Organic sunscreen for under $10? It’s true! For Bay Area parents on a budget, good sunscreen shouldn't cost a fortune. This summer, I set out to find the best, most effective and chemical-free sunscreens you can buy. What I discovered has changed what I buy in the future to protect my family from sun damage.
It maybe August and summer is nearly over, but in California, everyday is sunscreen weather. The brands I put to the test come from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) 2009 sunscreen investigation. The (EWG) graded the best and worst sunscreens on the market. The EWG looked at effectiveness, ingredients, and safety. After reading the EWG investigation, I tossed out my old bottle of Banana Boat sunscreen. You can see how safe your own sunscreen is here. From the EWG list, I gave some of the better brands a try. Overall, I was impressed by the effectiveness and the price. In Part I, our family tested top brands that cost between $10 and $20. That article, can be found here, Best sunscreen for the money: Safe Brands under $20 (part I). Now in part II, sunscreens under $10.
Blue Lizard: Blue Lizard is a sunscreen ONLY company. Based in Johnson City Tennessee, Blue Lizard offers consumers five types of sunscreen. Blue Lizard was ranked # 1 last year by the Environmental Working Group as the best and safest sunscreen you can buy. This year, Blue Lizard continues to rank near the top as a skin-safe sunscreen. Spokesperson Libby Williams tells me that Blue Lizard tests it’s products according to Australian sunscreen standards. Australia has more stringent requirements for sunscreen compared to the U.S. Williams says it’s products are water resistant after 240 minutes in whirlpool water. In the U.S., the FDA requires testing to be for 80 minutes. The packaging also has a unique UV indicator. The cap or bottle will turn BLUE when exposed to UV rays.
Parent Review: Our family put Blue Lizard Australian suncream regular) SPF 30+ to the test during a trip to Gilroy Gardens. The temperature was in the mid 80’s, we were on concrete all day and our preschooler was in and out of the water. Blue Lizard did not disappoint. In the past, when I used my old drug store sunscreens, I would end up with red skin, spotty burns, and a child with a red face. Blue Lizard was a welcomed surprise. We applied it every 90 minutes and found it extremely effective. No burns, no red skin or irritation. Water resistant? Yes. If you are headed to the pool, this is an excellent sunscreen choice. Even after a shower at the end of the day, you notice the Blue Lizard suncream is still very much on your skin. You may have to scrub it off. It’s proof that this sunscreen won’t wash off easily while in the water or swimming. The only downside we found is the product is slightly greasy and the thin lotion and has a tendency to pour out of the tube if you aren’t careful. 
We also tested the Blue Lizard FACE daily moisturizer SPF 30+. This isn’t greasy to apply and the lotion is a thicker substance. It is also very effective and great for any non-water activity outings. 
My favorite out of the three Blue Lizard products we tested was clearly the Blue Lizard BABY Australian suncream SPF 30+. The lotion was easy to apply, not greasy, didn’t leave a white sheen on your child’s skin and extremely effective. While it doesn’t claim to be water resistant, it did provide great protection for us in the water. This brand is made specifically for a baby’s skin, however, it’s also an excellent product for anyone with highly sensitive skin. Our family gives Blue Lizard a thumbs up as both an affordable and effective sunscreen.
Where to buy it in the Bay Area: CVS Pharmacy (formerly Longs Drugs) or on-line at www.bluelizard.net
Price: $5.00 for 3oz. special deal Blue Lizard Australian Suncream (regular) SPF 30+
$3.99 for 1.25 oz. Blue Lizard BABY Australian suncream SPF 30+
$9.99 for 3 oz . Blue Lizard BABY Australian suncream SPF 30+
$9.99 for 3 oz. Blue Lizard FACE Australian suncream SPF 30+
Purple Prairie Botanicals: Located in Clearwater, Minnesota, Purple Prairie mainly sells a variety of natural and organic soaps, lotions, candles and even deodorant. It’s a green company and it’s products contain NO petroleum, parabens, sulfates, animal ingredients or synthetic dyes. Purple Prairie was founded nine years ago. These days, Purple Prairie is grabbing headlines for sunscreen. Purple Prairie SUN STUFF ranks in the top ten (#5 ) of best sunscreens according to the Environmental Working Group. The sunscreen is 85% organic and 100% natural.
