Slightly OT: best sunscreen recommendation for use at WDW

[tigger1972]

So I'm back online, planning our June WDW vacation. My last thread got a little controversial (Valet parking at the Contemporary) so I thought I'd ask a question that could not in any way be controversial (I hope!)

What do you think is the best sunscreen for WDW? I usually use Coppertone Sport, a "dry" lotion, but even with this, I just feel soooo icky and sticky that I can't wait to get back to the resort to shower!

I used the target brand clear spray kind for DS all last summer when he attended an all-day outdoor camp at the YMCA. I worked great, but unfortunately, his shirts all got a yellowish stain around the collar where the sunscreen was applied, and still, to this day, despite multiple washings, smell like sunscreen!

I went to the dermatologist today and she gave me a sample of an "all natural mineral powder" sunscreen. It shakes onto its own brush like makeup, and she said you just rub it a little after you brush it on. I'm a bit afraid to try it at WDW though. A sunburn on DD15 months or DS7 early in our trip would ruin our waterpark plans, not to mention, obviously, I don't want to risk my kids getting burned and hurting.

So what to you guys use/recommend? Anything lightweight, not oily, won't stain clothes, and works great for those of us that burn just THINKING about the sun ?

Thanks!

 

[YodaGirl]

We always use Coppertone.

I've been known to sniff the bottle a time or two to get a slight Disney fix. Does that mean I'm addicted to Disney?

DH uses waterproof since he sweats so much.

When DD was younger, we used Coppertone's Water Babies.

 

[WrenNCuckoos]

We have no choice. DD breaks out with almost any sunscreen, so we stick to California Baby.

I think whatever works well for you elsewhere is also going to be fine at Disney as long as you apply often enough.

 

[tigger1972]

Is California Baby hypoallergenic? Where do you get it?

I have not yet used sunscreen on DD15months. Last summer she was so young, and we were dealing with some severe food allergy issues, which caused severe GI issues as well as severe eczema. We simply avoided the sun, as we had our lives full dealing with the other issues going on. She breaks out easily too, so I'm glad you posted. Maybe I'll try some on her before we leave.

Thanks!

 

[stargazertechie]

I put on a high spf in the morning (goopy cream variety, at least spf 70) and I carry a can of spray on in the parks. I also wear upf clothing.

 

[baler31]

We use California Baby, Blue Lizard or Badger products. California Baby can be purchased at most Targets the other two are usually available at specialty grocers(Whole Foods) or organic type stores. I personally do not use others because they contain oxybenzone or other chemicals I believe are harmful. Please note that while I don't find them sticky they will seem thicker or heavier than a spray or a inexpensive lotion type sunscreen as they contain a higher amount of zinc oxide.

 

[glk2009]

We use Blue Lizard (sensitive formula) and I don't find it to be sticky at all and haven't noticed any residue on clothing. DD3 has eczema and it has not bothered her skin at all.

We were using the Coppertone Water Babies stick sunblock for DD3's face, but we're switching to California Baby due to the ingredients.

I've found Blue Lizard at CVS and our Whole Foods store carries California Baby products.

 

[gigi1313]

another cali baby fan here... we also use coppertone and banana boat... ds prefers neutrogena... our wdw plan (and anywhere else that i don't want to carry a ton of stuff but know we will need a sunblock refresher) is to apply a good base coat when getting ready in the morning and i carry sunblock wipes (i.e. spwipes) for easy to carry, easy to apply touchups during the day...
i also pack them in my kids' lunchboxes for camp, ball games, field day, etc...

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

I use iS Powder Mineral sunscreen for my face, exposed shoulders, etc. It's good because I have very sensitive skin. It's in a refillable, retractable brush(kind of like a blush/makeup brush). It easy, doesn't leak, and lightweight.
I skill coat my kids in the spray sunscreen, (Target brand) before we leave the hotel. But, the mineral powder is great for touch-ups throughout the day for the whole family.

 

[Tiger926]

Most of the name brands from Walmart or other mass retailers, Coppertone, Neutrogena, etc., are not good. They are filled with chemicals, and some of them, despite saying broad spectrum, actually don't do a good job of blocking harmful rays. Brands like Coppertone Water Babies, although it advertises safe for sensitive young skin, is full of harmful chemicals, and is very allergenic. Most kids I know who have used it, have had skin reactions.

Spray sunscreens are not great, as much of it ends up in the air, so it doesn't coat well enough, and for those of us with allergies/asthma, spray sunscreens are harmful to our health. You want to stick with Blue Lizard, California Baby, Loving Naturals or Badger, as these use titanium dioxide, so it's mineral based. Goes on a bit thicker, but this way, you can see where it goes, and it covers well.

Lots of research being done these days on sunscreen, as FDA and Health Canada are not happy with how sunscreen is rated and marketed.

Check out http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/ and you'll find out everything you need to know about sunscreens!

Good luck, Tiger

 

[Shanan]

I use Walgreen brand spray on 50 SPF sport. Has always worked for us and it was ranked as #1 sprayon sunscreen by Consumer Report.

 

[Tiger926]

I use Walgreen brand spray on 50 SPF sport. Has always worked for us and it was ranked as #1 sprayon sunscreen by Consumer Report.

You might want to check out the link above. That brand of sunscreen is rated a 7, which is a seriously high health hazard to our bodies and environment.

Consumer Reports is bogus - in this case, they have ranked the sunscreen on how it performs, so it got a high rating because it sprays on well, but the above link rates on danger to our bodies and the environment. Those are two very different ratings...

