A Lower-Tox Summer, Without Overthinking It

A practical guide to summer essentials for the kids: sunscreen, swimwear, and more!

Hello from the Midwest! We’re here on our annual summer trip to see family. Last week, my son stayed home from preschool the entire week with a fever, and everything I’d hoped to accomplish before leaving for vacation was completely sidelined.

It was also the first time I’ve skipped posting Little Green Steps on a Thursday since the start of the new year! It felt very weird, and I’m sorry for going dark.

I’ve decided to shift my writing cadence to every other week instead of weekly. This will give me more room to go deeper on posts — my favorites are always the ones I get to research more, like the one below — while also giving me time to keep building Little Green List and my consulting practice, Little Green Spaces. Thanks for being here and understanding!

Ok, onto this week’s topic: summer essentials for the kids.

Packing for early summer in the Midwest — 80-degree weather, hooray! — got me thinking about all the little shopping decisions that come with the season. Stocking up on sunscreen. Buying the next-size-up swimsuit. Picking up bug spray for evening outdoor gatherings.

So today’s post is all about those categories: what to look for, what I’d skip, and a few picks that can make summer shopping feel a little less like a research project.

1. Sunscreen

Sunscreen is one of those categories where the “best” option is the one you’ll actually use correctly.

For our family, I generally look for mineral sunscreen, ideally with zinc oxide as the primary active ingredient and always fragrance-free.

What I try to avoid: oxybenzone, octinoxate, added fragrance, aerosol sprays for kids, and “mineral-based” formulas that still sneak in chemical UV filters.

A note on mineral aerosol spray: when I first saw spray versions of mineral sunscreens, I was very excited. It seemed like a much easier way to apply safer sunscreen to kids…? However, according to EWG, inhalation of zinc oxide is a concern, so I now avoid spray versions when possible. For what it’s worth, I haven’t found them to dispense particularly well anyway.

A few brands I feel good about:

• Thinkbaby / Thinksport SPF 50+
  EWG Verified, easy to find, and a solid mineral sunscreen staple. Thinkbaby’s SPF 50+ formula uses non-nano zinc oxide and is water-resistant up to 80 minutes. I also like that it’s available at major retailers including Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, and even Costco (online only).

• Badger Mineral Sunscreen
  Badger is a good option if you like very simple ingredient lists. Their Active Mineral Sunscreen is made with zinc oxide, has 80-minute water resistance, and the brand describes it as 97% organic ingredients. I find Badger formulas to be a little thicker than others I’ve tried, which can be great for coverage on kids but sometimes harder to squeeze out or rub in.

• Attitude Sunscreen

  Attitude has become an all-around powerhouse in the land of cleaner personal care. That said, the Canadian brand can sometimes be harder to locate in the U.S., and I’ve experienced long shipping times when buying directly through their site. Sprouts carries a couple of their sunscreen products, as do Thrive Market and Amazon. This is the one sunscreen on my shortlist I haven’t tried yet — mostly because of limited availability — but I’d love to.

• Blue Lizard Mineral Sunscreen

  This is my “a little less pure, more mainstream” pick. It’s easy to locate, I like the long, narrow tube for ease of squeezability, and I find it has a nice balance of coverage while still being rub-in-able. The formula isn’t quite as clean as the other three, but I genuinely believe “better than conventional” still counts, especially if the alternative is defaulting to something like Coppertone or Banana Boat.

My honest note on mineral sunscreen: if you’ve never used it before, know that it is usually thicker than conventional sunscreen and can leave a white cast. Some brands have developed sheerer formulas that are easier to rub in, which I’d probably choose for adults, while sticking to the thicker stuff for kids.

2. Bug repellent

Thankfully, where we live in California, we don’t have a frequent need for bug repellent. But growing up in the Midwest, it was a summer staple — lest you get feasted on while playing outside in the evenings.

And while I do not love the idea of spraying my kids with bug repellent, I also do not love mosquito bites, tick bites, or worrying about the potential illnesses that can come with either.

For actual protection, I’d look for an EPA-registered repellent with one of the better-studied active ingredients. Picaridin is a strong non-DEET option, and the CDC lists picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus among repellents that can help prevent mosquito bites. The CDC also says not to use oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD on children under 3.

EWG has a super helpful guide on how to pick the best bug repellent for your situation. I’d recommend checking it out and bookmarking it.

Across the board, I’d choose a balm or lotion formula over an aerosol when possible to limit inhalation. If you prefer a spray, opt for a spritz instead of an aerosol mist, and spray into your hands first before applying to kids.

A few picks:

• Sawyer 20% Picaridin Lotion
  This is the one I’d choose for serious mosquito situations: long evenings outside, camping, wooded areas, or places where bugs are not just annoying but relentless. Picaridin tends to be less smelly and less greasy than DEET, which makes it more realistic for both kids and parents.

