Are We Poisioning Our Own Children?

Summer is approaching quickly (yay!) and we will be spending plenty of time outdoors soaking up some rays of sunshine. Finally! One way to keep our children safe from some of those harsh UV rays is sunscreen. Or so we thought! Could we be poisoning our own children with the very product we buy to protect them? 　

I was reading CanadianParents.com's 'cpo daily' blog when I came across this startling news. They mention that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released their annual sunscreen report as a part of a campaign they are currently running called EWG's Skin Deep. A chemical called Oxybenzone, which they claim is "the most common active ingredient in sunscreen", is one chemical to worry about. Experts are concerned with the use in our children's sunscreen because it has the ability to penetrate into their skin and potentially cause allergies and hormone disruption. They also mention to stay away from sunscreens that spray-on because of they can easily be inhaled. Good to know! Click here to see EWG's Hall of Shame for some sunscreen products we should be avoiding, not only for our children but for us as well.

So what are we supposed to do to avoid burns? For one we should avoid peek sun hours and always make sure your child is wearing a hat. Oh and don't forget a pair of sunglasses to protect their sensitive eyes. I also purchased a swimming shirt for my son to protect him while he is splashing around in the pool or at the beach. As for sunscreen I am stumped. Are there any home made remedies you know about? Or any good mineral based sunscreens? Please share!