The Best Baby Sunscreen, Recommended by Parents and Dermatologists

Before heading outdoors, protecting your baby's skin from the sun is probably one of your top priorities. And while little ones should be kept out of direct sunlight to avoid sunburn, heatstroke, and other adverse effects from UVA and UVB rays, it's still important to find the best sunscreen for babies 6 months and older.

Aside from selecting an appropriate SPF (30 or higher, per the American Academy of Dermatology Association, or AAD), sunscreens should include safe and baby-friendly sunscreen ingredients. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) named two ingredients generally recognized as safe and effective for general use: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. The good news is these ingredients are found in many brands and are available in various forms, such as sticks and lotions (just carefully read the label before purchasing).

To select the best sunscreen for babies, we interviewed three specialists in pediatric dermatology and researched guidelines issued by the American Academy of Dermatology Association, the Skin Cancer Foundation, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). We also surveyed dozens of parents to gain further insights into how practical and effective these products are in the real world. We then researched dozens of top-rated sunscreens and analyzed their ingredients before narrowing our list down to the best options. And because applying sunscreen to a wiggly little one is not an easy feat, we also considered ease of application and how quickly it rubs into the skin. In addition, a dermatologist on our Expert Board reviewed this article for accuracy around sun protection and ingredient safety.

Our Favorite Baby Sunscreen

• Best Overall: Sun Bum Baby Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen
• Best Organic: Badger SPF 40 Kids Mineral Sunscreen Cream
  
• Best for Eczema: Aveeno Baby Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen
• Best for Sensitive Skin: Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen SPF 50
• Best for Face: Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Stick
• Best for Easy Application: Babo Botanicals Baby Skin Mineral Sunscreen
• Best for Darker Skin: Black Girl Sunscreen Kids SPF 50
• Best Stick: Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick
• Best Water-Resistant: Coppertone Pure & Simple Baby
  
• Best Value: Babyganics Sunscreen Lotion

Best Overall: Sun Bum Baby Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen

Why We Like It

This broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen lotion uses zinc oxide to protect your little one's sensitive skin from UVA/UVB rays while playing outdoors. Sun Bum is our best overall pick because it provides excellent protection, the lotion applies easily, and it doesn't leave behind an oily texture or sticky feel. It's formulated with coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter to hydrate your little one's skin, and it's also paraben- and sulfate-free.

But Take Note

Like many mineral sunscreens, Sun Bum Baby Bum Mineral Lotion may leave behind a white cast if you don't rub it in thoroughly. But once applied, this unscented, lightweight lotion is water-resistant and sweatproof for up to 80 minutes.

The Details:

• SPF: 50
• Active ingredients: Zinc oxide
• Application: Lotion

Best for Eczema: Aveeno Baby Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen

Why We Like It

Finding a sunscreen that is strong enough to protect your baby's skin from outside elements and UVA/UVB rays but gentle enough not to cause skin irritation is a must if your baby has sensitive skin or eczema. Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin has you and your baby covered thanks to a broad-spectrum formulation that boasts natural ingredients like zinc oxide and oats. This hypoallergenic mineral sunscreen has earned the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance and is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. 

But Take Note

We love that this lotion is non-greasy and free of chemical ingredients parents prefer to avoid, like parabens and phthalates. It's also kind to baby's sensitive eyes and provides 80 minutes of water resistance. However, applying this thick, creamy lotion to a squirmy baby may be challenging since you have to spend some time lathering the product onto your little one's skin to avoid a white cast.

The Details:

• SPF: 50
• Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide
• Application: Lotion

Best for Sensitive Skin: Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen SPF 50

Why We Like It

This UVA/UVB broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen uses non-nano zinc oxide and is free of PABA, parabens, avobenzone, oxybenzone, and other chemicals. Once applied to the skin, this lotion offers 80 minutes of water resistance. Another thing we love about this sunscreen? It's cruelty-free and reef-friendly.

But Take Note

You will need to take a few seconds to thoroughly massage the lotion into the skin because it is thick and creamy. The upside of a thick sunscreen is that you can tell where you’ve applied it to your baby and where you’ve missed a spot.

The Details:

• SPF: 50+
• Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide
• Application: Lotion

Best Organic: Badger SPF 40 Kids Mineral Sunscreen Cream

Why We Like It

Many natural sunscreens are formulated without fragrance, but Badger SPF 40 Kids Mineral Sunscreen offers a slight tangerine and vanilla scent and plenty of sun protection. It’s developed from 97% organic ingredients, is cruelty-free, GMO-free, and offers broad-spectrum protection. This sunscreen moisturizes the skin with beeswax, jojoba, and sunflower oil.

But Take Note

We appreciate the thoughtfulness of the organic ingredients, but they create a thick consistency, so a little goes a long way.

