THE SMART MAMA'S BABY SUNSCREEN GUIDEBOOK You may not find a sunscreen with ALL these phrases, but the more the merrier! If you'd rather not label-hunt, you can find safe recommendations at http://www.incredibleinfant.com/health/baby-sunscreen If your baby is younger than 6 mo., use the tips in the article above. ree F r u o Y ing t n u H Label heet! Cheat S "Broad Spectrum" This means it will protect your baby from both UVA and UVB rays. UVA ages us, and UVB burns us. Too much of both (or one) can cause skin cancer. "For Babies" I hate to be too obvious here...but it's important to point out. Babies have less less melanin in their skin than adults. If you can't find one for babies, choose the next best thing: "For Kids". "SPF30" or up to SPF50 The American Association of Dermatologists recommends an SPF of at least 30 for babies and children. "PABA Free" The old fashioned PABA formulas have been linked to skin irritation. If you can’t find that phrase on the bottle, look (and avoid) the ingredient "Aminobenzoic Acid". "Expiration Date..." A safe baby sunscreen will have an expiration date listed. The baby sunscreen you purchased when your oldest was in diapers? TOSS IT. "Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Mexoyrl SX" These ingredients have been approved by the FDA and are considered low-risk by the EWG. These ingredients sit on the skin as a white cream, and aren't absorbed. (BTW, Mexoyrl SX is sometimes listed as Ecamsule.) X X "Vitamin A" (retinyl palmitate)" Laboratory tests have linked this to skin tumors and cancer. "Oxybenzone" Has been shown to disrupt hormones and can trigger skin allergies.