Screen Your Sunscreens: Why mineral is the way to go

I never really gave much thought to what went into the food I ate and the products I used until I got pregnant. And now that Baby G has arrived, I am even more concerned about what I use on him. I have sensitive skin, plus I am very fair with light eyes so I often have reactions to products and burn very easily. I have even had a few second-degree burns from the sun, which means that I am high-risk for developing skin cancer. (Just one blistering burn in childhood more than doubles your risk of skin cancer later in life). I have not always been the most diligent about applying sunscreen (especially when I was a teenager), but I have gotten better. My husband has helped a lot in that regard - reminding me to apply it when we're heading outside for a while. I still haven't gotten to the point where I apply it every day, multiple times a day... but I would like to.

Even though my boy seemed to get my husband's olive skin, I vowed to prevent those second-degree burns I had and to use sunscreen diligently. But because I recently became interested in the ingredients of everything we use, I wasn't just going to slather him in Banana Boat without doing some research first.

A baby's skin is much thinner than adults. I've read different numbers on it - some say it is 5 times thinner than an adults and others say only 20-30% thinner. But either way, that means that their body absorbs more of what is put on their skin than yours does. Which is why so many people are concerned about the chemicals in baby products: lotions, soaps, diapers, even clothing. I haven't gone completely to the organic and green end of the spectrum, but I do try to make easy, healthy, and smart choices and substitutions as much as I can - always doing my research first.

We are taking a trip to visit family at the end of June, and will be going to the beach when we're in Florida. I know that means a lot of being outside, in the sun, and on the sand (which the sun reflects off of). Though I will do my best to keep baby boy in the shade as much as possible, I still wanted to find a sunscreen that was safe for him just in case. Many sunscreens are not recommended for children under 6 months old, and since he will only be 3 months old on our trip, I wanted to find one that was appropriate for a baby his age.

Goddess Garden's Toxicity Rating card