*UPDATE (June 2011) see some less expensive sunscreen choices.
I recently posted about the annual EWG safe sunscreen guide. In said post, I noted that I would make a list of some of the more affordable sunscreens from said guide, but frankly, after some research, I’m at my wit’s end. What I’ve found is that just one year’s worth of typically priced safe sunscreen can cost more than an entire eco-friendly car (no joke).
That said, let’s have a little discussion about safe and AFFORDABLE sunscreen.
Can you afford sunscreen?
Each summer a bunch of safe sunscreen lists are released:
Most well known of the sunscreen guides, is probably the annual EWG safe sunscreen guide, which I really like, although it has some issue. For example, the EWG list has an oddball scoring system and the list always seems to feature a slew of organic fakers too. On the plus side, it’s a good list because it does get people thinking about product ingredients and keeps on making sure that consumers know about FDA failures as they relate to sunscreen regulations. A list like this, with so much buzz, leaves folks less apt to blindly pull products off the drugstore shelf, then slather on said products.
In terms of a more in-depth list, Safe Mama offers an excellent Sunscreen Cheat Sheet. The Safe Mama list is more useful than the EWG list, in that WAY more of the actual thought process is explained during said list. If you’re a newbie to safe body care and less toxic sunscreen, this is the perfect list for you. Plus, it’s not as obnoxious to comb through as the EWG list – i.e. much smaller.
Most other eco-minded or safety-minded blogs and websites also release annual recommendations for safe sunscreen.
My issue with all these guides
I LOVE that so many people create these safe sunscreen guides. However, I’ve noticed that most of the safest sunscreens included on said guides, are also totally unrealistic price-wise for most families.
Safe sunscreen, IF used correctly, is almost impossible for the average family to afford. If you can afford one of these safer sunscreens, my guess is that you’re most likely not using sunscreen correctly.
The Skin Cancer Foundation says:
“To ensure that you get the full SPF of a sunscreen, you need to apply 1 oz – about a shot glass full [of sunscreen]. During a long day at the beach, one person should use around one half to one quarter of an 8 oz. bottle. Reapplication of sunscreen is just as important as putting it on in the first place, so reapply the same amount every two hours. Sunscreens should be reapplied immediately after swimming, toweling off, or sweating a great deal.“
My first thought when I read this, while considering how much actual sunscreen I’d need to buy, was…. “Holy crap!” Seriously?!
American Melanoma Foundation says, “Sunscreens should be used daily if you are going to be in the sun for more than 20 minutes. Don’t reserve the use of these products for only sunny summer days. Even on a cloudy day 80 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet rays pass through the clouds.”
Mayo Clinic states, “Liberal use of sunscreen is a key part of any program to protect yourself from the sun… Reapply sunscreen every two hours — more often if you’re perspiring. Since UVA rays penetrate glass and clouds, use sunscreen even when it’s cloudy or you’re indoors but in rooms with lots of windows.”
Almost all the other health organizations I checked noted much the same – wear lots of sunscreen – all the flipping time – and reapply often. If you follow what all these health organizations say, how much, exactly, will sunscreen cost you?
Sunscreen cost calculations…
- One adult needs to wear sunscreen every day (365 days a year), rain or shine.
- A proper application of sunscreen for an adult is about 1 oz (think one shot glass).
- On an average day, you most likely go outside or sit by a window or drive in a car, oh, three times a day. Based on that, let’s say you need three applications of sunscreen. An active, nature-minded person might need more applications per day, but for now, we’ll stick with 3 applications of sunscreen per day. In total, that’s about 1,074 applications a year – I took off 21 applications (a week’s worth of sick days).
Now we need some safe sunscreen. I’m listing the first 13 from the Safe Mamas Cheat Sheet so we can gather some prices. I’ve listed each sunscreen’s price per oz.
- $2.10 per oz. Purple Prairie Botanicals SunStuff, SPF 30
- $5.50 per oz. Badger All Natural Sunscreen
- $3.50 per oz. All Terrain KidSport SPF30 Natural Sunscreen Spray- Phineas and Ferb
$6.80 per oz. Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm
- $6.00 per oz. Poofy Organics “The” Sunscreen, SPF 30
- $4.70 per oz. eco logical skin care Sunscreen
- $5.00 per oz. thinkbaby sunscreen SPF30+
$3 per oz. Loving Naturals SPF 30 Sunscreen Zinc Oxide UVA/UVB Vegan
$5.60 per oz. Elemental Herbs Sunscreen Kids SPF 20
$6.30 per oz. UV Natural Sunscreen for Baby (SPF 30+)
$7.50 per oz. Soleo Organics Sunscreen
$7.40 per oz. Marie Veronique Organics Kid Safe Screen, SPF 25+
$3.90 per oz. Kabana Skin Care Green Screen Organic Sunscreen Fragrance Free, SPF 20
As you can see the least expensive price per oz. is Purple Prairie Botanicals SunStuff, SPF 30 at $2.10 per oz. while the most expensive is Soleo Organics Sunscreen at $7.50 per oz. By the way, just so you don’t think, “Hey, maybe Safe Mama is just rich,” know that price-wise, the Safe Mama guide is very comparable to the EWG guide and other safe sunscreen guides.
