I received an email from a local Momee asking what sunscreen is best for her 8 month old son. (She has been using a 110 SPF Spray on sunscreen)
So my Momee Poll is: “What sunscreen is best for young children?”
Whether it is a bright sunny day or a cloudy day on the beach… always apply sunscreen to yourself and your children!
I turned to Baby Center.com for advice on this mater where Pediatric Dermatologist Patricia Treadwell answered the question: What kind of sunscreen is best for children?
Below are quotes from the post I found were the most informative:
“I recommend choosing a “physical” or “chemical-free” sunscreen made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. (I also suggest you keep a baby younger than 6 months out of the sun altogether whenever possible. When that’s not feasible, be sure to protect your young baby with sunscreen.)”
“Also, sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide start protecting as soon as you put them on, whereas chemical products need to be slathered on 15 to 30 minutes in advance so the skin has time to absorb them.”
“You may have heard you should look for a “broad-spectrum” product that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Any sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide will do this.”
“The sun protection factor (SPF) should be at least 15, but you generally don’t need to go higher than 30: Over than that and you’re getting smaller and smaller amounts of added protection – which, in a chemical sunscreen, means a higher dose of unwanted chemicals.”
“Reapply sunscreen often. Waterproof sunscreens may be slightly hardier than other products, but don’t trust a label that promises to protect for eight hours. That’s only if your child stays perfectly still for the rest of the day! In the real world he’ll need more sunscreen every two hours or every time he gets wet or is dried off with a towel.”
As for what Sunscreen brand to use, It is really your choice! I use Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50 on Mia mainly because my family has always used Coppertone, it is waterproof and SPF 50. The #1 reason: I have not seen any red on Mia since using it for the past 2 years : )
Related articles
- Babies also need sun protection (healthfore.wordpress.com)
- By the Book… Inorganic vs. Organic Sunscreens (brandimcclure75.wordpress.com)
- Summer Skincare: Physical Sunscreens vs Chemical Sunscreens – What’s Better? (chelseafabspa.wordpress.com)
- Understanding SPF (orchideesalonandspa.wordpress.com)
my pediatrician said to avoid the spray sun screen which I love because its quick &easy .. But every time u spray it u are inhaling the chemicals they then sit in ur lungs n can later develop into lung cancer .. Bummer !! They also mentioned that it doesn’t give as good of coverage if you aren’t rubbing it in after you apply it .. Hope this is helpful 😊
This is very helpful Nikki… I never use the spray for the same reason our pediatrician told us the same thing. I use the spray for myself and I get random red spots where I missed. So if it doesn’t work for me, I doubt it would work for a child. Thanks for your reply