As reported by Carolyn Hallett, co-founder of The Whole Tulip, choosing a sunscreen is about more than just an SPF. Some sunscreens on the market contain hormone disruptors which can be dangerous for children and women when they penetrate the skin.  

To be safe, choose mineral sunscreens, whose active ingredients are zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These offer strong lasting UVA protection and most studies show that these ingredients do not penetrate the skin to reach the bloodstream and are safe to use on children and adults.

Non-mineral sunscreens often contain oxybenzone. This is the ingredient to avoid. It penetrates the skin and is a potential hormone disruptor. Because of this some experts caution that sunscreens containing oxybenzone should not be used on children or women, who are especially susceptible to the effects of hormone disruptors, affecting the regulation of reproductive, thyroid, nervous, and immune systems, especially if exposure occurs during pregnancy or childhood.

Our newest favorite mineral sunscreen is a powder that you apply with a built in brush. It’s called Brush on Block and you can find it at Jeffre Scott Apothecary. We’re carrying it in our bags for a quick application before an al fresco lunch and in our children’s hair to prevent burn on the scalp.