The Details:

• SPF: 40
• Active Ingredients: Uncoated zinc oxide
• Application: Lotion

Best for Face: Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Stick

Why We Like It

Another Sun Bum pick, this SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick is recommended by the parents in our survey because it's small enough to carry in a diaper bag or purse and glides on smoothly, which minimizes the struggle of applying it to a baby's face.

The hypoallergenic formula is vegan, fragrance-free, and made with 19.2% zinc oxide, plus other natural ingredients like coconut oil, avocado oil, and shea butter. The result is a water-resistant sunscreen stick that can be safely applied to the lips, nose, and ears.

But Take Note

Because it's denser, this sunscreen leaves behind a slight white cast, which some kiddos may not like. If you prefer a product that rubs in completely, the Baby Bum Roll-On Sunscreen offers similar protection and is not as thick.

The Details:

• SPF: 50
• Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide
• Application: Stick

Best for Easy Application: Babo Botanicals Baby Skin Mineral Sunscreen

Why We Like It

Because babies’ skin is so delicate, it's essential to use sunscreen that doesn’t irritate it. Babo Botanicals Baby Skin Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 has a gentle formulation without harsh chemicals or common allergens. We love that it provides 80 minutes of water-resistant coverage. It's also unscented and contains soothing ingredients, such as calendula, shea butter, and sunflower oil, all of which help it spread easily on the skin and leave a minimal white cast.

But Take Note

While this is fragrance-free sunscreen, there is a slight smell some may find unpleasant.

The Details:

• SPF: 50
• Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide
• Application: Lotion

Best for Darker Skin: Black Girl Sunscreen Kids SPF 50

Why We Like It

This fragrance-free broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen lotion is especially designed for darker skin tones. Unlike mineral sunscreens, which can leave a white residue, this chemical sunscreen does not leave a white cast when applied to the skin. It's also infused with several natural ingredients, like avocado, sunflower seed oil, and chamomile.

But Take Note

Black Girl Sunscreen Kids doubles as an everyday moisturizer for your little one's face and body. However, this sunscreen does contain three active ingredients that get absorbed into the bloodstream—avobenzone, homosalate, and octisalate—and though they haven’t been proven to be harmful, the FDA has asked for more research on them.

The Details:

• SPF: 50
• Active Ingredients: Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate
• Application: Lotion

Best Stick: Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick

Why We Like It

Being able to reach into a diaper bag and pull out an easy-to-apply, broad-spectrum sunscreen that hasn’t spilled on anything is one of the perks of using a sunscreen stick. This sunscreen is free of parabens, oxybenzone, and octinoxate, which can be irritating to babies’ skin. Instead, it has zinc oxide and nourishing ingredients, like aloe vera, vitamin E, shea butter, and sunflower seed oil.

But Take Note

The stick form is super easy to apply and blends in effortlessly. While you may quickly run through its small size, it does fit perfectly in a diaper bag.

The Details:

• SPF: 50+
• Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide
• Application: Stick

Best Water-Resistant: Coppertone Pure & Simple Baby

Why We Like It

This tear-free, broad-spectrum, mineral-based sunscreen is made with nourishing botanicals, tea leaf, sea kelp, and lotus to keep your baby’s skin moisturized. Unlike most Coppertone sunscreens we grew up with, this version is fragrance-free and does not contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, PABA, parabens, or dyes.

But Take Note

The sunscreen provides 80 minutes of water resistance and is easy to apply, though some have complained that the bottle doesn’t always stay closed in bags, so watch out for spills.

The Details:

• SPF: 50
• Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide
• Application: Lotion

Best Value: Babyganics Sunscreen Lotion

Why We Like It

For parents who worry about sunscreen potentially burning their baby’s eyes, this sunscreen is water-resistant, sweatproof, and tear-free. Babyganics Mineral Sunscreen also provides UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection and offers 80 minutes of water resistance. In addition, it does not contain parabens, PABA, phthalates, nanoparticles, or fragrances. Another plus: It’s non-allergenic for even the most sensitive skin types. 

But Take Note

We love that this lotion is not greasy, but it does go on thick and white, so be prepared to spend some time applying it to your little one’s skin before heading outdoors.

The Details:

• SPF: 50+
• Active Ingredients: Zinc oxide, titanium dioxide
• Application: Lotion

Our Review Process

To choose the best sunscreen for babies, we researched and reviewed more than two dozen sunscreens and spoke to experts, including a pediatric dermatologist, pediatrician, clinical professor, and parents who use sunscreen to protect their babies’ skin from the sun's rays. 

Once we narrowed our list down, we read every single label and ingredient and compared them to our experts' suggested ingredients and those to avoid. Our final recommendations are effective, safe for your baby's skin, and easy to apply.