Sunscreen costs add up fast!
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?:
Assuming you apply sunscreen correctly, and assuming you purchase the least expensive sunscreen on the Safe Mama list, sunscreen will cost you $6.30 per day. That’s $189 per month or about $2,268 annually. But hang on, because if you have a partner and two younger kids, that’s an additional $9.45 per day, or a sunscreen tab of $15.75 daily. Annually, safe sunscreen will run you around $5,700.
Now, safe sunscreen for $2 an oz is EXTREMELY rare. I’ve seen safe sunscreens this year run as high as $35 per oz. (not kidding) but the average seems to be around $6 per oz. At $6 per oz., that’s $18 per day for one person’s sunscreen, or $6,570 a year. $6 per oz. sunscreen will run a family of four $54 a day; $1,620 per month; $19,440 annually. There are eco-friendly cars that cost less (new) than a yearly safe sunscreen habit.
Sunscreen may cost you less if you’re using it incorrectly. It also may cost you less if you’re a major couch potato or really bundle up year-round. For example, some people don’t have much exposed skin in the winter due to weather. Here in Oregon, we have mild winters, so more skin showing. Plus, I’ve got one of those kids who wears shorts year round – snow or sun.
The bottom line
If you’ve got more than one person at your house, you are sufficiently screwed with these calculations. I know sun protection is a big deal. Skin cancer runs in my son’s dad’s side of the family. I also know chemical body care safety is a huge deal. Obviously, I want my son safe. Still, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have this sort of money laying around to spend on sunscreen.
This makes me start thinking about all kinds of stuff…
- Do we really need sunscreen, because it’s CRAZY expensive?
- Can I make some sort of homemade sunscreen – that actually works and that’s affordable?
- Why on earth would sunscreen companies sell this stuff like it’s gold doubloons, if they’re really serious about protecting families? Seriously, companies cannot think people can truly afford $6 + per oz. sunscreen, unless sunscreen is nothing more than a novelty.
- Sunscreen really isn’t very eco-friendly is it? All these companies make super tiny bottles of sunscreen – the vast majority are 1 to 3 ounces. If people need 3 oz. of sunscreen a day, why aren’t companies making HUGE bulk bottles. I’ve seen very few companies selling sunscreen in bulk. There’s a lot of plastic waste involved here.
- Is there ANY safe and affordable sunscreen on this planet – a sunscreen than the average green family can afford?
To be honest, I don’t have any super answers to the above (yet), but I did come up with some starter ideas about how to save some cash.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON SAFE SUNSCREEN:
Look for semi-shaded hiking trails
The best course of action is to limit your sun exposure when possible. Obviously, I’m not saying stay inside and sit on the couch, but try the following to save money on safe sunscreen and protect your skin…
- Wear protective clothing, such as tightly woven but loose-fitting and lightweight clothing.
- Wear a sun hat.
- Babies and smaller kids don’t need a whole ounce of sunscreen per application – use less!
- Carry an umbrella. If you’re just lounging around, sit under said umbrella or look for a shady spot, such as under a tree or a covered picnic area.
- Avoid the harshest sun, which tends to be midday sun. If you love to get outside, head out during the early morning or late afternoon.
- It’s fun to go outside at night. We go on a nighttime walk almost every night after dinner and I’ve even gone on night runs.
- My son and I hike a lot. However, we know where the sunny trails vs. shady trails are. During the most intensely sunny days, you should stick to a shaded hike if you can.
- Get sunscreen, not moisturizers with SPF. In almost all case, moisturizers with SPF cost a lot more than a sunscreen only variety. I do once in a while buy FACE-only moisturizers with SPF, but never, as a rule, whole body lotions with SPF.
- Waterproof protection often costs more, so skip waterproof sunscreen, unless you’re actually in the water.
- Buy in bulk if possible and buy the largest containers you can find.
- Get “adult” sunscreens if you can. As soon as a company smacks the term “baby safe” on a product, the price goes up. Adult sun protection products are usually cheaper.
- Shop around. The ways to save above can help, but you never know when a sale will pop up. Always shop around.
A final idea: Give the safest sunscreen to the youngest members of the family…
Really, I think ALL people should have access to safe, non-toxic sunscreen – hear that sunscreen manufacturers! The reality though, is that safe sunscreen is almost always VERY expensive. Because kids are still developing, and because chemicals and toxins affect them more than adults, kids, in my opinion should get the less toxic stuff, before adults.
