Babyganics Mineral Sunscreen [Review]

Sunscreen is a necessity for our family during the summer months. While it is recommended that sunscreen be worn every single day, I tend to wear sunscreen during the summer and during the middle of the day when the sun is the strongest. I try to limit the amount of products that I put on my body. The products that I do put on my skin and my toddler's skin are scrutinized for natural ingredients. Children skin is even more sensitive and permeable than adult skin, so choosing natural body products is very important. Babyganics mineral sunscreens provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection with mostly natural ingredients

Babyganics Mineral Based Sunscreen  (SPF 50+)

 

Babyganics Pure Mineral Sunscreen Stick (SPF 50+)    

  

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Mineral-based	Potentially hazardous ingredients
Easily application

My sunscreen collection contains a few different brands. While I prefer the most natural and organic ingredients, my husband does not like to have a white tint to his skin from the thick zinc-oxide sunscreen and rubbing thick suncreen on a mobile toddler's skin just does not happen sometimes. Therefore, I look for sunscreens with the most natural ingredients and non-nano minerals. Nano minerals and particles are absorbed through the skin and enter the the blood stream, while non-nano particles stay on top of the skin and provide protection from the sun.

Let's start off with the ingredients list.

Babyganics Mineral Based Sunscreen
Active ingredients: octinoxate (7.5%), octisalate (5.0%), zinc oxide (11.7%)
Inactive ingredients: water, glyceryl stearate, cyclopentasiloxane, caprylic/capric triglyceride, propanediol, stearyl/octadodecyl citrate crosspolymer, cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, glycerin, dimethicone crosspolymer, tocopheryl acetate, solanum lycopersicum (tomato) seed oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) seed oil, nigella sativa (black cumin) seed oil, rubus idaeus (red raspberry) seed oil, sodium stearoyl glutamate, beeswax, lauryl peg/ppg-18/18 methicone, triethoxycaprylylsilane, xanthan gum, ethylhexylglycerin, disodium edta, potassium sorbate, phenoxyethanol

EWG Score: 2 (low hazard)

The ingredients of concern and their functions are the following:
Octinoxate - 6 (UV absorber/filter)
Phenoxyethanol - 4 (preservative, fragrance)
Lauryl peg/ppg-18/18 methicone - 3 (skin conditioning agent)
Polysorbate 60 - 3 (fragrance, surfactant, emulsifying agent)
Potassium Sorbate - 3 (preservative, fragrance)
Cyclopentasiloxane - 3 (skin conditioning agent, emollient)
Tocopheryl Acetate - 3 (skin conditioning agent, preservative)
Octisalate - 3 (UV absorber/filter, fragrance)

Babyganics Sunscreen is mineral-based and includes chemicals UV absorbers and filters like Octinoxate and Octisalate, both of which are hazardous to the body. These chemicals get absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream, where they can disrupt the endocrine system and cause cellular level changes. Because the list of moderate to highly hazardous chemicals is considerable, I would not use this sunscreen on myself or my child.

I do like that the sunscreen does have a scent to it, other than a slight mineral sunscreen scent. I also like that the sunscreen goes on easy and absorbs into the skin.

Babyganics Pure Mineral Sunscreen Stick
Active ingredients: titanium dioxide 7.9%, zinc oxide 6.7%.
Inactive ingredients: c12-15 alkyl benzoate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, beeswax, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, neopentyl glycol diethylhexanoate, tribehenin, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, ppg-3 benzyl ether myristate, cyclopentasiloxane, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed wax, myristyl myristate, stearyl/octadodecyl citrate crosspolymer, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, dimethicone crosspolymer, polyglyceryl-10 pentaoleate, jojoba esters, polyhydroxystearic acid, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin, silica, alumina

EWG Score: 1 (low hazard)

The ingredients of concern and their functions are the following:
Cyclopentasiloxane - 3 (skin conditioning agent, emollient)

The ingredients list of this pure mineral sunscreen stick does contain some chemicals, but they are thought to pose a low hazard to the body.

Babyganics Pure Mineral Sunscreen Stick was my first sunscreen stick. I really like the compact packaging, though plastic, because I can throw it in my purse or diaper bag and have something on hand if I need it. The stick was easy to apply. Since this sunscreen is mineral-based, it does make the skin look slightly white when applied, but goes away once the sunscreen is rubbed in. Though the sunscreen can be left as applied directly from the skin, I prefer to rub it in. Otherwise, it could get on clothing and other items. When my toddler is older, I see him being able to use the stick himself to help me apply sunscreen.

Both sunscreens worked well to prevent burns, with proper and repeat application when being outside in the sun for prolonged periods of time. Though I would not purchase Babyganics Mineral-Based Sunscreen because of potentially hazardous chemical ingredients, I would purchase Babyganics Pure Mineral Sunscreen Stick. I love the easily application and the ingredients list.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.