
Outdoor Product Recommendations
MADE SAFE® Certified Products:
Annmarie Gianni Skin Care for Sun Love sunscreen
Kosmatology bug repellent balm
MamaEarth for mineral-based sunscreen and insect repellent
True Botanicals for mineral-based sunscreen
Tips:
- Common active ingredients in conventional insect repellent like DEET, cyfluthrin, and pyrethroids can harm our health and the environment. Knowing your area and if you are at risk for a mosquito-borne or tick-borne illness can help you make the right bug repellent choice for you and your family.
- Some plants have pharmacological and biological properties that make plant extracts effective insect repellent:
- citronella
- clove oil
- geraniol
- lemongrass
- lemon eucalyptus
- linalool
- neem
- thyme
- chrysanthemum oil
- Avoid mixing chemical sunscreen and bug sprays: The sunscreen chemical oxybenzone has been shown to enhance the absorption rate of DEET.
- Learn more in our report Bug Repellent: What’s In It?
- Avoid sunscreens made with oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are linked to hormone disruption, organ system toxicity, and cancer. Also, avoid the chemical homosalate, which is linked to hormone disruption.
- Use clothing and hats to cover up so that sunscreen isn’t always necessary.
- For young children’s sensitive skin, avoid the strongest sun hours between 10am – 2pm.
- Look for sunscreens with non-nano zinc oxide or non-nano titanium dioxide, which are both UV resistant. These are the active ingredients in sunscreens used as common substitutes to the chemicals of known concern listed above.
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Learn More:
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Chemicals in Plastic
Other Toxic Chemicals in Baby Products
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