If I’m strapped for cash, I’ll choose a bottle of sunscreen that scores very safe (i.e. less toxic) for my son, and a less good, but still okay sunscreen for me.
My final word on this issue for now
My family will do some of the above in order to save money on sunscreen. However, my son and I love to hike often – usually starting in the morning and going until afternoon. We play basketball and take long walks almost every day. During the summer we swim a lot too. We’re not giving all of this up just to stay super hyper safe from the sun. So, we do need some sunscreen.
Trust me though, we cannot afford $6+ sunscreen either, so, I’m going to try my best to use some of the 2011 sunscreen guides to locate some less expensive, but still safe sunscreens. Hopefully, I can get an affordable list up soon.
Oh, and one more thing – if you feel like it, why not write or email one or two of these “safe” sunscreen companies and ask them why they’re selling sunscreens for $6, $10 and even $30+ an oz.? Maybe if they realize how nuts these prices are they’ll lower them.
What do you think?
What do you think about these outrageous sunscreen prices? Am I being totally insane to expect safe sunscreen for less than $35 a tube? Let me know what you think in the comments.
[money image via sxc. - all other images ©Jennifer Chait]
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for writing this post. I have been knocking my head on the wall about this. I want a healthy alternative for my family on sunscreen, but I am in no position to pay what they ask. Our solutions are to stay out of the sun during peak hours, wear a hat and cover up. If you think about how people in warmer climes dress they cover their skin with long sleeves and even long tunics. Now I am not going that far but I do have a couple of lightweight shirts I wear when gardening or poolside.
I don’t think there is anything we can do about it. Businesses are in it for the money, not because they care about consumers and companies who produce sunscreen are no different. And given that ALL sunscreen is expensive the companies know they can get away with it. I am also a firm believer that the medical industry is involved… if people can’t afford sunscreen where are they going to end up? In the hospital getting cancer removed. I truly believe this. It is a sad day we live in!!!
I think it IS very expensive, but you are basing your calculations on way too much usage. It said to use almost 4 oz for a “long day at the beach”. Well, we may get 1 or 2 long days at the beach where we apply sunscreen to a large portion of our body. On an average day, you will not be in the sun much and if you are, it may only be for a few hours and with only small portions of our bodies exposed. Now, there are most likely those instances out there with a lot of days at the beach…..but those instances are typically also not us poor people scraping to make a dollar.
I recently purchased thinkbaby sunscreen in a 3oz tube, our last sunscreen was also a 3oz tube and lasted an entire year. So we need to calculate on a real world usage and not to the extreme of everyday at the beach. And dont forget, some sun is a good thing too.
@TheGreenPear – I’m not basing usage on beach trips. I’m basing usage on real world usage and what health organizations recommend. If a tube of 3oz sunscreen lasts you a year, you’re using sunscreen incorrectly.
As I noted in my post, the American Melanoma Foundation says, “Sunscreens should be used daily if you are going to be in the sun for more than 20 minutes.”The Skin Cancer Foundation says, “To ensure that you get the full SPF of a sunscreen, you need to apply 1 oz – about a shot glass full [of sunscreen].” Mayo clinic says, “Liberal use of sunscreen is a key part of any program to protect yourself from the sun… Reapply sunscreen every two hours… use 1 oz per application.” All the organizations say rain, sun or snow, “wear sunscreen.” Just because it’s not blazing sun, doesn’t mean you don’t need sunscreen. Sunscreen help to block two types of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB, from reaching the skin – rays exist whether or not you can see the sun shining.
Yesterday for example, my son and I went to play basketball twice (outside) and also went for a long walk. That’s three applications of sunscreen each. I use an oz., while my smaller son uses about 1/2 an oz. That’s 4.5 oz. applications of sunscreen in one day. We’re outside almost daily – rain or shine. At least once a week we go on longer hikes. We’re outside a lot. Plus, there’s basic stuff like driving to the store, walking or driving to school, etc. Basically, we’re exposed to rays all the time.
People underestimate how much sunscreen they actually need.
@Lisa @Granola Catholic – we are so bad about wearing long sleeves and hats around here – as you can see, in the pictures above, my son Cedar isn’t wearing either hats or long sleeves – just sunscreen. We really need to be better about this, because like you, I’m frustrated and know that light layers are safer. We may start our hikes earlier too, so that we’re done by 10:30 or 11am on super sunny days.
@Beth – Businesses are in it for the money. Your theory about the medical industry being involved is intriguing. It makes sense – sad, lame sense, but sense all the same. I really need to find out how to make homemade sunscreen – or see if that’s even possible.
