Screening Is Smart

Long summer days in the sun exact their toll on children and parents who don’t use sunscreen — and sunscreen choices can be slightly mystifying to those who have never been primed. Here’s a guide to a few solid choices so you and your family will bronze instead of bake.

Germany’s Laverna brand offers a hardy sunscreen for babies and children with sensitive skin that includes organic calendula, beeswax, 100% mineral UV SPF 30, vitamins C and E, organic jojoba, and organic shea butter. This product is also water-resistant and contains no fragrance, colorants, petrochemicals or preservatives. Look for Laverna Baby & Kinfer Sonnenmilch at www.laverna.com.

Jason Sunbrellas family sunblock in SPF 36 is organic, water resistant and paraben-free. It also smells so unbelievably delicious that you’ll be tempted to lick it off of your skin. Apply this balm thirty minutes before sun exposure and savor guilt-free coverage. Find it at Whole Foods stores and at www.jason-natural.com.

Kiss My Face offers an array of sun products, including paraben-free Kiss My Face Sun Screen with coconut oil and aloe in SPF 15, 18 or 30 as well as a non-streaking, quick drying Instant Sunless Tanner with walnut extract. The Kiss My face founders are serious when they claim to be obsessively organic. Look for Kiss My Face Sun Swat with natural insect repellent when camping or at polo matches, and Face Factor to protect your lovely visage at www.kissmyface.com.

Protect infants with Mustela Bebe/Enfant SPF UVA-UVB 50 sunscreen. Tiny enough to fit in the palm of your hand or tuck into a stroller, this 100% mineral sunscreen offers heavy-duty protection for an infant or toddler’s skin. Now you can plop baby down in the sandbox and sun without worry. The Mustela brand can be purchased at Bigelow’s Pharmacy and at www.mustelausa.com.

Let this summer’s emphasis be on prevention in earth’s rich playgrounds, the sun-drenched surf, grassy fields and blooming gardens, with all-natural sunscreens.