We never thought it would come here in Portland, but summer has finally arrived and it’s been a scorcher. With so many sunscreens on the market and as many as we see at playgrounds around town, the cleeo & bea mamas have been doing some very official research to get to the bottom of which ones will protect our tots skin without harsh chemicals. One of the most important facts we’ve learned are to avoid these two ingredients, oxybenzone and retinyle palmate (vitamin A) as both have been linked to cancer. Here are a few of our favorites and their differences, with our preferences and why. We’ve been big lovers of Badger’s sleep balm for restless little badgers, but haven’t tried their sunscreen until recently when one of our neighbors suggested it. This sunscreen lives up to Badger’s stealth reputation and we do like it. And a little goes a long way, which we love. naturally water resistant, safe for children of all ages, blocks both UVA and UVB rays, and thoroughly moisturize while they protect your skin. Natural, organic ingredients sunscreens create a physical barrier with zinc oxide instead of chemicals to protect from the sun. A little gritty, water resistant up to 40 minutes. main ingredient is zinc 20.5% . Consistency is pretty greasy, everything is going to stick to it and takes awhile for it to absorb, but has an excellent rating on the skin deep website of a 1. Smells great and works like a dream. Not cheap, but we think worth every penny. 2.9 oz. $16.00, here.

Most of the sunscreens we’ve been testing are pretty thick and sometimes downright sticky. We really like the way alba’s very emollient SUNBLOCK  with mineral protection for kids goes on the skin and absorbs. Unfortunately, alba’s sunblock doesn’t earn a great rating on the skin deep website, so even though it’s effective, it may be moderately hazardous and not as protective as some of the other sunblocks we’ve been testing. Still, this product is paraben and tear free, hypoallergenic, contains long-lasting UVA/UVB protection, is lightweight and has  a fruity fragrance. Contains certified organic aloe vera and calendula to nourish and soothe skin, Green Tea and vitamin E provide rich antioxidant protection. 3 oz., $9.95, here.

California Baby sunscreens have long been a favorite of the cleeo & bea mamas, but after testing and reviewing a few others like the CB citronella SPF 30+ Sunscreen, there are a couple of things we might change. This sunscreen (rating of 2 on skin deep) is scented with non-toxic essential oils like citronella, lemongrass and cedar, but we’re not too crazy about the fragrance (a little bit strong for young sunbathers) and actually prefer the fragrance-free version, which also has a lower rating of a 1 on skin deep. The active ingredient is titanium dioxide and the formula is made without gluten, oat or dairy. It works for up to 80 minutes while in the water, too, so need to drag your tots out of the water to reapply. This sunscreen is tear free to boot, which is HUGE in our book, since our little ones have a habit of rubbing sunscreen in their eyes. Note: need to apply 30 minutes before going out in the sun. 2.9 oz. $19.99, here.

If there’s one staple in our road trip toiletry bag, it’s Dr. Bronners castile liquid soap. We’ve been taking it on vacations and summer trips for as long as we can remember, especially when going camping because this “all one” soap can be used for everything, including washing dishes or cleaning small hands after meals or playing in the dirt. Bronners soaps are natural, made with no junk or parabens, from certified organic and fair-trade coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils combined with essential oils to create a people safe soap that lathers up and smells great. Leaves no funky residue and we always love it on the road because it makes us feel fresh and clean. There are several flavors, but we love the baby mild castile, lavender and almond for our tots. The peppermint is great, but can be a little intense (we’ve found) for the wee ones. Travel size is great for the car or from larger bottle into a small squirt bottle, soap can be diluted a bit. Soaps are packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled bottles, thank you. Travel size is 2 oz., $2.49, here.

In our humble opinion, there are few things sweeter than a baby’s bum, so when it comes to keeping our tots bottoms free of diaper rash, we use safe, natural and effective products. We love Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Bottom Balm. It’s a household favorite for so many reasons and receives the highest rating on Skin Deep’s cosmetic safety database. Clinically tested and allergy tested, non-irritating, vegan and made with organic olive oil infused with a proprietary blend of naturally antibacterial and antifungal organic herbs, shea butter and pure essential oils. Perfect for diaper rash and rash prevention, cradle cap, dry skin and razor burn, can’t get better than that. Available in 1 and 2 oz. reusable containers.$9.95-$14.95, here.

We must admit, we’re not sure where we’d be without Annie’s Homegrown. We love their products and eat them often. Their trademarked bunny shape makes foods fun for the kiddos and we feel completely at ease feeding their organic and sustainably grown goodies to our wee ones. We recently tried Annie’s new Organic Berry Patch Bunny Fruit Snacks and they were a real crowd pleaser. The mix of strawberry, cherry and raspberry flavored bunnies are great tasting and the texture is chewy but not too. When our tots like a snack they carry fistfuls around the house and in this case that’s exactly what they did. Made with real USDA certified organic fruit juice and packed with 100% Daily Value of Vitamin C, you can’t go wrong. Gelatin free. No junk. Dog loves them, too, but what doesn’t he love? Recyclable packaging to boot. Widely available, but just in case, $16.55 for four pouches, here.