Parent Review: Purple Prairie is the highest ranked sunscreen on the EWG list that is also the cheapest. $7.79 for 4 oz. Consumers aren’t paying for fancy packaging or labeling. In fact, the bottle of Purple Prairie SUN STUFF resembles something one might buy at a local farmers market. It appears to be a nice little homemade lotion that is actually one of the best sunscreens for sale in the U.S. We tested SUN STUFF organic lotion SPF 15 during a long walk in the sun through our neighborhood. When you apply it to your skin there is a slight odor because it’s made with olive oil. It is not at all bothersome. This is not a greasy sunscreen and goes on without leaving a white sheen or “ghosting” appearance on your skin. Purple Prairie caters to those with highly sensitive skin. So the sunscreen was gentle enough to use on a child’s face without worry of irritation. It does not claim to be water resistant. The downside is you can’t buy it in the Bay Area, unless you order on line. It is also only an SPF 15, so you must remember to reapply at least every 45 minutes. This is a spray sunscreen. SUN STUFF is a great product that offers good protection and the price is very family friendly.
Where to buy it in the Bay Area: On line only at www.PurplePrairie.com
Price: $7.79 for 4 oz. of SUN STUFF organic lotion SPF 15
$7.79 for 4 oz. of SUN STUFF organic lotion SPF 30
$7.79 for 2 oz. of SUN STICK twist up, solid SPF 30
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Parent Review: We put our tube of Walgreens sunscreen to the test numerous times in the last month. As a parent, I was skeptical that a cheap drugstore sunscreen could really be that effective. The substance of the lotion itself is a thick cream. When you apply it, it goes on clear, is non-greasy and won’t leave a “ghosting” of white sheen on your skin. I used it several times on my preschoolers sensitive face and skin. It is an SPF 45+, however we still reapplied it every 90 minutes. It was very effective and did not cause any irritation. If you are on a tight budget and want a safe sunscreen for your kids, Walgreens Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide for face, nose and ears SPF 45+ is a great buy.
Where to buy it in the Bay Area: Walgreens or on-line at www.walgreens.com
Price: $4.99 for 2 oz. container Walgreens Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide for face, nose + ears SPF 45+
$6.29 for a 4 oz. tube
FOR MORE INFORMATION :
Best Sunscreen for the money: Safe Brands under $20 (part 1) HERE
Sunscreen investigation: Best and Worst brands for your kids HERE
How Does Your Sunscreen Rank ? HERE
Why your sunscreen label maybe changing. Click HERE
Comments
I have to wonder....why would you recommend something as "safe" when it has an EWG Health Hazard score of 6 and contains a bastion of hazardous substances? You may be unaware that the EWG changed their sunscreen rating system, allowing chemically-laden products to appear beside those that are much less likely to cause harm. Your first option, Blue Lizard, for example....it's ingredient list is more complicated than my old Chemistry textbook, parabens included. Walgreens sunscreen's ingredients have been linked to everything from reproductive toxicity to CANCER....a big deal for me, as my mother died of it. Please, please, please read all ingredient labels. Please, please, PLEASE be careful as to what you expose children to, especially those whose parents read this post. It would be so easy for someone to read this, go to Walgreens, and pick up some sunscreen. Only it's for their kids, so they grab the baby version. Health hazard score? 9.
This is Irresponsible at best.
I have to wonder....why would you recommend something as "safe" when it has an EWG Health Hazard score of 6 and contains a bastion of hazardous substances? You may be unaware that the EWG changed their sunscreen rating system, allowing chemically-laden products to appear beside those that are much less likely to cause harm. Your first option, Blue Lizard, for example....it's ingredient list is more complicated than my old Chemistry textbook, parabens included. Walgreens sunscreen's ingredients have been linked to everything from reproductive toxicity to CANCER....a big deal for me, as my mother died of it. Please, please, please read all ingredient labels. Please, please, PLEASE be careful as to what you expose children to, especially those whose parents read this post. It would be so easy for someone to read this, go to Walgreens, and pick up some sunscreen. Only it's for their kids, so they grab the baby version. Health hazard score? 9.
This is Irresponsible at best.
Looking at the range of Blue Lizzard I am quite knocked out with the number of ingredients they have that are said to be potentially toxic - some a whole lot more so than others. eg parabens, fragrance, propylene glycol, and octinoxate. The worst example was Diazolidinyl Urea, which is listed as potentially toxic because it is a "preservative that works by releasing formaldehyde"!
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