Our Experts

For baby sunscreen suggestions and advice on how to protect your baby’s skin from sun damage, we spoke to the following experts:

• Elaine Siegfried, MD, professor of pediatrics and dermatology in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Dermatology, at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis
• Sophie J. Balk, MD, attending pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York and a member of the executive committee of the AAP Council on Environmental Health and Climate Change
• Andrew Garner, MD, PhD, FAAP, clinical professor of pediatrics, CWRU School of Medicine

Factors to Consider in Sunscreen for Babies

• Ingredients: Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the two active ingredients that the FDA has deemed “safe for use” in sunscreen. These ingredients, known as mineral sunscreen or physical sunscreen, protect the skin by blocking the sun’s rays.
  Chemical sunscreens with ingredients such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate, absorb the rays instead. The issue is that because these ingredients are also absorbed into the bloodstream, there is a bigger concern about whether they are harmful.
  According to a 2019 report, there is still insufficient data on the safety of the following 12 active sunscreen ingredients: oxybenzone, avobenzone, cinoxate, dioxybenzone. ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, padimate O, and sulisobenzone. It’s important to note that the FDA and the AAD have not yet told consumers to avoid those ingredients, as the top priority is still to ensure people use sunscreens to prevent skin cancer.
  

• Proper Application: Sunscreen sticks and lotions or creams are the preferred application types when used correctly. While sprays may be easy and quick to apply to a squirming baby, they do not always result in an even application.
  Inhalation of aerosols is another concern. "Sprays are convenient, but parents need to make sure children don't inhale them. They can spray their hands first, then apply them to the children. In general, sunscreen is applied to uncovered skin while avoiding the mouth and eyes,” says Dr. Balk.
  
• Application Time: Make sure to read the sunscreen label for directions on how long the product takes to absorb into the skin since you’ll want to apply it before heading outside (typically 15 minutes). Then, remember to reapply sunscreen throughout the day to avoid sunburn. Most sunscreens should be reapplied every two hours, but check the product’s label for more direction. “Apply sunscreen frequently—too often is seldom a problem, but too infrequent can make for an uncomfortable tomorrow,” Dr. Garner says.
• Skin Type: A baby’s skin is sensitive and delicate, making it imperative to lather them in a sunscreen that does not aggravate baby eczema or irritate their skin. For babies who experience eczema, moisture is a must. The National Eczema Association (NEA) provides a list of approved sunscreens that play nicely with a baby's sensitive skin. To earn the NEA Seal of Acceptance, sunscreen must use mineral-based ingredients (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide), be alcohol-free, protect from UVA and UVB rays (also known as broad-spectrum), and be SPF 30 or higher.
  

Additional Skin Protection for Babies

Sunscreen should never be your baby’s only protection from the sun, especially if they’re younger than 6 months old. The AAP suggests that if a younger baby absolutely can’t be kept out of the sun and protected by clothing, shade, and/or a sun hat, you may apply a small amount of sunscreen on exposed skin. 

Baby beach tents are another way to provide protective shade. Other accessories to use include baby sunglasses (look for a label that states the product absorbs 99%–100% of the full UV spectrum); long-sleeved, lightweight cotton shirts and pants; wide-brimmed hats that shade the cheeks and back of the neck; and swimwear with a high-protection rating. Rash guards can also keep little ones safe from the sun.

Can Babies Under 6 Months Wear Sunscreen?

Yes, babies under 6 months can wear sunscreen if absolutely necessary. The AAP suggests sunscreen be used on small areas of the body's skin when a baby cannot be kept out of direct sunlight. However, your first line of defense for babies under 6 months should be to avoid UV exposure altogether and use protective clothing.

One crucial reminder: To avoid ingestion, parents need to ensure that they're not putting sunscreen-covered body parts into their mouth, Dr. Balk notes. If you have questions about when it's safe to use sunscreen on your baby or need recommendations on sunscreens, you should reach out to your pediatrician for help. 

Your Questions, Answered

What SPF should I use on my baby?

When shopping for the best sunscreen for kids, look for an SPF of at least 30, and make sure it provides broad-spectrum protection, which prevents damage from both UVA and UVB rays. It’s also important to make sure to apply sunscreen thoroughly and reapply frequently.

Do I need to use sunscreen if I keep my baby out of the sun and in SPF-rated clothing?

Yes, you should use a combination of measures to protect a baby’s delicate skin. If you’re in the sun, find some shade or use a stroller canopy to avoid sunburn, heatstroke, and other adverse effects from UVA and UVB rays. Use sunscreen along with lightweight long-sleeve shirts, hats, pants, SPF clothing, and sunglasses. Another suggestion: Time outdoor activities during off-peak sun hours.

Who We Are

Ambrosia V. Brody is a California-based editor, journalist, and mother of three. She has worked as a professional journalist for more than 16 years. When she isn't writing, you can find her at the library, Starbucks, or the park with her kids.