Understanding Sunscreen

Since summer has begun, I'm sure you, like me, have been inundated with emails that talk about sunscreen--what's the best, what SPF do you really need, and what ingredients to look for. Even with these helpful emails, it's still hard to understand exactly what to look for in a sunscreen. I recently interviewed two people in the business, and it was enlightening--but I still got confused. So, after poking around the mighty world wide web, I've found three articles that may help you out: Healthy Child, Healthy World: This story breaks down exactly what you need to look for in a SPF. Note: the higher SPF

doesn't necessarily mean the better. There are also some great links that help you understand other facets of sunscreen, such as Understanding Sunscreen Micronization and Nanoparticles. Ain't No Mom Jeans: Written by a mom blogger who was angry that the Environmental Working Group's 2010 Report on Sunscreen made her more confused than anything, she broke the report down in layman's terms so the rest of us could understand what was good and what wasn't. Parents Magazine: If you type in sunscreen in the Parents Magazine search button, you'll receive tons and tons of articles that are loaded with great information. I liked this one because it pretty much explains EVERYTHING you need to know about sunscreen safety--from knowing the lingo, to how doctor's protect their own kids to real questions from real parents.