Suddenly summerlike and time for sunscreen

You might have overheard this conversation while I was getting dressed this morning:

Foot: Hello, space between the big toe and the second toe, I'd like to reintroduce you to sandal.
Sandal: Dude! How's it going? Glad to be out of the closet, if you know what I mean...
Foot: No doubt! How long's it been? Like 9 months or something?
Sandal: You're telling me! Was it not the longest, coldest, wettest spring ever or what? Man, it was dusty in that closet too. It's good to be out.
Foot: Well, nice seeing you again. Hope to form some calluses with you soon, so I can wear you every day!

Suddenly, it's summer. The elementary and preschool teachers are full of reminders to put sunscreen on the kids, stuff their totes and backpacks with sun hats and sunglasses, but NOT let them wear flip-flops (being a first-year elementary school family, the ban on flip-flops is new). But the struggle to get the kids to put on sunscreen is older than dirt. Actually, one of my kids doesn't fuss about sunscreen, but the other one, I have to chase around the house wielding the sunscreen, trying to swipe at her and hit all the places where major amounts of skin are exposed. I try to aim for the freckles, since they mock me: places I've missed in the past.

Of course, now there's all sorts of warnings about the dangerous chemicals some sunscreens contain in addition to the nasty phthalates of suncreeen fragrances in most of your standard, drugstore brands. Then there are the enviro-healthy suncreens: you pretty much need to tap into the kids' college savings plans to buy 2 ounces, and then it's like smearing Elmer's paste on their skin. "No really honey, it won't feel gross and it's good for you!"

Sunscreen. Which brands do you love? Which do you hate? Someone, for the love of Pete, please leave a comment or we are going to go on strike.

Comments

[Amber]

No flip flops, bummer! I am so excited that our twenty month old can keep the ones with little strappies on and it is one less fight with the nearly five year old to put on shoes.
As for the sunscreen, your website always informs me of what I am doing wrong. I do slather them in the SPF 50 often and didn't even think about dangerous chemicals. One of those damned if you do and if you don't, huh?
Well, we are currently using Banana Boat Kids tear free, SPF 50, Ultra Mist continuous spray sunblock lotion, long lasting UVA/UVB protection, no tearing, alcohol free, pediatrician tested and waterproof on the body and the small matching lotion on the face.

[LBH]

I bought some Burt's Bees Chemical Free Sunscreen the other day. I got SPF 30, which said non-whitening. The SPF 15 said non-greasy. I weighed my options. This non-whitening stuff is funny. They've obviously tinted the titanium dioxide a bit yellow. So non-whitening, yes. Non-yellowing, no.

I had read about Badger brand SPF 30 (another non-chemically type) on MomGoGreen (posted by a commenter) and promptly went to buy some so we weren't yellow all summer. It's pricey - like $15 and greasy. Greasy! Like greasy where it doesn't have to come in direct contact with something else to get it greasy.

So this morning I slathered my preschooler up with my Oil of Olay SPF 15 chemical-laden face lotion and sent her off to school. Ugh.

I mostly try to keep my kids covered with clothing as much as possible - hats, lightweight long-sleeved shirts, etc. But with weather like this I rely more heavily on sunscreen.

There is a database put out by the Environmental Working Group that rates personal care products on a scale of 1-7 for dangerous chemicals. It is very cool, but also a little scary when you start pulling all your shampoo and soap and lotion out and entering the names. You can also just search by product, "sunscreen."

[Carol]

We also have sunscreen battles at our house. I hate putting it on them, both because it's tedious and the stuff is so greasy, and because I'm always worried about the chemicals I'm putting on them. So I really try hard to stay inside from 10-2, and I don't generally use sunscreen outside those hours.

[Heather]

I remember reading about that Badger sunscreen on the EWG site...it was highly rated as non-toxic, safe, etc. Good to hear a first-hand experience story. I slathered my kids with Banana Boat Kids SPF50 lotion this morning, because it's what we had. I really would like to find a good, nasty-chemical-free sunscreen that wasn't greasy and doesn't leave that zinc oxide white sheen on your skin. Here are some links from EnviroMom on the subject from last year:
http://www.enviromom.com/2007/06/sunscreen-and-b.html
http://www.enviromom.com/2007/07/sunscreen-take-.html

Oh, and Amber, we just try to figure out how we can do things better, not what you're doing wrong. :-)

[allison]

Here's another strong vote AGAINST Badger. I bought it last night because of all the good non-toxic-ness of it. My daughter and I both used it today and it's the worst feeling thing I've ever used. Greasy, slimy, gluey, and it gets on everything because it doesn't rub in all that well. I'm feeling a bit vehement about this because I just got out of the shower where I had to scrub with a loofah three times just to get the stuff off of me... my husband is trying to clean our toddler in the tub as I write, and it doesn't sound good.

I really like Bullfrog sunscreen. I'll need to go check if it's rated on the EWG site

[Becky]

We use BADGER and yes it is such a pain to get on. My 19mth old doesn't really like me to put it on her but she doesn't get a choice. I let her help me and I put it on her about 15min before we go outside. Then right before we head out the door, i finish rubbing it all in again and it seems to work better. Also i have learned to make sure the cap is on tight and the i kind of massage all the liquid in the bottle so i don't get a glob of white and then a streak of grease. It just seems to help it a mix together a little easier.

[lilah]

I have two pale blonde boys. They do not get to go out in the sun to play without sunscreen. Period. Any kind of sunscreen is fine by me as long as they have it on. I used to worry about all the chemicals but I have decided to "choose my battles" so we use Water Babies or just the waterproof/sweatproof Coppertone Sport. All spray on. I spray it into my hands to get their faces.
My little one doesn't like it, but like I said, if you don't do it, you don't go outside. I have found that having this rule has eliminated the chase around the house game.

[Audrey]

I posted on EnviroMom, too, about how I love the Aubrey Organics green tea spf 25. Lasts long (no reapplication needed), works perfectly on my very fair boys (and me), and the best part - it smells SO good... You do have to rub it in well to not be greenish/yellowish/white, but other than that, I love it. I got it at Babyworks, and my tube has lasted a long, long time. (if you're allergic to PABA, you should avoid this one)

[Elizabeth]

the ewg recently released a list of top-rated safe sunscreens.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/index.php
i checked out the top few:
#1 Keys Solar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock, SPF 30 was $27 (!!!)
too expensive for trial.
#2 (which also received the best rating- a zero- and it was ONLY $10.

i bought the trukid facestick, and it rocks! kids use it on their own, and i can wear it under my makeup!