Let’s Talk Sunscreen

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. – Psalm 5:11

Late August may seem like a funny time to mention sunscreen, but I know that after months of enjoying the pool and the park, many of us are running low on the white stuff and need to restock. We easily have six more weeks of bright sun (and those of us in Colorado pretty much have it all year).

I had often wondered what all those chemicals listed on the sunscreen bottle really were, and what effect they might have on our bodies (or more accurately, on my children’s bodies). It turns out that many sunscreens are toxic once absorbed by the skin. Many even contain hidden estrogen.

Last year I found a list that rates different sunscreens not only by how well they protect from sun damage, but also how toxic they are once absorbed.

Here are the top five best sunscreens according to the Environmental Working Group, which studied 786 name-brand sunscreens:

1. California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+
2. California Baby Sunblock Stick Everyday/Year Round, SPF 30+
3. Trukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, SPF 30+
4. Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30+
5. Vanicream Sunscreen For Sensitive Skin, SPF 60

These better-for-you brands provide the highest level of protection with the least toxicity. However, they can be tricky to find and even harder to pay for. Vitamin Cottage carries California Baby products, which I use, although the location near me only has a sunscreen lotion (number seven on the list). If you decide to try this brand, realize that a little goes a very long way, and getting too much will leave you with a very white, zinc-covered kid.

The names that seem to pop up most frequently on the list of the worst sunscreens are Walgreens and Coppertone. L’oreal, Elizabeth Arden and Nivea also find places near the bottom of the list. To find out how your sunscreen ranks, go to the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database at cosmeticdatabase.com/browse.php?sunscreens to get the list.

And don’t forget, we all need twenty minutes of sun exposure every day without sunscreen so we get enough vitamin D from the sun. I don’t put sunscreen on my kids when they go to school so recess takes care of their twenty minutes.

Enjoy the warm weather while it lasts—before we know it we will be talking about putting sunscreen in our ski packs!