# Difference between Kids Sunblock and regular sunblock?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-kids-sunblock-and-regular-sunblock/722994>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 20, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-kids-sunblock-and-regular-sunblock/722994 "2015-06-20T03:39:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-kids-sunblock-and-regular-sunblock/722994/1 "2015-06-20T03:39:14Z")

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I bought 4 tubes of sunblock today. I got home, and then I noticed that they were 'Kids" sunblock, PF (or whatever) 30.  
What is the difference between kids and regular PF 30?

Thanks,  
hh

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-kids-sunblock-and-regular-sunblock/722994/2 "2015-06-20T04:00:49Z")

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It would help if you gave us the brand names and you could probably just look at the ingredients yourself, but just grabbing some random samples off the internet (Coppertone Baby and Coppertone Sport I think) who’s ingredients I could quickly find, it looks like the kids version just has less of everything.

I also don’t see something called Ozokeyrite listed in the inactitve ingredients in the baby one. It could be something to do with the sport version, could be what makes it waterproof, could be bad for little kids, might sting when it gets in eyes (probably also part of what makes the kid’s version the kid’s version), but I don’t know.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-kids-sunblock-and-regular-sunblock/722994/3 "2015-06-20T04:51:07Z")

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Ozokerite is a naturally occurring mineral wax; it’s probably included to add body, possibly for water resistance, and is generally recognized as safe.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-kids-sunblock-and-regular-sunblock/722994/4 "2015-06-21T03:15:28Z")

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The latest issue of _Consumers Reports_ has an extensive article on sunblockers, ratings, how to use them, etc. Interesting that for about 1/4th of them, the SPF numbers shown by testing were quite a bit less than that given on the package. And all the ones with ‘organic’ in the name did not have organic ingredients.