This guide to the best baby-safe mineral sunscreens came from our own head-spinning experience searching for baby-safe skincare products in the wake of the cultural revolution currently taking shape around the importance of clean skincare and sun care.
Shopping for a natural, baby-safe sunscreen is now easier than ever since there are so many great options on the market– but each sunscreen has a different feel, and if anything, the decision fatigue that comes with choosing between them can be daunting in its own right.
Thankfully, we’ve done the guesswork here for you and created this quick and snappy list of our top 5 baby sunscreen brands on the market today (according to seasoned moms, beauty editors, pediatricians, and dermatologists).
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Things To Keep in Mind
When shopping for a baby safe sunscreen, you want to make sure that anything you put on baby’s skin is made with non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient. Some brands use one or the other, while other brands used a combination of the two– but either way, you want a physical sunscreen NOT a chemical sunscreen. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the only safe and effective options in this category.
Otherwise, you can look for labels that say the SPF affords “broad spectrum” coverage (meaning they block a combination of UVA and UVB rays) and an SPF rating of 30 or higher.
For children, SPF 50 is ideal as it provides the best coverage, blocking on average 97 to 98% of harmful UV rays from harming the dermis. (And yes, kids can use “adult” sunscreen as long as it meets these requirements.) Ultimately, there are few differences in terms of the active ingredients in most children’s sunscreen, but they can have different feels, weights, and scents– which makes a difference for sensitive skin.
Accordingly, this post contains Amazon Affiliate links for easy, direct purchasing of baby sunscreens that are the most universally loved. (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This is why we work our butts off to make sure these recommendations stay apprised of the latest scientific and pediatric discoveries and standards.)
Below linked are brands that we use on ourselves and our family members, as we’ve tested all of them personally and cross-referenced the research and efficacy with various dermatologists, pediatricians, and Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database, as well. (<– This is a handy resource for checking the chemical load of any personal cosmetic product, FWIW.)
Here, we spotlight the best, most effective natural sunscreens for baby– with direct links to purchase them, below. Use them to help your little one safely soak up the sun!
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ThinkBaby SPF 50+ Baby Sunscreen (Our Top Pick)
As we wrote in our guide to the 6 Best Reef-Safe Zinc Sunscreens, Thinksport’s line of physical, non-nano zinc sunscreens is reef-safe, and even the adult formulations are baby-safe, as well. It’s a mineral sunscreen whose only active ingredient is 23.4% zinc oxide.
Nevertheless, their baby-specific sunscreen product, ThinkBaby SPF 50+ Baby Sunscreen is pretty much the gold standard for parents who want the perfect marriage of easy-to-apply rub-ability and the most “natural” active ingredients possible.
SPF 50+ protection is the baseline level you should be applying to children age 1-5, but any protection is better than nothing. Of course, their ThinkBaby formulation meets that requirement, but the entire line is gentle enough to be applied to baby, toddler, kids, and adults, alike. (They even make a great pregnancy-safe tinted sunscreen for face, as well!)
Baby Bum SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
Baby Bum SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion is a great travel-friendly sunscreen that has stood the test of time. They also make a sunscreen spray and sunscreen stick for convenient application on-the-go, though rub-in creams offer the best and most effective SPF coverage, especially when applied to wiggly little limbs.
We love the fragrance-free version of this iconic baby sunscreen and the fact that the TSA-approved 3-oz bottle has a cute little monkey on it that little ones will enjoy, as well.
The plant-based formula is vegan, cruelty-free, dye-free, and gluten-free, too And, like all the baby sunscreens in this list, it’s paraben, sulfate, silicone, and phthalate-free.
Babyganics Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Babyganics Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 is a tear-free water resistant broad spectrum sunscreen that rubs in faster than most brands on the market today. This is due, in part, from the blend of zinc and titanium dioxide in the formulation (as opposed to pure zinc oxide, which can be a little thicker).
This non-allergenic baby sunscreen is made without nanoparticles, parabens, phthalates, PABA, or fragrance, so it’s great for babies with super sensitive skin who can’t handle any extras.
Also, several of the ingredients listed on the back panel are certified organic. If you’re applying sunscreen on the face of a super wiggly toddler, this tear-free formula is a great option.
Erbaviva Organic Baby Sunscreen SPF 30
Erbaviva Organic Baby Sunscreen is a super clean, organic, reef-safe sunscreen made with essential oils for a slick, nourishing rub-in feel. Accordingly, it has a luxurious lavender scent that you will either love or hate, depending on your relationship with fragrance. If you think your baby would benefit from the added calming effects of lavender, this is the sunscreen for you.
This lavender-scented farm-to-bottle sunscreen includes ingredients from farmers who employ sustainability practices to protect soil and conserve water.
It’s only SPF 30, which makes it a better choice for kids who can’t tolerate an SPF 50 application. Thus, be sure to reapply according to the manufacturers’ guidelines, aka 15 minutes before sun exposure, after 80 minutes of sweating, swimming, or towel-drying, or every two hours of continuous sun exposure.
~ Honorable Mention ~
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Coolibar For Sunblocking Baby Hats + Baby Sunsuits + SPF-Blocking Baby Bathing Suits
Coolibar famously makes great sunsuits for infants and toddlers. However, we also love their sunblocking hats for infants, which are helpfully equipped with a non-irritating chin strap that keeps them on. (It’s hard to get a toddler to keep a sunhat on, but for babies under 1 year, these hats are especially excellent.)
We also strongly recommend their Baby LumaLeo UPF 50+ Baby Sunsuits, which are great for that period younger than 6 months when you can’t safely apply sunscreen to your baby. (We loved and used these sun protection suits on our kids all the way up to 24 months.)
Finally, the brand’s colorful rash guards and 1-piece baby bathing suits offer the gold standard of UPF 50+ protection that will never wash out.
Ultimately, using this kind of smart SPF clothing combined with a physical sunscreen is your baby’s best protection against harmful UV rays. And when in doubt, always remember: your safest bet is to stick to the shade. 🙂
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Walleroo Hat Company for Fun, Wide-Brimmed UPF+ toddler hats
We love Walleroo Hat Company‘s wide-brimmed UPF 50+ hats for toddlers, which are sized according to age (2 to 5 years, or 4 to 8 years, etc). They have a wide variety of kid-friendly colors and designs to delight every style and sensibility, from animals to rainbows and several elegant straw options, as well.
Ultimately, a hat can provide the best UPF protection of all, trumping the effectiveness of sunscreen above all else. If you can get your child to keep theirs on, encourage them to wear it as often as possible when playing outside in direct sun. (Shade, my friends, goes a long way.)
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Related: The 100 Best Pregnancy-Safe Skincare and Beauty Products on the market right now.
The 6 Best Reef-Safe Zinc Sunscreens for Adults.
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