Although I know dermatologists recommend that I apply sunscreen to myself and my kids every day of the year, I admit that I only pull out the bottles of lotion and/or spray when the sun starts to really get intense. I am not a fan of the thick greasy-feeling sunblock normally gives me, and neither is my son. In fact when I brought home some new bottles of Coppertone Sunblock from the store a few weeks ago, he tried to tell me that I wasn’t going to put any on him.
Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t get to skip the sun protection altogether, but I did allow him to choose what application method he preferred. Coppertone, like many other sunscreen companies, now provides options in regards to application method (e.g. lotion or continuous spray) and suncreen type (e.g. SPF level, oil free, tear free, for faces, purple colouring that fades clear when dry, etc.). I bought four different types of Coppertone Sunblock: Coppertone Water Babies Lotion, Coppertone Kids Lotion, Coppertone Kids Continuous Spray, and Coppertone Oil Free Faces Lotion.
The verdict? They all work. In fact, I’m not convinced that there is any difference at all between the Water Babies Lotion and the Kids Lotion. Their product description and ingredient list is identical, and I suspect that the only difference between the two products is the image on the bottle.
As for choosing the best application method, I don’t have a clear winner. My 20-month-old daughter loves the lotion. In fact, she often starts out her day by bringing me the bottle of lotion just so she can have a mini-massage while I apply it. My 3-year-old son, on the other hand, doesn’t want to have anything to do with the lotion and often refuses to stop moving long enough for me to apply it. For him, the continuous spray application works the best since it’s so fast to apply. My only issue with the spray is that I don’t like spraying it on when the kids are wearing their clothes because I’m worried about staining (which I’m not sure will happen or not). In general, I think the spray is better suited for use at the beach while wearing little clothing.
Regardless of what product you choose for your body, I strongly recommend that you purchase a separate sunblock designed for your face – the Coppertone Oil Free Faces Lotion that I tried is one example. The lotion is lighter than regular sunblock and is designed not to clog your pores. I’m satisfied with it, and I’m pleased to see that I didn’t have to spend big bucks to get a decent facial sunblock.
