Safe Sunscreens for Babies

The sun is shining and we are full swing into summer! Of course as much as we love the sun, it can be harmful, especially to our precious little ones. We want to protect them but don’t want to put harmful chemicals on their skin, which may not even help them stay protected anyways!

Sunscreens can get confusing! There are 2 different types of sunscreen, Chemical and Mineral Based. Here at CRAVINGS Maternity Baby Kids in Saskatoon we carry ONLY mineral based sunscreens that are safe for you and your little one!

Mineral based means they use more natural ingredients, with the main component being zinc oxide, similar to diaper creams. They are thicker and quite white but once rubbed in they are not greasy feeling or leave you looking like a ghost at the beach.

What is this doing? Mineral based sunscreen makes a UV Blocker, which is creating a barrier on top of the skin to protect you from UV Rays. This is different than a chemical based sunscreen, which absorbs the UV rays and disperses the heat across the skin.

We carry a few different brands, including Thinkbaby, Goddess Garden, Badger, Sun Bum Baby and many others! They are all mineral based with between 10-20% zinc oxide, with the more zinc oxide the thicker it will be. They also range from 30-50SPF. Now most people think higher SPF great, that’s what I want! When the reality is that the difference in sun protection is only 2-3% going from 30 to 50SPF.

So you still need to re-apply every couple hours, after swimming or excessive sweating. Most of them are water resistant from 40-80 minutes depending on the brand, not waterproof. This means that you must reapply if your child spends an extended period of time in the water.

Come by and see our fun and friendly staff and test out all the different kind to find the one that suits you and your family best!!