The Safest Sunscreens for Babies and Toddlers

If you’re looking for the safest sunscreen for babies, it can be hard to sort through what is best for your family. Should you choose a mineral sunscreen or a chemical sunscreen? What even is a chemical sunscreen? What ingredients should you be on the lookout for? Is there anything else you can do to protect your baby’s skin?

We want you to feel confident in your choice of a sunscreen to cover your baby’s skin, so here are Truly Mama’s pick for the safest sunscreens for babies.

Jump to:

• Is Sunscreen Safe for Babies?
• Mineral vs. Chemical Sunscreen: Know the Difference
• What Type of Sunscreen is Best for Babies?
• Tips for Sun Safety in Babies
• Best Overall Mineral Sunscreen: Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Sunscreen
• Easiest to Rub In: Thinkbaby Sunscreen
• Best Vegan Sunscreen: Baby Bum Water Resistant Sunscreen 
• Best Sunscreen for Eczema: CeraVe Suncare Sunscreen Baby Lotion 
• Best Organic Sunscreen: Coola Mineral Body Organic Sunscreen
• Best Reef-Safe Sunscreen: Reef Safe Biodegradable Waterproof SPF
• Best for the Whole Family: Hello Bello Mineral Baby Sunscreen

Is Sunscreen Safe for Babies?

As a parent, you want to know that the sunscreen you’re applying on your child is safe, which is definitely understandable. Overall, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explains that the research does support that the regular use of sunscreen is associated with a decreased risk of skin cancer. 

They also note that there are two main ingredients in sunscreen that are considered safe and effective: 

• Titanium dioxide
• Zinc oxide

The two ingredients that they explain are not considered safe and effective are PABA and Tolamine salicylate, which are not allowed to be sold in the U.S. The organization is also calling for more research on twelve additional ingredients to ensure they are safe:

• ensulizole, octisalate, homosalate, octocrylene, octinoxate, oxybenzone, avobenzone (these are most often used in the U.S.)
• Cinoxate, dioxybenzone, meradimate, padimate O, sulisobenzone (these are usually not found in the U.S.)

While more research is being done to learn exactly how safe these ingredients are, the AAD also doesn’t have a specific recommendation to avoid those ingredients either–they just want more data to work with. That means that, as a parent, you can be aware to look for sunscreens that have those ingredients so you can make the decision that you are most comfortable with. 

Mineral vs. Chemical Sunscreen: Know the Difference

It also helps you to make a decision about sunscreen for your baby by understanding what types of sunscreen are available. There are two main types of sunscreen: chemical and mineral sunscreens and they both work differently. 

Here are the differences between chemical and mineral sunscreens:

Chemical Sunscreens

Chemical sunscreens, explain the AAD, act like a sponge to absorb the sun’s rays. They tend to be the type of sunscreen that’s easier to rub into your skin, because that’s what it’s meant to do–rub into your baby’s skin to absorb the rays. 

You can tell if a sunscreen is chemical if has at least one of the these active ingredients:

• Oxybenzone
• Avobenzone
• Octisalate
• Octocrylene
• Homosalate
• Octinoxate

Mineral Sunscreens

Mineral sunscreens, on the other hand, sit on top of the skin and act like a “shield” against the sun’s rays. They deflect the rays so they don’t cause harm to the skin. Because they’re meant to literally block the sun’s rays, they’re also less likely to absorb into the skin, so they’ll sit thick and white on top of the skin. 

Mineral sunscreens have one or both of these:

• Titanium dioxide
• Zinc oxide

What Type of Sunscreen is Best for Babies?

It’s generally recommended that parents opt for keeping babies who are under six months old in the shade instead of putting sunscreen on them, but the AAD does say that if keeping your baby solely in the shade isn’t possible, you should use a small amount of sunscreen. 

Basically, it’s not a practice to get in the habit of, but if it can’t be avoided, some protection is better than nothing. 

So what kind of sunscreen should you use on a baby? According to the AAD, you can apply a small amount of broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of at least SPF 30. They recommend that if possible, you choose sunscreens containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide because they’re less likely to irritate a baby’s sensitive skin. 

You should also be sure to reapply sunscreen every two hours and right after your child gets wet or is sweating a lot. The AAD explains that there’s sunscreen that is truly waterproof, so it’s important to reapply often.

Tips for Sun Safety in Babies

Keeping your baby safe in the sun is a priority for parents, especially because baby’s skin is more sensitive than adult skin and because babies aren’t exactly known for staying safe on their own. 

There are a few ways that the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends that parents work to keep their babies safe in the sun:

1. Stay in the shade whenever possible. This is their #1 tip and it’s a great one for kids of all ages. You can utilize pools with shades, strollers with protective coverings, and beach umbrellas to provide shade. 
2. Use UV-protective clothing. Almost equally as important to staying in the shade as much as possible is to wear UV protective clothing. UV protective clothing actually provides built-in protection from the sun, even without sunscreen, so it’s like sunscreen right in your baby’s clothes. You can check out our full UV protective clothing guide for recommendations on the best protective gear, including bathing suits for babies and toddlers. 
3. Use sunscreen when appropriate. And last but not least, you should apply sunscreen on your little one whenever they will be exposed directly to the sun.

Here are our top picks for the safest sunscreens for babies.