Today I’m sharing tips for putting sunscreen on toddlers and a great mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin.

Have you had sunscreen battles this summer yet?

It feels like packing for a two week trip just to get to the beach and then like taming a wild animal just to get sunscreen on my kids.

Tell me I’m not the only one.

And while we’re talking about sunscreen, have you heard about the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen?

Until this summer, I hadn’t either.

Mineral vs Chemical Sunscreen

But ever since Adelaide was born I’ve been struggling with sensitive skin (dry, itchy, easily irritated). I read that it was hormonal and would go away at a few months postpartum. No Such luck.

Drinking a LOT more water and using lotion often has helped but I’ve also started looking more into the types of products I put on my skin. And so when Blue Lizard reached out about mineral sunscreen, I was interested in learning more.

Mineral sunscreen (also referred to as physical sunscreen) acts like tiny mirrors on your skin, reflecting the UVA and UVB rays back into the atmosphere. On the other hand, chemical sunscreen absorbs the harmful rays into your skin and then changes them into heat. The mineral sunscreen is less oily, less likely to clog pores, and much better for sensitive skin.

So far, using Blue Lizard sunscreen has been great for my skin but I also love that it’s something I can feel safe about putting on my kids. I remember being so worried about putting sunscreen on tiny Adelaide when she was in the sun at just a few weeks old and I wish I’d had this then!

Now she isn’t a tiny baby and I’m less worried about her having sensitive skin, I’m mostly worried about getting any sunscreen on her at all. Today I’m sharing a few tips we’ve been using for easing the sunscreen battle.

Tips for Putting Sunscreen on Toddlers

1. Let them see YOU put sunscreen on. “Look, I’m putting on sunscreen to protect my skin. Do you have your sunscreen on yet?”
2. Make it a routine. Before we go to the beach or the park or the pool, we go through all the things we need to bring, “swimsuits, towels, water, snacks, and sunscreen!” Before we get there I remind them “when we get to the pool we need to put on swim diaper, put on your swimsuit, put on some sunscreen and THEN go swimming!.” Walking them through those steps before hand a couple of times means less of a fight when they’re in their suits and ready to swim and we still have to put on sunscreen.
3. Make it fun. Whether it’s a game or a singing a song, make the process a little more fun. You can count to ten and see if you can get their whole face done in ten seconds, you can sing “itsy bitsy spider” and rub it in as the spider crawls across their face, or you can take turns putting it on together (they get to do an arm while you do a cheek, just don’t let those sunscreen fingers get close to their own eyes).
4. Consider applying BEFORE you get somewhere. If you know your toddler won’t sit still once the water is in sight, consider applying at home before you get there (if it’s a short drive) or right when you get out of the car before walking to the pool or beach.
5. Reapply at snack time. The reapplication often gets washed right off if the kids hop back in the water so consider reapplying right before you give the kids a snack. You can use the snack as incentive to sit still and then the buffer of time before they head back to fun in the sun. We also love having one of the sunscreen sticks on hand for quick face touch-ups if it’s going to be a long day in the sun.

Grab your Blue Lizard sunscreen on amazon here.