Customer Reviews

Heiko 40 SPF Kids - 100% Natural Ultra UVA & UVB Protection

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am shocked that this product is rated so high on the Enviromental Working Group's list of "safe" sunscreens, especially for children. It contains essential lavender oil, which has been linked to breast growth in teenage boys and is being studied for potential breast cancer link, and essential cinnamon oil which is the most potent skin irritant of all essential oils.

I recommend that you avoid products with essential oils for your kids. These oils do penetrate the skin and enter the blood stream, they're poorly studied for long term effects, many appear to have hormonal effects (lavender and tea tree do), and some (including all the citrus oils) are photo-toxic and increase UV damage.

I first got to know this product from EWG. It ranks Heiko as No. 1 safest sunscreen in the market. What intrigued me to try was the 25% Zinc Oxide in this product. No chemical sunscreen, just mineral protection. I will definitely recommend to my friends

I bought this based on EWG's recommendation. I have to take EWG's word on safety of use with kids, but my cons are

1) Not very easy to apply. I almost need to set out 10 minutes to apply to a cooperative toddler. Difficult to spread on the skin.

2) Leaves a ghost white layer, that does not disappear even as the day goes by. May be that's true of all Zinc Oxide sunscreens, but I would try others first.

I'll continue to use it while I have it, but will try other high rated sun screens on EWG's list. Even if they're rated slightly lower than this, I want to at least be able to use it.

Update: I ended up buying "Water Babies Pure and Simple Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50" from Coppertone. That one has a score of 3 relative to 2 for this Heiko product, but it is so much easier to use. We use it for the entire family now. And it doesn't hurt that I can easily pick it up from the local Walmart or Target.
If I see a better choice, I'll report.

like the previous review, I also found out about this product on ewg's website. this one is #2 on the list but the #1 is not available here and also doesn't say it's for baby or kids. It is kinda expensive for 7 oz but should last us a while. I wish it is more widely available so I can buy it in a store without paying for shipping.

I bought this sunscreen for myself after looking for a healthy alternative to my current brand. If this is the best healthy sunscreen out there I would rather not go outside of just use my old brand. This sunscreen is thick and dry and goes on caked like plaster of paris. I looked like an albino kabuki, even after trying to wipe most of it off, rendering it uselss anyways. By the end of the day my skin and eyes were burning, too. Really, the only thing that this sunscreen is good for is for window caulking and halloween makeup if you want to be a ghost or something.

I also learned about this product on the EWG website. It is a Canadian Product so there are Canadian Companies that will ship it free to the US if you spend enough(hpn.to). My friends got together and bought 4 or 5 bottles so it would be free. Who wouldn't want to use one of the safest sunscreens available for their kids?