Written by Heather Edge
Published in ParenthoodIQ Magazine. Article found on www.parenthoodiq.com. Click on By Age and scroll down to Parenting.
Hello Spring!!! And in the south, that means Hello Sun!!! It is time to get outdoors, smell the flowers (or look at the pollen) and, most importantly, run and chase your kids in what feels like the best weather of the year. Even though the weather is just about perfect in spring, it is important to protect our family’s skin by using appropriate tools like sunscreen and protective clothing to shield the sun’s rays. In the age of trying to put only healthy products inside and outside of our body, it is a time when we find ourselves questioning the safety of just about everything.
The EWG (Environmental Working Group) provides safety information on many products including sunscreen from published scientific data that supplements incomplete information not supplied from companies or the government. They rate each product on efficacy and the ingredients that may cause concern compared to other products on the market and not the product alone. EWG is currently working to increase awareness and asking the Food & Drug Administration to have rules in place that address ingredient safety in products. The EWG hopes to help consumers make choices that will increase their family’s safety, hopefully preventing sun damage and skin cancer.
Don’t depend on sunscreen alone to protect your skin. And choose your sunscreen wisely, because many of them on the market are laced with chemicals that can cause serious health issues. A few bad sunburns can double a person’s chances of developing skin cancer. Sun protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, beach umbrellas and SHADE should all be a part of your sun care regimen. Also, make sure your sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection to protect from sunburn and other types of sun damage or skin cancer. Remember, everyone should use sunscreen and opt for protective clothing, no matter one’s ethnicity. Anyone is prone to the possibility of sun damage and the potential for developing skin cancer.
Here are some tips to help your family survive and thrive this spring and summer and keep skin youthful and healthy for as long as possible.
Apply and evenly coat sunscreen to the skin (you should be able to see the lotion on the skin...do not blend out all the way, but try to let it soak in naturally). Be careful not to apply near the eye area because it can burn the eyes. Also, opt to apply a stick to the forehead so that the lotion doesn’t fall into the eyes. Children are prone to wiping their faces and eyes a lot, so be careful to not over-apply near eyes and forehead.
Follow guidelines on sunscreen labels for safety. Children under 6 months old should not ever be in the sun. If they must be in the sun briefly, be sure to provide shade (even the canopy on the carrier or stroller helps) because their skin is prone to burn quickly as they do not have melanin to protect their delicate skin. Cover your baby with protective clothing that’s fits loosely and is weather appropriate, but also lightly covers the skin in the heat. Also, protect their little heads with a sun hat that offers more coverage. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions on how to safely protect your infant from the sun.
In addition to sunscreen, sun protective clothing should also be used to fully protect the skin. Shirts, shorts, pants, and hats help to provide extra protection from the sun. Also, sunglasses should be used to help protect the eye area.
Shade is a must. Take an umbrella or canopy to the pool or beach and take breaks to apply sunscreen often (typically every 40 minutes).
Skip the sun from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. completely. If you must be in the sun, follow strict guidelines and apply, apply, apply! sunscreen and stay in the shade. Try to do all outdoor activities in the early mornings or later in the evening. This will not only help protect your skin, but chances are you will enjoy being outside a lot more when the heat is not making your family miserable. Chances of sunburn and outbursts are also less likely.
Sunscreen sprays are not recommended for safety because they are hazardous to breathe and they lose their efficacy when applying.
Avoid sunscreens with Vitamin A (also known as Retinol or Retinyl Palmitate) because it can cause the growth of lesions and tumors on the skin (this is ingredient is listed in over 12% of all sunscreens reviewed by EWG in 2018!). Be sure to avoid lip products with this ingredient as well.
Avoid oxybenzone because it is a synthetic estrogen that disrupts the hormones in your body and can have severe consequences. Choose sunscreens that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which protect skin from harmful rays.
Test sunscreen before use. Many young children are especially sensitive to chemical allergens and can react to chemicals in sunscreen. Apply a small amount to the inside of the wrist the day before you plan to use it. Stop use if any rash or irritation develops and try a different sunscreen. Be sure to check with your child’s doctor if your child is extra sensitive and you are unsure what will work best.
Use a water-resistant sunscreen if planning to be outdoors for more than 10 minutes. Be sure to apply every 40 minutes for the best protection.
Recommend options for your teen that loves to be tan. DO NOT EVER think it is okay to let your teen visit the tanning bed salon where they could be exposed to 15 times more radiation than the sun itself. There are so many natural looking self-tanning productsor spray tan options and salons that can provide a quick, beautiful color to the skin. These are not the self-tanners from the ’80s or ’90s that scared everyone away from ever trying again. These tanners look real, smell amazing and offer many benefits such as easy application, mood enhancement and vegetable-derived, botanical ingredients. Let your teen know that tanning beds quickly age the skin and there are many advanced self-tanners that now also have anti-aging ingredients that will benefit their skin and provide a natural, beautiful glow. Many teen YouTubers are out there to give the best tips and advice on how to use the products.
Other Resources
These are the 23 safest sunscreens according to EWG’s 2018 list of recommended sunscreens for kids.
Here is the list of safest sunscreens to meet your whole family’s needs.
EWG’S 2018 Guide to Safer Sunscreens
Heather Edge is an esthetician and makeup artist, with 20 years of experience in skincare, haircare, and makeup artistry.
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