Non-toxic Sunscreens for the Whole Family

Sunscreen is an important and necessary product that we use on a regular basis here in Arizona. Many sunscreens now contain potentially hazardous chemicals which have been added to bump up the SPF count. There are many ingredients and brands to avoid, but there are also many companies that make a safe and effective sunscreen. Below are a list of tips to help you choose the best sunscreen for you and your family.

Ingredients to avoid:

Synthetic Vitamin A or Retinyl Palmitate: shown to accelerate sun damage
Oxybenzone, and octisalate: can trigger allergic reactions, and are potential hormone disruptors that penetrate the skin readily.

“It would be prudent not to apply oxybenzone to large surface areas of skin for extended and repeated periods of time unless no alternative protection is available. There may be an additional concern for young children who have less well-developed processes of elimination and have a larger surface area per body weight than adults, with respect to systemic availability of a topically applied dose.” — Hayden C, Roberts M, Benson H. 1997. Systemic absorption of sunscreen after topical application. Lancet 350(Sep): 863-64.

“It is evident that [oxybenzone] undergoes conjugation in the body to make it water soluble. However, we do not know at what age the ability to conjugate is fully developed, and therefore for children physical filters such as titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide might still be considered a more appropriate sunscreen component.” — Gonzalez HG, Farbrot A, Larko O. 2002. Percutaneous absorption of benzophenone-3, a common component of topical sunscreens. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 27(8): 691-94.

Sunscreens that only contain mineral sunscreens (no oxybenzone, octisalate or retinyl palmitate). Many are available at health food stores and online.

All Terrain
Aquasport Performance Sunscreen, SPF 30
TerraSport Performance Sunscreen, SPF 30
KidSport Performance Sunscreen, SPF 30

Badger
Sunscreen for Face and Body Unscented SPF 30
Sunscreen for Face/Body SPF 30 Lightly Scented
Sunscreen for Face/Body SPF 15 Lightly Scented

Beyond Coastal
Lip and Face Screen, SPF 30

California Baby
Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+
Sunscreen Lotion No Fragrance, SPF 30+
Sunscreen Lotion Everyday, SPF 30+
Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+, Citronella
Sunblock Stick Everyday/Year-Round, SPF 30+