Sunscreen

Anyone just love the sunscreen they use?

Also, how do you normally put it on. Our doctor said to put it on first thing in the morning and then again in the afternoon but I am scared it will wear off. I also hate the way it makes them small and greasy.

Also, have anyone used the sunscreen insect repellent combination that is out this year?

Twinsnga

 

We found a sunblock last year that dries great! It doesn't make them greasy or shiny so less dirt sticks to them. I believe it's Banana Boat, it was an orange bottle with a blue top. It said quick dry or powder dry, something like that. I used the aerosol ones for a while but this one I didn't mind rubbing on since it didn't make my hands feel slippery. I think I still have some...if I find it I'll post the exact name.

 

Love California baby...it has a good spf (I had read an article last summer about the various brands of children's sunscreen and a lot of them didn't work as well as they said...but this one was one of the higher ranked one).

It's also suggested not to use the sunscreen with bug repellent as you have to reapply sunscreen more often than bug stuff. So you may be putting more bug repellent on than you need and with most of the chemicals in that stuff, I personally chose to use separate stuff. I also love the California baby bug repellent lotion.

California baby costs a little more but I love the stuff (you can find it online or generally at your local health food store).

 

California Baby is also our favorite. It stays on and doesn't wear off and it works really well. The bug repellent style has a citronella smell to it so I don't suggest it unless you're going outside but it's great for when you have the kids out in nature. We've sold out of most of ours but we still have the sunscreen sticks left at clearance price in our store.

 

We use Blue Lizard. It's one of the brands our dermatologist (both DH and I have issues with moles) recommended, because it has a physical blocker rather than a chemical. Most of those are really expensive, but I found it at drugstore.com for significantly less. A plus is that it doesn't stink nearly as badly as the regular kind (Coppertone or whatever). A minus is that it goes on pretty white (because of the titanium dioxide), so you have to rub it in a lot more.

 

We use Vanicream Sensitive Skin SPF 60 and it's great. Like the Blue Lizard, it is only physical sunblock, but that is what is safest for kidlets anyway. It's the one that I've found that goes on the clearest and also doesn't separate like a lot of physical sunblocks do. It doesn't make anyone break out, and it doesn't smell. It is a bit more expensive, though...

 

We use Blue Lizard also - for the same reasons as Renee and Alden mentioned. I usually put it on them in the morning when I am washing them up and before they have clothes on so I can totally cover them with it and rub it in well. And then reapply when they go out into the sun. It does separate though and goes on very white like Alden said so I am going to look into the Vanicream that Renee uses (thanks for the tip Renee!).

Oh - I have found it at a pretty decent price in a big bottle at bed bath and beyond, and also online. but it does expire, so check the dates on the bottles.

 

For anyone who's interested, here is a link to a sunscreen summary from Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database. It's a pretty long list, but is chock FULL of information. Based on it, and what we can easily get around here, we use NoAd sunblock. It's cheap, effective, not smelly and works safely (no nanoparticles).