The 10 Best Sunscreen for Babies

Updated May 24, 2020 by Brett Dvoretz

This wiki has been updated 19 times since it was first published in May of 2018. Infants under the age of six months should not be exposed to harsh UV rays, but once your baby meets the half-year mark, you may take him or her to the beach, pool parties, and other places. Of course, he or she will need sunscreen, and you'll only want to use the most gentle of ingredients on young skin, which is why we rounded up these high-quality lotions and sticks. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki. If you'd like to contribute your own research to Ezvid Wiki, please get started by reviewing this introductory video.

1. Thinkbaby Broad Spectrum

2. Badger Cream Active

3. Miami Cool Kids LaPlaya

4. All Good Baby & Kids

5. Banana Boat Natural Reflect

6. Aveeno Continuous

7. Blue Lizard Australian

8. Burt's Bees Nourishing

9. Nurture My Body Mineral

10. Loving Naturals Adorable

Special Honors

Sun-Safe Babies Extra precaution must be taken when exposing a baby to the sun's harsh rays, and it includes more than simply slathering them up with some sunscreen. This invaluable resource from the Skin Cancer Foundation contains plenty of useful information on how to properly apply sunscreen, where and when children are most in need of protection, and more. skincancer.org

Editor's Notes

May 22, 2020:

While all of the lotions on this list offer excellent protection, parents must still be aware of what age it is safe to bring their little ones into the sun, and how much is too much exposure, even when coated in a thick layer of sunblock. We always recommend discussing these topics with your pediatrician before taking your child out for a day at the beach.

When identifying the best sunscreen for babies, we examined all of the ingredients in the potential candidates to ensure we were recommending products that are generally considered safe for young, developing bodies. We also took into account reef and ocean safety, since there is no reason you can be environmentally conscious while also protecting your little one from the sun. With these thoughts in mind, we had to remove Babyganics SPF 50 and Coppertone WaterBabies, since they both contained octisalate. The latter also contained avobenzone, homosalate, and a host of other potential unsafe compounds. We also removed CeraVe Lotion, not because of the ingredients, but rather because it had a very grainy texture and was very difficult to spread.

Since we understand than babies can be squirmy, especially when you are trying to spread a cream or lotion on them, we think parents will appreciate Thinkbaby Broad Spectrum, All Good Baby & Kids, Banana Boat Natural Reflect, and Aveeno Continuous, all of which are water resistant for up to 80 minutes, so you won't have to apply them as often. That being said, we do recommend being on the safe side and applying them, or any sunscreen for that matter, well before the time limits stated on the bottle.

Aveeno Continuous and Miami Cool Kids LaPlaya can both make the process of applying lotion to a bit easier, too. These come in a stick form, making it less likely you will accidentally wipe some into the child's eye, which can sometimes happen when using your large hands to rub sunscreen into the small spaces of a young kid's face. Plus, they are convenient to travel with since there is no change of them leaking into beach bag.

In addition to being free of potentially harmful chemicals, we also looked for formulas that contain ingredients beneficial for the skin. For example, Badger Cream Active is made with chamomile and calendula, All Good Baby & Kids has vitamin E-rich sunflower oil, and Banana Boat Natural Reflect has aloe vera.

Now that you have your child's sun protection taken care, don't neglect yours and make sure to pick up a good biodegradable sunscreen for yourself, since it isn't just young skin that can be harmed by UV rays.

Last updated on May 24, 2020 by Brett Dvoretz

A wandering writer who spends as much time on the road as in front of a laptop screen, Brett can either be found hacking away furiously at the keyboard or, perhaps, enjoying a whiskey and coke on some exotic beach, sometimes both simultaneously, usually with a four-legged companion by his side. He has been a professional chef, a dog trainer, and a travel correspondent for a well-known Southeast Asian guidebook. He also holds a business degree and has spent more time than he cares to admit in boring office jobs. He has an odd obsession for playing with the latest gadgets and working on motorcycles and old Jeeps. His expertise, honed over years of experience, is in the areas of computers, electronics, travel gear, pet products, and kitchen, office and automotive equipment.


Thanks for reading the fine print. About the Wiki: We don't accept sponsorships, free goods, samples, promotional products, or other benefits from any of the product brands featured on this page, except in cases where those brands are manufactured by the retailer to which we are linking. For more information on our rankings, please read about us, linked below. The Wiki is a participant in associate programs from Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Target, and others, and may earn advertising fees when you use our links to these websites. These fees will not increase your purchase price, which will be the same as any direct visitor to the merchant’s website. If you believe that your product should be included in this review, you may contact us, but we cannot guarantee a response, even if you send us flowers.