Banana Boat Kids and Baby Sunscreen

See also Infant And Kids: A Short Guide To Sunscreen

Please skip these sunscreens for your children:

• Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ PA++++ (AED 34.65 for 90ml)
• Banana Boat baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ PA++++ (AED 34.65 for 90ml)

My thoughts

1. Sun protection should be applied to babies over 12 months (I (along with most dermatologists on this planet) are of this view).
2. Failing the first hurdle:
   • In the post Infant And Kids: A Short Guide To Sunscreen, I brutally reduce the 20+ permitted filters to ONLY two filters that you should look for in kid’s sunscreen. These being ZINC OXIDE and TITANIUM DIOXIDE.
   • Without putting the fear of God in you, I want to emphasize how topical this issue is. On 6th May 2020 (yes this week), a (preliminary) study in JAMA looked at the application of 4 commercially available sunscreens on plasma concentrations.
     • They found that there was systemic absorption of sunscreen ingredients in amounts that exceeded a threshold placed by the FDA. This threshold is important as manufacturer’s then don’t need to perform further toxicology studies.
     • The study is essentially saying, a bunch of filters are being absorbed by our bodies and we don’t know what the effect is. Still think its OK to slap on whichever sunscreen on your kids?
     • These filters are:
       • Avobenzone – present in products under review
       • Oxybenzone
       • Octocrylene – present in products under review
       • Ecamsule
3. Failing the David Suzuki hurdles:
   • For infants and kids, its the policy of this blog to reject products that contain the David Suzuki dirty dozen AND find alternative products. In any kid’s formulation, we want ZERO ingredients falling under “Present in formulation” below.
   • Present in formulation
     • Parabens: methylparaben, propylparaben
     • PEGs and Siloxanes: Cetyl PEG/PPG1/10-Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG 8-Dimethicone, Dimethicone, PEG8
   • You can read more about Parabens at this link (Chemicals to Avoid – Parabens)

That’s it from me. If you would like to read more technical thoughts on the product please continue, otherwise see you next time.

Nerd thoughts

Banana Boat Ultra Protect SPF 30 and SPF 50 use Avobenzone as their primary UVA filter. They stabilise it using Octocrylene, Oxybenzone (or Benzophenone-3) and Butyloctyl Salicylate.

With the kid’s formulation, Banana Boat still use Avobenzone as the primary UVA filter but stabilise it with Octocrylene and Bemotrizinol* (which is unavailable in the US).

I think Banana Boat skip using Oxybenzone not only because of the health concerns around it, (being a hormonal disruptor and known skin allergen) but also because of a Swedish study.

In 2006, the Swedish Research Council noted that kids under 2 years old probably have not developed the enzymes to metabolize Oxybenzone. As children have a greater body surface area to weight ratio, they are likely to absorb a greater rate of Oxybenzone and there is concern that Oxybenzone may accumulate in kids (?)

Honestly, no-one knows what happens in this situation, because nobody has collected the data. Watch this space…

*Bemotrizinol OR Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine:

• New generation UVA filter
• Photostable
• Heavy, so no dermal absorption issues
• Permitted filter in most of the world BUT not the USA