Sun Safety for Kids: Finding the Perfect Sunscreen For Your Little Explorers!
The best sunscreen for children and babies should be a minimum of SPF30, water resistant and should be free from harmful chemicals and fragrances that may cause skin irritation.
Babies and children have thinner, weaker skin than adults making them much more sensitive to UV rays, and can start to develop a sunburn from as little as 5 minutes of exposure. For this reason, caution must be taken when you are out in the sun with your little ones.
How Can I Protect My Child From The Sun?
To best protect your child from the sun it is generally advised that you keep them out of direct sunlight between the hours of 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its strongest. When out in the sun it is important to protect their skin with UV-rated clothing and headwear, and regularly apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum of SPF30.
With babies under 6 months, it is advised that they avoid direct sunlight altogether.
Why does Sunscreen irritate my child's skin?
A kiddies outer barrier layer of skin, known as the stratum corneum is up to 30% thinner than that of an adult leaving it far more vulnerable to applied substances and UV light. This layer strengthens as we age but during the first years of life, the skin is more susceptible to dryness, allergies, and conditions such as contact dermatitis, or even infections.
Although each person's skin is very unique, there are some ingredients present in sunscreen that have been identified to be the major culprits when causing irritation, they are:
- benzophenones (especially benzophenone-3, or oxybenzone)
- dibenzoyl methane
- cinnamates
- added fragrances
Sunscreen Allergy Symptoms
Our skin is very much individual to us and can react differently to many factors and ingredients, especially on the delicate skin of our little ones. When testing out a new sunscreen we recommend a home patch test before exposure to the sun.
This test is performed by applying a small stamp-sized patch to the inside of your child's forearm and leaving it for the rest of the day checking hourly for any irritation*.
Symptoms of Sunscreen allergy can be:
- skin redness or swelling
- itching or stinging
- raised bumps or hives
- scaling or bleeding
- rash, or fluid-filled blisters
How To Choose The Right Sunscreen For My Child
Unfragranced, mineral sunscreens with an SPF30 - SPF50 have proven to be the safest, most effective sunscreens available for babies, children, and adults. The Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide used to protect from UVA/UVB rays of the sun are currently the only sun protection ingredients recognized by the USA’s FDA (Food and Drug Association) as GRASE (generally recognized as safe and effective).
For this reason, mineral sunscreens are the only choice for us here at Palm & Pine and we are proud to say that our products are enjoyed by children and adults alike all over this wonderful planet.
Check out our reviews and testimonials from happy parents, daily protecting their children with our mineral sunscreen formulas.
“This lotion has been amazing for my 8 year old who normally has a reaction to most suntan lotions but he has been absolutely fine with palm & pine. So happy.”
“My kids usually hate having to put sunscreen on because it stings their eyes. You can imagine my delight when they asked for more! Thanks Palm & Pine”
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