Tiger

 

[Wadecool]

We use the spray on Neutrogena SPF 100 and have great success for years. I would highly recommend it.

 

[dragonfly57005]

I would probably check out RunnersWorld.com and see what they have for a sports recommendation. Then it wouldn't run into your eyes as you get sweaty.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

I am a sunscreen fanatic, have tried several and HIGHLY reccomend this:

Neutrogena

Pure & Free Baby
SPF 60+

Naturally sourced sunscreen ingredients
Won't run into eyes and sting
Waterproof

It's a white tube with a black stripe, pink stripe and pinkish flip top.

The reason I highly recommend it is because I absolutely cannot stand the feel of sunscreen lotions and this has ZERO feel to it. No greasy residue or feeling of any kind. And no smell, it's fragrance free and oil free, hypoallergenic. We all have sensitive skin or sensitivity to fragrances, etc. and this has nothing bothersome in it at all.

We spent two weeks in Hawaii last summer -- swam in the ocean every day, snorkeled, boogie boarded, etc. and not one of us got burned the entire two weeks. I think that speaks for itself. Even though "Baby" is in the title of this sunscreen, none of us are babies but we all love it!

 

[nytimez]

Most of the name brands from Walmart or other mass retailers, Coppertone, Neutrogena, etc., are not good. They are filled with chemicals, and some of them, despite saying broad spectrum, actually don't do a good job of blocking harmful rays. Brands like Coppertone Water Babies, although it advertises safe for sensitive young skin, is full of harmful chemicals, and is very allergenic. Most kids I know who have used it, have had skin reactions.

Spray sunscreens are not great, as much of it ends up in the air, so it doesn't coat well enough, and for those of us with allergies/asthma, spray sunscreens are harmful to our health. You want to stick with Blue Lizard, California Baby, Loving Naturals or Badger, as these use titanium dioxide, so it's mineral based. Goes on a bit thicker, but this way, you can see where it goes, and it covers well.

Lots of research being done these days on sunscreen, as FDA and Health Canada are not happy with how sunscreen is rated and marketed.

Check out http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/ and you'll find out everything you need to know about sunscreens!

Good luck, Tiger

Anyone who hasn't taken the time to learn about this stuff would do well to read this carefully and check out the link. Best advice in this thread.

FWIW, we use Badger.

 

[squirrel]

Most of the name brands from Walmart or other mass retailers, Coppertone, Neutrogena, etc., are not good. They are filled with chemicals, and some of them, despite saying broad spectrum, actually don't do a good job of blocking harmful rays. Brands like Coppertone Water Babies, although it advertises safe for sensitive young skin, is full of harmful chemicals, and is very allergenic. Most kids I know who have used it, have had skin reactions.

Spray sunscreens are not great, as much of it ends up in the air, so it doesn't coat well enough, and for those of us with allergies/asthma, spray sunscreens are harmful to our health. You want to stick with Blue Lizard, California Baby, Loving Naturals or Badger, as these use titanium dioxide, so it's mineral based. Goes on a bit thicker, but this way, you can see where it goes, and it covers well.

Lots of research being done these days on sunscreen, as FDA and Health Canada are not happy with how sunscreen is rated and marketed.

Check out http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/ and you'll find out everything you need to know about sunscreens!

Good luck, Tiger

Where do you get those kind of sunscreens up in Canada, or do you buy them in the US?

I stocked up about 2 yrs ago on Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic as they offered coupons and were under $5 a bottle. I tried to get the bottles with the longest expiry date. I have bottles that are still good.

 

[mmmcl]

I just ordered a bottle of Blue Lizard )and I'm waiting to try it out. My daughter has extrememly sensitive skin and we're very limited in what we can use on her. We've tried California Baby and Badger along with a couple other mineral sunscreens and I just can't stand the feel of them (not to mention that Badger definitely stains clothing and still gave her a rash). I've been spending a lot of time on EWG's website tryng to find a sunscreen that is effective and reasonably safe that I can handle the way it feels. I'm hoping that Blue Lizard will be the one for us. I've also heard good things about Dr. T's Supergoop and KINeSYS. Neither of them is chemical free, but they're rated much better by EWG than most chemical based sunscreens. We may have to try those if the Blue Lizard doesn't do it for us. Good Luck!

Here are the EWG links to a couple that I mentioned (the lower the rating the better)

Blue Lizard - both the sensitive and baby versions have a rating of 2 on EWG...other formulas have higher rating
http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sun...lue_Lizard_Baby_Australian_Suncream,_SPF_30+/

Dr. T's Supergoop
http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sun...39/Doctor_T's_Supergoop!_Everyday_UV,_SPF_30/

KINeSYS - some of their formulas have a higher rating but this one is pretty low at a 3
http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sun...een_with_Parsol_1789,_Fragrance_Free,_SPF_30/

 

[SmallWorld71]

FWIW - I know you asked about brands, but I find it very helpful to bring some of those sunblock "sticks" with us in addition to regular sunblock. They are small, so they fit in a backpack without adding much weight or any bulk. We find them great to touch up our faces/ backs of necks etc... throughout the day.

Oh, and any subject can be controversial on the DIS. LOL

 

[ccsmith312]

We use the Aveeno Baby Mineral Block lotion. I tried the other mineral blocks, Cali Baby, the coppertone mineral block as well and found them very difficult to rub in. It can almost be painful to the kids on sandy skin. The Aveeno mineral block is very smooth and rubs in easily.