Every summer articles, Facebook posts, and pictures are shared across your newsfeed all discussing sunscreen. Whether it be a parent asking for advice on a good one or an article about an awful chemical burn courtesy of the product trying to prevent just that. Every year I wonder if I am using a safe sunscreen for my children, sure my kids have never had a reaction as I have seen in articles before. But the one I use might be having an adverse reaction that I may not be able to see- at least not yet anyways.
Lotions VS Aerosols
The past few years I had been using an aerosol sunscreen. Mostly because of the convenience, I hated putting the lotion sunscreen on my kids. It took so much effort to rub into the skin, especially with a wiggly baby or toddler and we know how difficult that can be. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to give up my ways and suck it up and use the lotions. Inhaling all those chemicals and uneven application are just a drop in the bucket as to why you should avoid these forms of sunscreen. But if you are like me and dread wrestling down your kiddos there are a few decent options!
Which Ones Are Best?
Even once you narrow down which application you want to go with you are met with a TON of choices. I recently discovered a great resource to help you choose which one you want to buy or to see if the one you currently own has safe ingredients.
According to the Environmental Working Group, some ingredients to avoid that may pose safety concerns include: retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A that is linked to sun sensitivity, and oxybenzone, which, frighteningly, is a hormone disrupter.
Here is a link to the Environmental Working Groups 2017 Guide to Sunscreens: http://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/
Enjoy the summer mamas and stay safe!
*Images Courtesy Of Shutterstock*