Thanks for reading
One thing we tried last year was spending a little extra to get my daughter an SPF bathing suit and beach hat with a neck flap in the back. It fits like a wet suit and then all I had to sunscreen was her face, neck, hands and feet. It also saved a lot of money and time trying to sunscreen a squirming one year old. This year I even found one at a local consignment sale. My husband and I both have surf shirts as well (his is short sleeve, mine is long). We also invest in SPF hats for my daughter and I have one for gardening and walking. (My husband says I look like a park ranger, but I don’t care.) As far as the small sunscreen bottle sizes, California Baby offers their sunscreen in a slightly larger size (19 oz). Still not enough in my opinion. They should sell it by the gallon and offer bulk discounts. You also mentioned that in general you pay more for the baby variety of sunscreen. This is not always the case. Last year I actually bought the kids sunscreen for the whole family because I could get a higher SPF with more of the ingredients I wanted (like zinc oxide) with fewer of the ones I didn’t and for less money than buying the adult variety. We are currently using Coppertone Kids Pure and Simple. At a 3 on the EWG scale it’s the best I can afford. I’d rather be using California Baby.
@Laundry Lady – I saw that coppertone kids pure and simple on the list and was considering trying it – what do you think of it? I’ve seen those SPF hats and swimsuits too. I forgot about them, thanks for the reminder – seems like I need a much longer tip post, because you had some great ones.
I’ve seen some kids and baby sunscreen cheaper (at times) than adult stuff, just not often. Everyone really needs to shop around before buying is the bottom line.
I have a wonderful book called “Super Natural Home” by Beth Greer. It has a chapter all about body care products and a large section of it is devoted to sunscreen. The author lists several of the safer sunscreens on the market, but she also gives you a recipe for making your own.
Sun Skin Spray
4oz. distilled water
1 level teaspoon ascorbic acid powder (vitamin c)
Optional- add a few drops of essential oil
The author states that research shows that a 10% solution of ascorbic acid can prevent sun damage. The vitamin c is actually absorbed into the skin’s cells to prevent ultraviolet damage, it won’t wash off and can also be applied to reverse damage already sustained. No side effects.
I haven’t tried this yet, but I plan to use it on myself at the pool to see if it works before I use it on my kids.
If you find any info on making your own sunscreen, I can’t wait to hear about it!!! I just made my own deodorant a few days ago and I was pretty proud of myself
works great too!
My three little girls and I are all extremely fair skinned. We avoid peak hours and all have big old sun hats. I used to think sun hats were only for my grandma and I would roll my eyes when she’d come waltzing out into the bright sun with her long sleeves and hat, but I am older and wiser and I get it now
@Jennifer
So far we like Coppertone Kids Pure and Simple. I has more zinc oxide than a lot of other adult sunscreens and less of the chemical sunscreens. It stays white a little longer than the other brands, mostly because of the zinc oxide. But it works well and is much cheaper than most organic/eco-friendly sunscreens. I bought mine at Bed Bath and Beyond in their Harmon Drug section using a 20% coupon. (Don’t know if they have those in Oregon).
We do have Bed Bath & Beyond – or at least we used to… I rarely shop (so I don’t notice stuff – like shops going out of biz). I may be gathering some of the less expensive sunscreens for a review, so it’s good to know where the sales are! Thanks
@Vali – another friend forwarded me a homemade sunscreen yesterday, that’s a little different than this one. I’ve made tons of homemade beauty and body care products in my day, but never sunscreen. I’m concerned that anything homemade maybe won’t protect us from all the rays – i.e. be broad spectrum. I need to email a dermatologist or someone like that I think to learn more. BUT I do plan on trying some various recipes (hopefully) – thanks for passing this one on.
$189 per month for sunscreen????….ummm…in the real world…NO one is spending this kind of money. And I use the correct amount daily. 1/4tsp for both the face and 1/4 tsp for the neck….plus hands and arms when needed. Purple Prairie is great. Especially for the body. Burnout (not listed) is fantastic also.
Why spend 189.00 a month on sunscreen that is absurd to spend that much. Some people seem to develop OCD with many different behaviors, spending 189.00 a month on sunscreen would probably be a type of OCD behavior, unless you live in a climate like florida and go outside everyday all day long you don’t need that much sunscreen. If you do like to lather up with sunscreen just to go to the store to get groceries you might consider just making the stuff yourself. Coconut oil just by itself works pretty good or add another ingredient to help block the sun more and your set. Coconut oil is about $50.00 per gallon.
@Robert and Dr.M – I agree that $189 per month is insane. This post is not saying you should use that expensive stuff, it’s saying you should try to find an alternative. Which is why I also posted the less expensive guide – http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/expensive-semisafe-sunscreen-choices/.