I have been seeing a lot of deals on sunscreen in the QQ blogosphere lately and I wanted to put a little food for thought out there on the subject. Sometimes you can get things for cheap or free, such as personal care products, and that seems like it is really awesome, however there are more costs to these things than just money.
It is important to pay attention to all of the chemicals your bring into your household and put into and onto your family's bodies. Many sunscreens carry risk along with the chemicals that are included in their make-up. Of course, it is up to you to decide what you think is risky and what is not, but I don't think anyone can argue that there is anything wrong with being informed before making these decisions. So I would like to direct my readers to a great resource on determining which sunscreens are the healthiest (and most effective). Hopefully it will help you make your decision on whether that Banana Boat you can get for $1.99 at CVS or wherever is really that great of a deal after all.
HERE is there Environmental Working Group's guide to sunscreen.
My family and I just got back from a week at Myrtle Beach and we used California Baby's sunscreen the whole time and it worked fantastically. I can highly recommend this line of products. None of us got a burn and Penny's skin is still fair and healthy, with just a slight tan, which I think was mostly acquired before the trip while playing in the garden.
Also, Badger brand is one of the top rated sunscreens by the EWG. I'd like to add that this brand can be purchased at the Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center, where proceeds will go to a fantastic non-profit in our neighborhood. Hey, if you are going to be spending $$ on something, it's always nice to know that you are helping to support a good cause.
Note: You will see that I sometimes buy very chemical-y things and you might think, "wow, what a hypocrite". I thought I'd add that a lot of those "toxic" things I buy, we do not actually use in our house. If I can get it for free or super cheap, I will go ahead and grab it and throw it in the donation bin. Does this mean that I think these chemicals are okay for other people, but just not my family. No. However, I think it is always a weighing of risks that needs to be taken into account. In my opinion, it is better to use chemical-y sunscreen than none at all. So if I can get Banana Boat, etc. for free or cheap and donate it, than I will. Maybe it will go to someone in need who can't afford to buy sunscreen at all, and it will help prevent them from getting skin cancer, which I consider to be more dangerous than the risks of being exposed to said chemicals...
