide as an active ingredient, and it’s free of any biologically damaging chemicals like oxybenzone, avobenzone, or UV chemical absorbers.
Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen is the first sunscreen to pass the requirements of Whole Foods Premium Care. Furthermore, it is a member of Sun Safety Coalition and Safe Cosmetics Campaign Compact. It contains the highest SPF, Broad-spectrum coverage, and Water Resistance as proposed by the FDA Guideline in 2012. And compared to any skin protections in the market, this product has won more awards. It has non-nano zinc oxide formulation, completely non-greasy, and application is extremely easy. It comes in userfriendly and convenient container and it is animal cruelty-free.
98
/100
Editor's Rating: 98/100
Price On Amazon: from $7.97
Pros
Cons
2. Banana Boat Baby Sunscreen Tear-Free Sting-Free Broad Spectrum Sun Care Sunscreen Lotion - SPF 50
Via Amazon.com
Pediatrician-tested, this product is alcohol-free and as its name suggests, tear-free. This product is also water-resistant. Using this baby sunscreen can guarantee you that it would not sting or cause tearing, so you can assure that your baby will have fun will enjoying maximum protection the product offers.
Banana Boat Baby Sunscreen is clinically tested to be mild on the skin of your baby and it will not sting the eyes, so you can assure that this will not cause any harm to your baby.
Another thing we like about this product is that because it is water-resistant, it lasts long after first application and it also has a UVA and UVB broad-spectrum protection that guarantees that your baby will be fine despite sun exposure.
97
/100
Editor's Rating: 97/100
Price On Amazon: from $6.62
Pros
Cons
Via Amazon.com
CeraVe Baby Sunscreen is a naturally sourced sunscreen, with necessary ceramides and calming aloe, to guard delicate skin against the harmful UVA and UVB rays emit by the sun. It contains essential ceramides that help restore and repair the protective barrier of the skin.
This is another broad-spectrum sunscreen that has 100% naturally obtained active ingredients like Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. Another thing you will like about this is that it is fragrance-free, contains a hypoallergenic formula, and it is free of sulfates and parabens.
CeraVe Baby sunscreen is specially designed for young children. It’s also appropriate for any types of skin. Just like the previous products, this sunscreen also offers water resistance, and it offers sun protection that goes up to 80 minutes at SPF 45. This product is approved by National Eczema Association.
95
/100
Editor's Rating: 95/100
Price On Amazon: from $13.99
Pros
Cons
Via Amazon.com
Another baby sunscreen we like is the Babyganics mineral-based baby sunscreen lotion, which is great for the health of your baby as it does not have fragrance, dyes, phthalates, parabens, and sulfates that’s why it’s suggested for daily use.
And it also features a combination of tomato, sunflower, raspberry, cranberry, and black cumin which makes it pretty effective and powerful. It features UVA and UVB protection design with SPF 50+. You will also love the fact that it was not tested on animal, so it is cruelty-free.
93
/100
Editor's Rating: 93/100
Price On Amazon: from $8.99
Pros
Cons
Via Amazon.com
This baby sunscreen is a chemical-based product, with Octocrylene and Homosalate as the main ingredients. The manufacturer claims that it’s hypoallergenic, gentle, dermatologically tested, and contains a non-irritating formula. Coppertone is also known to be one of the top pediatric-recommended sunscreen brands in the United States.
The main features of this baby sunscreen include being photostable, offering broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, and having SPF protection of SPF 50+. On top of this, its water-resistant ability lasts for up to 80 minutes, which makes it an ideal option for kids that are going to be exposed to the sun for a long period of time. The tube is also easy to use and the product itself is very easy to apply.
90
/100
Editor's Rating: 90/100
Price On Amazon: from $14.30
Pros
Cons
Summary
So, there you have it – our list of the best baby sunscreen products you can find in the market today. They have their own features and ingredients which are going to help you decide which ones are suitable for your kids’ needs. They also come at different sizes and prices, make sure to check that out too and see which one will cover your needs.
Hopefully, this article has been helpful to you, and if it did, let us know in the comment below. If you have other question or even suggestion on other best baby sunscreen products to add in this article, we would like to know about it as well!