We love Nordic Naturals products and so do our kiddos. We’ve been using their fish oil for some time, but have to admit our favorite is their Nordic Berries Multivitamin Treats, because they taste unbelievably good. It’s so hard to find a great tasting multi for tots, usually they have a chalky texture and unnatural flavor. Nordic Naturals multi is gummi (always a favorite) and they have a delicious, sweet-and-sour citrus taste that kind of makes you want to eat the whole bottle in one sitting. We don’t do this and ration these little treats carefully to our kiddos, but yes, they’re that good. Nordic Berries contain no junk, are pectin based with no gelatin or added coloring and contain rice syrup, sucrose and cane juice to add a wee bit of sweetness. Manufactured with exceptional raw materials like cloud berries, which are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Look here for list of ingredients and vitamin and mineral information. 120 gummis, if you can’t find locally, $21.95, here.

With so many ointments, lotions, butt pastes and creams out there, the choices of what to use on our babes’ bums can be somewhat overwhelming. We do have to say though, being picky sometimes has its advantages, because choosing becomes a little easier when the list is short. We’re always looking for products that are obviously baby and kid safe, paraben-free and like to buy from companies that don’t test on animals. We really like Avalon Organics because they cover all the bases for us and make great products. Their Protective A, D & E ointment is peachy. We’ve been using it for awhile and like it’s texture, though a little bit thick, compared to some of the others we’ve tried. Made from coconut, olive and jojoba oils combined with USDA certified organic calendula and chamomile to soothe and protect dry or irritated skin. This stuff stays on and repels moisture, which is great for night time protection. Also perfect for dry skin elsewhere on baby bodies. No petroleum or other junk. Excellent value. 3.5 fl oz. $9.95, here.

Like most parents, we’ve been keeping a very close eye on our tots this cold and flu season and trying to listen to the news in small doses. We need just enough information to stay informed, but not enough to freak us out. We have a small arsenal of herbs and homeopathic remedies at the ready and Oscillococcinum is one of them. We tried it before we had kiddos and experienced great results, now we always have it on hand for them and use it at the first sign of flu. We’re not doctors, of course, but we can tell you what’s worked for our family and this is definitely one of those products. As with most homeopathic remedies in pellet form, Oscillococcinum is sweet and quick dissolving, so our wee ones love it. We’ve seen it reduce the severity of flu symptoms at their onset and shorten recovery time. This remedy is completely kid-safe and can be used on the 2+ crowd. See Boiron’s website for clinical studies, learn more about homeopathy and listen to the “how to say Oscillococcocinum reel,” it helped us a lot. BOIRON also makes a children’s version of Oscillo that we haven’t yet tried. We use the original for our whole family. No side effects or junk. It’s widely available, but just in case, 2/6-pack boxes. $11.51 and up, here.

Hooray for Made in Nature. We love dried fruit and so do our kiddos, but unfortunately their stomachs start to gurgle heavily when they eat sulfured foods and we can usually count on quite a bit of gas, but since we’ve switched to these dried fruit snacks, we’ve had very little problem. Made in Nature’s fruit are tree ripened, USDA certified organic and dried naturally. They’re dried fruit, but not too chewy and actually quite juicy, which we really like. Sometimes, if we’re not careful, we can polish off a whole bag. Perfect snack for first time eaters of finger foods, just cut them into small pieces. Great tasting, too. Prices vary. Packaging not recyclable. We found them at our local grocer, but they’re available in bulk, here.

We’re really starting to feel the pressure of cold and flu season, ugh. We’re not usually ones to get too affected by the hype either, but with this new strain of flu making it’s way around the country, we’re freaking out a little. We want to keep our kiddos safe, germ-free and healthy, so we’re starting at square one, with clean hands. Never having used a hand sanitizer, we weren’t really sure what to look for, but we did know we wanted something herbal and kid safe. Burt’s Bees sanitizer does the trick. Made from corn based alcohol, aloe vera and witch hazel, this moisturizing spray eliminates 99.9% of germs while moisturizing hands. It smells great too, not usual for most hand sanitizers and doesn’t leave any weird or sticky residue. Perfect. Great for toddlers and the 3 and up crowd, but not so sure for little taste testers. No junk. Excellent value. $5.00, here.

Unfortunately, colic occurs in some wee ones. We know first hand.  It’s very difficult to say what will work, if anything, for a distressed and whaling babe, especially since there is no discernible cause of colic, only associated symptoms. We tried everything, including Baby Bliss’ Gripe Water, on our colicy babe, but also used it on our gassy, non-colicy kiddos, too. Its sticky sweet texture and taste were well-liked by our newborns and we noticed a difference in our gassy babes pretty quickly. As far as our colicy wee ones. Its hard to say whether we saw a measurable difference. It seemed to help a bit. and sometimes more than others. Can be used as a remedy for tummy upset in teethers, too. We’d definitely recommend Gripe Water for gassy babes and colic, but results may vary depending on the severity of symptoms. Made with organic fennel, ginger and sodium bicarbonate to ease discomfort and aid in digestion, and fructose as a sweetener. Alcohol-free. Contains trace amounts of soy. 4 oz. Widely available, but $11.99, here.