ewg best sunscreens for kids

EWG’s 2025 Guide to Sunscreens and Best Sunscreens for Kids

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Just in time for Memorial Day, the Environmental Working Group released its 19th annual Guide to Sunscreens for 2025, announcing that out of the 2,204 sunscreen products they tested, a whopping 80% still offer “inadequate skin protection or contain potentially harmful ingredients, or both.”

“Wearing any sunscreen is much more important and offers better sun protection for your skin than not applying anything,” said EWG’s Acting Chief Science Officer David Andrews, Ph.D. “But not all sunscreens are created equal. EWG’s guide is a valuable and trusted resource that consumers can turn to every year to find the sunscreens that offer the strongest broad-spectrum protection without the use of concerning ingredients.”

The primary ingredients raising red flags, according to EWG, are undisclosed fragrance, which could include allergens and hormone-disrupting chemicals, and booster ingredients like butyl octyl salicylate, which may artificially inflate SPF values “without enhancing broad-spectrum protection”.

It is interesting to note that the EWG study also found that sunscreen manufacturers are rapidly moving away from the use of the troubling ingredients oxybenzone and vitamin A. This year's study found it in just 9 percent of non-mineral sunscreens they tested, down from a peak of 70%.

Which Sunscreens Made the Cut: 2025's Best Sunscreens for Kids and Families

While 80% is a concerning statistic, don't fret. The high number of sunscreens tested also means 498 sunscreens “measured up to EWG's rigorous testing standards,” and 63 made the list of EWG Verified® sunscreens from top brands like Beautycounter, Babo Botanicals, and Thinkbaby.

Related: Best Beaches in Florida for Families

The 2025 sunscreen report includes listings of the 43 best sunscreens for kids, best 245 recreational and sport sunscreens, and best 224 daily use SPF products.

Keep in mind–it’s not just sunscreen you need to use daily to protect yourself and your family. Protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses are equally as important. Shade isn’t just a good way to cool off, it’s a great way to stay protected from the sun’s rays as well, so consider purchasing a beach tent or canopy for your family trips to the beach.

Related: Our Favorite Family-Friendly Beaches in Tampa Bay

The EWG shares these 6 tips on how to choose the right protection for your kids and keep them sun safe:

  1. Avoid products with oxybenzone. This chemical penetrates the skin, gets into the bloodstream and block the male sex hormone androgen.
  2. Stay away from sunscreens with SPF values higher than 50+. High SPF values do not provide increased UVA protection and may fool you into thinking you’re safe from sun damage.
  3. Avoid sprays. These popular products don’t provide a thick and uniform coating on skin. They also pose inhalation concerns.
  4. Cover up with clothing, hats and sunglasses.
  5. Avoid intense sun exposure during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  6. Stay away from Vitamin A in sunscreens. Government studies link the use of retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A, to the formation of skin tumors and lesions when it’s applied to sun-exposed skin.

 

Here are a few of the best-scoring sunscreens for kids we've seen on store shelves in Tampa Bay according to EWG’s 2025 report:

  • Thinkbaby Clear Zinc Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
  • Thinksport Clear Zinc Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
  • Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Face Mineral Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50
  • Supergroup! Sunnyscreen Babies + Kiddos Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
  • Baby Bum Mineral Sunscreen Stick Fragrance Free, SPF 50
  • Banana Boat Simply Protect Baby Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50
  • Banana Boat Kids Sport Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50
  • Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50

Read the full list of best sunscreens for kids here.