thinkbaby - why is it different?

Make your baby a Thinkbaby!

It's summer and your baby needs to be protected from the harmful rays. You can do your best, but how do you know what is best? Thinkbaby explains why their sunscreen is different and should perhaps be your choice sunscreen this summer.

How is the Thinkbaby and Thinksport different?

Thinkbaby and Thinksport sunscreen is highly effective, falls into the highest category for water resistance and has a sensible SPF 50+ rating. A quick look on your local drugstore shelf will show an increasing number of chemical sunscreens boasting ultra-high SPFs of 70 and greater. An SPF higher than SPF 30 offers only minimal improvement in sun protection and does not provide insight into its ability to protect for both UVA and UVB. Instead, these ultra-high SPFs are inflated through the use of chemical UV absorbers.   The FDA has recently ruled that SPF numbers above 50 are not allowed. They have also ruled the terms "Sweatproof" and "Waterproof" as false claims. 

You should know that the effective difference between SPF 30 and SPF 100 is approximately 2.5% difference. Don’t be misled by ultra-high SPF numbers.

Additionally, Thinkbaby and Thinksport sunscreens utilize average zinc oxide particles greater than 110nm. Kevin Brodwick, founder of Thinkbaby and Thinksport explains why: “We always use the precautionary principle and as we expect the debate on the safety of nano particles to continue, we asked a simple question: Does the product have to contain nano particles to be an effective sunscreen? The answer is, quite simply, "NO"!

We also do not and won’t use aerosol dispensers, nor should you.  Scientists have shown that parents apply 25% of the correct amount when using aerosol.  As the SPF is actually a logarithmic function,  if you are applying a SPF 100, you’re actually only putting on SPF equivalent of 3.  More importantly, there is significant concern that children and parents are inhaling the particulates.  If you look at the ingredients in aerosol sunscreens, you’ll quickly determine why you don’t want to breathe it.

How do I use Thinkbaby and Thinksport sunscreen?

Applying Thinkbaby and Thinksport sunscreen

Children over the age of 6 months and anyone who will be exposed to sunlight should use sunscreen.

Thinkbaby and Thinksport sunscreen is perfect for daily use and for anyone spending time in the sun, including pregnant women, children over 6 months, and anyone with sensitive skin.  Please note that use of sunscreen on children younger than 6 months of age requires a doctor's prescription. This is true for ALL brands. 

Thinkbaby and Thinksport  sunscreen is a physical sunscreen which means it works immediately upon application. It is not necessary to apply 30 minutes before you are exposed to sunlight as is the case with chemical sunscreens. Thinkbaby and Thinksport  sunscreen is classified as “water resistant - 80 minutes.” This is the FDA’s highest possible rating. It will maintain its SPF after 80 minutes of water immersion. The Environmental Working Group recommends reapplying sunscreen every two hours.

Thinkbaby and Thinksport  sunscreen is perfect for sensitive skin. We recommend testing on a small area of the body to ensure that you don't have any sensitivities.

Sunscreens that claim to be hypo-allergenic are nothing more than marketing hype in our opinion. As the population's exposure to chemicals has risen, there has been a direct correlation to things that people become allergic to. Simply google environmental exposure and allergies to view some of this research.

Tips for Application

Thinkbaby and Thinksport formula applies easily and absorbs quickly. Be sure to apply all areas that will be exposed to sunlight, including behind the ears, neck, hands, feet, and scalp. Reapply every two hours or more as needed. While the sunscreen applies very easily, we recommend not spreading it too thin. Otherwise you will decrease the effectiveness of the sunscreen. Keep in mind that physical sunscreens work by reflecting sunlight.

What else you might want to know....

The difference between physical and chemical sunscreens

Physical (or mineral) sunscreens work by protecting the skin with a physical barrier on top of the skin. Mineral sunscreens contain an active ingredient of either zinc or titanium oxide. Thinkbaby sunscreen has the active ingredient of zinc oxide. Chemical sunscreens penetrate the skin and are absorbed into the blood stream. Active ingredients such as oxybenzone are found in chemical sunscreens and can act as endocrine disruptors in the body.