• OFF! Clean Feel Bug Spray & Mosquito Repellent with Picaridin - Spritz Formula

  My practical bug spray pick for real mosquito days. It uses 20% picaridin, and is DEET-free, fragrance-free, and non-greasy. Not the crunchiest option, but a smart choice when you want something that actually works. For kids, I’d recommend spraying into your hands first and then applying to limit inhalation.

• Murphy’s Naturals Lemon Eucalyptus Oil Insect Repellent Spray and Balm
  This is an option for ages 3+ if you want a plant-derived repellent with more evidence behind it than random essential oil blends. The key distinction: oil of lemon eucalyptus is not the same thing as lemon eucalyptus essential oil. The CDC and EWG both flag that OLE/PMD should not be used on children under 3. Again, I’d choose the balm for kids and to limit inhalation generally.

• Badger Anti-Bug Shake & Spray
  A nice “light backyard bug spray” option if you want a plant-based formula and are mostly dealing with nuisance mosquitoes. It smells herbal, uses organic plant oils, and comes in an aluminum bottle. But for camping, travel, heavy mosquito pressure, or tick-prone areas, I’d choose one of the options with 20% picaridin instead.

A note on coconut oil: My mom has been claiming for a long time that coconut oil is an effective mosquito repellent, and turns out, there is some merit to this claim! I’d consider it worth trying if you’re just playing in your backyard in an area without mosquito-borne disease concerns. But I wouldn’t rely on coconut oil alone for more high-stakes situations, especially since it is not an EPA-registered repellent.

What I’d skip: chemical-heavy conventional products like OFF! original, anything with DEET, citronella bracelets, random essential oil sprays making big protection claims, and sunscreen/bug spray combination products. Sunscreen needs frequent reapplication; bug spray usually does not.

3. Swimsuits

Swimsuits are tricky because they are almost always synthetic. This is one of those places where I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for better.

My priorities: more coverage, UPF 50+, fewer chemical finishes, and some kind of textile safety certification or explicit PFAS-free language when possible.

The biggest “low-tox” move here is not necessarily finding a magical natural-fiber swimsuit. It’s using rash guards and longer styles so you can use less sunscreen over large areas of skin.

A few brands I’d look at:

Reima
Reima’s kids’ swimwear is UPF 50+, and the brand states that its products are made without added PFAS. This makes it one of the cleaner, more transparent options for kid swimwear. I’ve been a big fan of their rain gear, so I’m excited to pick out some new swimsuits for the kids this year!

Primary
I just love Primary’s colorful brand and how its gender-neutral styles can easily be passed down from kid to kid. They have a great selection of UPF 50+ kids’ swim basics. They're currently running a 30% for Memorial Day sale, and you can also use this link to receive 25% off your first purchase!

Hanna Andersson
A longtime favorite for our kids’ clothing, including swimwear. Hanna Andersson swimsuits carry OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, which means the finished product has been tested against a long list of restricted substances. Some of their swim fabrics also claim to block 97% of UVA/UVB rays, though I’d double-check the specific swimsuit you’re looking at to confirm. They’re also having a big Memorial Day sale of up to 50% off!

What I’d skip in this category: “performance” fabrics with no explanation, heavily treated water-repellent finishes, and tiny suits that require you to sunscreen every inch of your child — ah!

4. Sun hats

Sun hats are a constant battle in our household, especially with our four-year-old daughter, who has already developed a personal aesthetic that simply cannot accommodate one.

Battles aside, a good hat protects the face, scalp, ears, and neck — all the places I am most likely to miss or under-apply sunscreen.

What I look for: a wide brim, a chin strap, breathable material, and UPF protection that comes from the weave/construction rather than a chemical treatment.

Jan & Jul Cotton Sun Hats

I love these because they’re 100% cotton and have a drawstring that lets you adjust the size so that it lasts a few seasons. Their cotton floppy hats are listed as 50+ UPF, and are made without added harmful chemicals, dyes, or solutions.

Pehr Organic Cotton Bucket Hat

A sweet sun hat made from GOTS-certified 100% woven organic cotton. I like that it’s breathable, machine-washable, and has a flexible brim to help shade little faces without the synthetic feel of a lot of swim/sun gear. Baby sizes include a chin strap, while toddler sizes have an elastic back for a more secure fit. It doesn’t make a UPF claim, so I’d treat it as a great everyday shade hat, not a replacement for sunscreen or UPF swimwear on high-sun days.

Final thoughts

Summer shopping can become weirdly overwhelming once you start looking closely at ingredients, certifications, fabrics, finishes, and all the tiny claims on packaging. But the goal is not to build a perfect summer kit. The goal is to make a few better choices where they matter most.

For me, that means mineral sunscreen for everyday kid use, a real EPA-registered bug repellent when bites are more than a minor annoyance, UPF swimwear for more coverage, and a wide-coverage hat my child may or may not agree to wear.

As always, take what’s useful, leave what’s not, and don’t let perfect be the thing that keeps you from making a better choice.

See you in two weeks,

Alexia