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Review: Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free Sunscreen


It's really starting to feel like summer around here.  We reverted back to the 50s and 60s for a short time, but now we are back up to 80 degree weather.  The children have been wanting to get outside as much as possible, especially since we had such a bout of rain recently.  It is more important than ever to remember to apply sunscreen before we leave the house, but since we do not always remember, we keep sunscreen in a few places . . . in the house by the backdoor, in the car, and in my oldest son's soccer bag.


The sunscreen we keep by the backdoor is the Family Size Banana Boat Kids SPF 50+ lotion.  I like this lotion because it comes in a pump and is very easy to dispense.  Our 7 year old son can apply sunscreen on his own arms and legs using this product without making a mess.  It is also tear-free, which we have put to the test a few times.  When I apply sunscreen to our twin preschoolers' faces, they cannot seem to hold still no matter how many reminders we give them.  I have gotten a tiny bit in their eyes before and it did not seem to bother them at all.

For the car and my son's soccer bag, we keep a can of Banana Boat Kids Max Protect & Play SPF 110 Continuous Spray and a can of Banana Boat Kids SPF 30 Continuous Spray sunscreen.  Both sprays go on as a fine UltraMist.  I usually do not use the spray inside the house, but it is super-convenient to use outside.  I also love it for when I need to reapply sunscreen quickly after a few hours away from the house.  The spray goes on evenly and does not require the lotion to be rubbed in.  When we use this for faces, we just spray some into the palms of our hands and apply the sunscreen with our fingertips.  The only time that the spray does not work so well is when it is windy outside.  On those days, it is difficult to control where the spray lands.

Both the traditional Banana Boat lotion and spray seem to work very well.  I highly recommend the higher SPF products because I noticed my children would still turn a little red after using the SPF 30 spray.  Both the lotion from the pump and the spray absorbed into the skin fairly quickly and did not feel greasy afterwards.  There also was no strong or unpleasant scent left on the skin.  Both products are water-resistant, but we have not had a chance to test that out yet this year.

You are invited to take the Banana Boat Sun 101 Quiz to become Sun Certified.  When you do, you will prompt a $1 donation to The Skin Cancer Foundation from Banana Boat.  Also visit Banana Boat on Facebook to learn about their "101 Days of Summer Giveaway".

You can purchase Banana Boat suncare products at most major retailers of skincare products.


Thank you to Banana Boat for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.