The Best Sunscreens for Kids, According to a Parent and a Pediatric Dermatologist

When our daughter was just a baby, we ordered the bougiest, highest-SPF sunscreen we could find. I popped it in the diaper bag and we were good to go — until I stopped carrying the diaper bag. After that, I couldn’t for the life of me remember to grab sunscreen when we left the house. Since it’s recommended you don’t keep it in your car (extreme heat can shorten the lifespan of the product), I found myself stopping at the drugstore quite often to grab a stand-in. The problem was, there were just so many options that I got overwhelmed.

I never knew what to look for other than a high SPF. Luckily, we hit the neighbor jackpot when we moved next door to Dr. Sarah Chamlin, mom and pediatric dermatologist at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, who taught us so much about protecting and caring for our daughter’s skin.  Here’s what we’ve learned about the best sunscreen for kids.

• Broad spectrum, to protect from harmful UVA and UVB rays that can cause skin cancer
• SPF 30 or higher
• Water-resistant for at least 40 minutes, preferably 80 minutes
• Active ingredients should ONLY be zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Both ingredients are naturally occurring minerals that do an impressive job at protecting your skin from UVA and UVB rays. This means you’ll be looking for a mineral-only sunscreen (not “mineral-based,” which is mix of both mineral and chemical ingredients).

According to the FDA, infant skin is more susceptible to serious burns from the sun — which might make sunscreen seem like a good idea. But the best protection for infants under 6 months is to avoid the sun. Stay in the shade (or create your own shade) and dress them in protective clothing, including a brimmed hat.

As convenient as they may be, aerosol sprays aren’t ideal. You still have to rub in the sunscreen and they don’t provide great coverage — not to mention the fact that there are lots of chemicals in the products which can get in squirmy kids’ eyes. However, Dr. Sarah said non-aerosol sprays can come in handy if your child has thin hair, or needs to have their part covered with sunscreen because they’re unable to wear a sunhat.

With Dr. Sarah’s advice in hand, I found sunscreens — many available at drugstores like Target, CVS, Walgreens, or online at Amazon — that met the standards Dr. Sarah had shared with me. I then tested each one at home on my daughter to see which met the standards of my picky kid. In addition to Dr. Sarah’s standards, here’s what I was looking for: 

• Thick, but spreadable. I wanted to find something that would go on quickly and easily, but still felt thick enough to do the job of protecting her skin. 
• Unscented (or lightly scented). I didn’t want the sunscreen to have a strong scent.
• Reef-friendly. I wanted to be sure it was reef-friendly, free of oxybenzone and octinoxate. 

• Active ingredient: Made from 20% zinc oxide, this 50+ SPF sunscreen meets Dr. Sarah’s requirements as a pediatric dermatologist.
• Spreads easily and lightly scented: It also meets and exceeds my requirements as a mom who needs a great product that is easy to apply, with a light, pleasant scent.
• Cute and budget-friendly: It won’t break the bank and has cute packaging to boot.
• An added perk: you can tell your kids that Anna from “Frozen” wants them to use the product because she co-founded the company!

• Active ingredient: The active ingredient in this broad spectrum sunscreen stick is 19.2% zinc oxide (and it’s water-resistant for 80 minutes).
• Convenient for stashing your bag: Sticks are solid, so you don’t have to worry about them spilling and ruining your bag.
• Great for the face. The stick is especially helpful for the under-eye area where sunscreen tends to get rubbed off quicker than the rest of the body when swimming, because of goggles. 
• A little bit smelly. The only downsides: It’s not super easy to apply and has an interesting smell — sort of like Play-Doh — but once it sits on the skin, it mixes with your natural oils and blends in well.

• Active ingredient: Another 20% zinc oxide, this broad spectrum SPF 50 lotion is water-resistant for 80 minutes.
• Smells like cinnamon and coconut: The lotion is labeled “fragrance free,” but both my daughter and I thought it had a subtle scent that reminded me of something lightly spicy like cinnamon, and maybe coconut. It wasn’t unpleasant!
• Smooth and thick: The lotion goes on nicely. It’s thick enough that you feel confident it’s actually protecting your child’s skin against harmful rays, but thin enough to spread easily for good coverage. I really liked this one and consider it a top pick.

• Active ingredient: The active ingredient is 21.6% zinc oxide.
• Lightly scented: It’s tear-free and fragrance-free, but there is a really light, pleasant smell to it.
• On the thick side. Though it was thick and takes a little more effort to rub into the skin, I didn’t mind the consistency and would choose it as a top pick.

• Active ingredient: This Coppertone sunscreen lotion had the highest concentration of zinc oxide out of any I tested, coming in at 24.08%.
• Good for face and body: It’s marketed as a “face” sunscreen, but Dr. Sarah said that doesn’t matter, and it’s great to use all over as you would any other sunscreen.
• Slightly drippy: The consistency was pretty drippy, but it has good coverage and a thick finish and will definitely do the job.

Updated from post originally published May 29, 2021