The truth about SPF ratings

Thinkbaby and Thinksport  sunscreen is rated SPF 50+. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends children over 6 months and adults use a sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher. Some chemical sunscreens advertise SPF ratings as high as 100, however, the FDA revisited the system and set the upper limit to SPF 50 for 2012. The rating system as it stands causes more misperceptions than it solves. In short, sunscreens with very high SPF ratings do not provide better protection than a SPF 30 in relative terms. It’s important to note that the current SPF rating system does not rate UVA; it only rates UVB. Dermatologists recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB exposure. UVB is what commonly is associated with causing sunburn and free radical generation. Where UVA has been linked to skin damage and even more serious potential for free radical generation.

About nanoparticles

In sunscreen, nano particles refer to 0 micron to 1 microns or 1 to 100 nanometers. We acquire 100> nm size zno. There is concern within the scientific community that very small particle sizes may affect biological processes. Nanoparticles can easily pass through the epidermis and therefore could interact at the cellular level. To our knowledge there hasn’t been any direct statements that have concluded what sizes are safe and which are not. But in the general category of nanoparticles there is concern not just for babies but their general use. They could have the potential for greater disruption for infants, whose bodies are going through significant development. This is the same concern that scientists have in relation to what harmful chemicals pose on infants. The challenge surrounds on how to do testing. It certainly wouldn’t be advisable to conduct testing on babies or animal studies. So they will have to be done on cells to see their potential to interact and then we’ll have to extrapolate whether there would be similar concern within our biological systems. We can only theorize at this point that very small particles could disrupt cellular mechanisms that are very sensitive. There is not significant enough research to conclude that nano particles are safe. You will not find a legitimate researcher to agree that there is enough knowledge at this point and the testing is complex. We specifically utilize larger particle zinc oxide.

Packaging

Thinkbaby and Thinksport  sunscreen comes in 3oz tube made of environmentally friendly packaging that does not contain BPA, vinyl, or phthalates. The packaging and contents are environmentally safe.

Each tube is marked with an expiration date.

Note: The base formulations of our sunscreens are identical.  We set out to make the most effective safe sunscreen possible. It didn’t make sense to make one safe for babies, and a harmful version for adults.  While this seems obvious, you should check out what the major brands are doing….

Compare your sunscreen's "safe" ingredients to ours.  The best way is to check out The Environmental Working Group's database Skin Deep  http://www.EWG.org/SkinDeep

The ratings for each ingredient are listed separately below. Our sun care products have been "1" rated since 2010!

Ingredients

Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 20% (Non-nano)

Inactive Ingredients: PURIFIED WATER (0), ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE (0), CAPRIC CAPRYLIC TRIGLYCERIDES(0), SORBITAN STEARATE (COCONUT BASED) (1), PINE WOOD RESIN (0), VEGETABLE GLYCERIN (0), CETYL DIMETHICONE (0), HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL (0), MAGNESIUM SULFATE (EPSOM SALT) (0), SUNFLOWER OIL, JOJOBA OIL (0), ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C) (0), TOCOPHEROLS (VITAMIN E) (1), OLIVE OIL (0), RASPBERRY SEED OIL (0), CRANBERRY SEED OIL (0), HYALURONIC ACID (MADE FROM VEGETABLE) (0), GLUCOSE & GLUCOSE OXIDASE AND LACTOPEROXIDASE (0), PAPAYA (0)

Animal testing

We do not test on animals. Ever. Period. And we will not work with any entity that does. Period.  We fired our website host GoDaddy.com due to the CEO going Elephant hunting. 

Thanks Thinkbaby for that excellent information. Shop locally at Tiny TreeHugger for your Thinkbaby sunscreen at 230-600 St Anne's Rd in Winnipeg or online here.