Thursday, May 24, 2012

I'm a mom & writer who has compiled this site with information about children's sun safety. My kids have Type 1 skin, and it sometimes seems they can get sunburned just by thinking about going outdoors at noon, so I've done a lot of reading, browsing, and asking around in order to learn how best to protect them. I hope I can help others by collecting everything I've learned in one place.


This site is not comprehensive, but it's intended as a good place to start for other parents looking for resources for sun protection, for your kids and yourselves. If you have further recommendations, please feel free to comment.

SUNBLOCK

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a sunblock that is SPF 30 or higher, that blocks both UVA and UVB rays (often called "broad spectrum" protection), and that is water-resistant. They also recommend applying sunblock 15 minutes before sun exposure, and making sure to use enough to coat the entire exposed portion of the body.

Sunblocks can work in one of two ways: chemical sunblocks contain a variety of UV filtering chemicals that absorb the sun's rays, and physical sunblocks contain titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide, which deflect or block the sun's rays. Both are considered safe and effective. (The current recommendation is to put sunblock on infants as well, if there is no more effective way of keeping them out of the sun.)

Among parents I've spoken to, some favorite sunblocks are:

1. Blue Lizard - developed in Australia, this is a physical sunblock that is a favorite of many parents I have spoken to. You can get regular-sized containers through Amazon. If you like this sunblock (which is on the pricey side), you can save a lot of money by ordering a 128-oz container at drugstore.com.
2. Mustela - also pricey, this physical sunblock has a reputation for being the most hypo-allergenic. My personal experience bears this out, so if you or your children are susceptible to breaking out in hives, this may be the way to go. Available at amazon and drugstore.com.
3. Babyganics has both a stick sunscreen and a liquid sunscreen.
4. MD Moms Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes-- sunscreen you can just wipe onto your kids! Very convenient, especially for kids who hate rubbing in lotions or creams.

The American Academy of Dermatology also recommends a lip balm with sunscreen, since skin cancer can form on the lips. I use banana boat, but there are many others available.

HATS

You can buy hats at most children's clothing store; broad-brimmed hats made of UVF-protective fabric or solid weaves are your best bet. Even at their most effective, though, hats will never keep all the sun's rays away from your kids' faces, so sunblock will also be necessary!

Some favorite sites for buying hats, among parents I've spoken to, include:

1. Solartex
2. Coolibar
3. Gap & Old Navy (some very cute options,though not all their hats are particularly protective)
4. You can buy some hats on Amazon, including "Sunday Afternoon" kids play hats and iplay wide brim hats for both babies and older kid
5. BuyBuyBaby sells a variety of hats, including a large selection of iplay wide brim hats.


CLOTHING

Most clothes, by themselves, are not effective sun protection; UVA and UVB rays will shoot right through your average cotton shirt.

However, there are clothes that do protect you from the sun.One option is UVF-protective clothing, though it can be expensive and hard to find. Solartex and OneStepAhead both have some good selections. Lands End has a line of UVF-protective swimwear for toddlers and kids that are both cute and full-coverage enough to function as clothes, especially if you're in a park with sprinklers and don't want your kids to have to constantly change back and forth.


Another option is a product called Sunguard which, when added to a load of laundry, washes UPF protection into the clothing. Sunguard doesn't change the quality of the clothes, and has been found to be both safe and effective in a few clinical trials. It can cause atopic dermatitis (rash) in some kids, so it might be a good idea to try it on one article of clothing before using it on a whole load. Each sunguard application lasts through 20 loads of laundry.

SUNGLASSES

Used, obviously, to protect the eyes. Make sure the ones you get block both UVA and UVB rays.

A few favorite brands that have been recommended to me (I happen to have tried all of these over the years, and would pass on those recommendations):

1. BabyBanz is a favorite among many parents(this company sell some hats and swimwear too)
2. OneStepAhead sells kids' sunglasses both with and without straps
3. Julbo sells great toddler sunglasses with cords that are bi-directional and thus easy for kids to put on themselves; they also sell a variety of stylish sunglasses for older kids.

ENVIRONMENT

The hours between 10 am and 4 pm are the highest intensity in terms of sunlight, but the sun's rays can reach you at almost all times, including in winter or on cloudy days. Avoiding sun at peak hours is the most effective way to protect yourself, but if you don't want to be indoors, your best strategy is to seek out shade -- or bring some of your own.

UV protective blankets are available at many vendors, and are useful for draping over strollers or on sleeping babies. The Solaroo blanket with ties, which comes with velcro straps all around, can be attached to almost anything to make a shade.

OneStepAhead has several great options for bring-along shades, including an infant cabana and a family cabana that fold into take-along backpacks.

For a more permanent tent that is still relatively easy to assemble and disassemble, the Pacific Play Kids Tent is quite popular.

And finally, there is a product called Vista Window Films that will keep UV rays from getting through your glass windows without changing the appearance of the glass. (Click on "find a dealer" to see if there's someone near you who will come set it up for you.)

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I hope this site has been helpful for you. If you have suggestions for other products you would like to recommend, please mention them in the comments! Note that for the sake of keeping the site manageable, I won't be able to add everything suggested, but I will leave them for people to read in the comments. I will also probably add things recommended by a large number of people that aren't already covered in the site.

Sources of Information & Some Technical Info:

My main sources of information for this website are
* Two books -- Sun Protection for Life and Melanoma -
* The websites linked to in the site, especially the American Academy of Dermatologists
* Recommendations from other parents, especially those on the message boards of NOAH, the National Organization for Albinism & Hypo-Pigmentation.

This site is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if enough people click through the links that happen to be to Amazon and then buy the products recommended (or any products) from Amazon, Amazon pays me a small percentage of those sales. Any proceeds from the Affiliate program will go to benefit NOAH.