Quick Summary:

Date Tested: 06/20/2022

I have found that the Aveeno brand name tends be a go-to choice for parents when looking for baby care products. I remember when my children were very young, we had accumulated quite a collection of their shampoos, lotions, and other products to use for our kids. Were they better than other brands? who knows, but I do know that's what I felt comfortable using and I didn't even think twice about using any of their product lineup. Honestly I didn't think much about what product I was using since I left that up to my wife, but something about the Aveeno marketing made me feel like they knew what they were doing.

All bias put aside, the Aveeno broad spectrum SPF 50 continuous protection baby sunscreen is a mineral based formulation containing 21.6% Zinc Oxide. It runs a bit on the thicker side, but it provides very good protection. In fact, amazingly exceptional protection.

The Aveeno continuous protection SPF 50 reduced 99.78% of the UVI, 99.86% of emitted UVA, and 98.30% of the radiated UVB. This is absolutely fantastic protection, and ranks it among the top scoring sunscreens I have ever tested.

Aveeno baby sensitive skin SPF 50 ingredients


Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 21.6%

Inactive Ingredients: Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Octyldodecyl Citrate Crosspolymer, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Glycerin, Ethyl Methicone, Silica, Cetyl Dimethicone, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Behenate, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Chlorphenesin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Dimethicone/Bis-Vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice

Manufacturers Website: www.aveeno.com

Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection sunscreen characteristics at a glance:

  • Specifically formulated for sensitive skin
  • Mineral sunscreen made with naturally-sourced zinc oxide
  • Paraben-free, phthalate-free and fragrance-free
  • Viscosity is a bit on the thicker side

Prepared slide ready for testing

The Aveeno baby SPF50 runs a bit on the thicker end of the spectrum. You can see the smaller range of lotion dispersion in the prepared slide. The consistency of Zinc Oxide dispersion however is fantastic. Very even and well distributed.


UV blocking results

Sunscreen Testing Results. The blocking ability for UVA, UVB, and UVI are shown above as percentages.

Ultraviolet light quick reference:

UVA: The Ultraviolet wavelength from 315nm – 400nm. The "Aging UV light" – Causes wrinkles.
UVB: The Ultraviolet wavelength from 280nm – 315nm. The "Bad UV light" – Causes skin cancer.
UVI: The global sun UV index. The more a sunscreen can reduce the level of UVI, the better.


UV test results:

Ultraviolet sensor readings:

Before Sunscreen After Sunscreen % UV Blocked
TEMP 87.15 87.66
UVA 25023 36.25 99.86%
UVB 1234 21 98.30%
UVI 14.67 .03 99.78%

Want to know more about how I test sunscreen? Head here to read about the details.

Testing notes:

The Aveeno Baby sensitive skin continuous protection SPF50 sunscreen lotion works exceptionally well for a physical based sunscreen formulation. My rule of thumb when using physical/mineral based sunscreen lotion products is that the consistency of the goo needs to be on the thicker more viscous end of the spectrum in order to keep the UV filtering particles consistently and evenly distributed. If the formulation is thin and runny, the particles will tend to clump and be dispersed unevenly. This thankfully, is not the case with this particular sunscreen as it provides exceptional ultraviolet blocking abilities for your little one (albeit having a slightly thicker viscosity).

Would not hesitate to use. Very Recommended for baby use.

Want to try the Aveeno Baby sensitive skin SPF50 sunscreen?


Exceptional sun protection from a well known brand name. Recommended.


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