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Sun Protection for Babies and Toddlers

Your baby looks adorable with cheeks pink from the sun. But that glow is a sign of sun damage, no matter how healthy you think it makes your child look. And the damage accumulates, day after day, throughout childhood.

Sunlight triggers many changes in the skin. Some show up quickly — suntan, sunburn, freckles; others take years to appear — wrinkles, splotches, looseness. The most serious change is skin cancer, which can be lethal. Experts know that at least 90 percent of all skin cancers result from excessive exposure to sunlight. In fact, one blistering sunburn in childhood can double a person’s lifetime chances of developing serious forms of skin cancer.

Of course, children, like all people, need light and air to grow and thrive. How to balance? Practice good sun protection habits, including wearing sunscreen, whenever your child is outside.

Outdoor Precautions

• Make sure that your baby’s stroller or carriage provides adequate shade, with a hood or other shade-providing structure.
• Your baby should have fresh air and light — but ideally, not at the peak times of the day. Schedule your baby’s stroll around the neighborhood in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun’s rays are less powerful.
• Your baby should wear a sun hat or bonnet with a wide brim whenever he or she is outside
• When outside, find a shady place.
• Make sure your baby’s arms and legs are covered by tighly-woven (but loose-fitting) clothing.

Choosing a Sunscreen

• When selecting from the vast array of available sunscreens, look for SPF 15 or greater.
• Do a “patch” test by putting a small amount of sunscreen on the inside of your child’s wrist the day before you plan to use it to test for irritation or allergies.
• If an irritation or rash develops at any time, try another product. Ask your child’s doctor to suggest one that will not irritate.
• A cream or lotion may be less drying to young skin than a gel- or alcohol-based product.
• If a scented product attracts insects, try an unscented one.

Applying Sunscreen

• Sunscreen should not be used on babies under six months old. Babies under six months should be exposed to the sun as little as possible.
• Coat your child’s skin liberally and evenly. Rub in well. If your baby or toddler is squirmy, apply the sunscreen to your hands first.
• Apply the sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every 2 hours. If your child is playing in the water or sweating a lot, reapply more often.
• Don’t forget your baby’s hands, ears, nose, lips, and the area around the eyes. Zinc oxide on the nose and ears can provide extra protection. An SPF 15 lip balm should be applied to the lips, and toddlers may enjoy applying it themselves. UV-blocking sunglasses will protect the vulnerable eye area.
• Never put baby oil on your child before going outdoors. It makes the skin translucent, letting solar rays pass through more easily.

Dermatologists advise that daily protection with sunblock should begin at six months of age, and most sunblock products state on the label that they are not to be used by infants under six months of age. But according to both the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), that rule is not absolute. In the summer of 1999, the AAP issued a new recommendation which stated that “when adequate clothing and shade are not available, parents can apply a minimal amount of sunscreen to small areas, such as the infant’s face and the back of the hands.” (Tops of the ears and back of the neck are also a good idea.)

Parents should check with their pediatricians before using sunblock on the littlest infants, but here are some guidelines for choosing a safe product and using it wisely:

• There’s no need to cover a baby’s whole body with sunblock if she’s properly dressed… in fact, it could be harmful. Infants don’t perspire as efficiently as adults, and covering too much baby skin with sunblock could interfere with the body’s cooling mechanism. Cover only exposed areas such as face and hands.
• Choose a broad-spectrum sunblock (meaning that it blocks both UVA and UVB rays) with a SPF of at least 25. Broad-spectrum products contain one of three active ingredients: avobenzone (trade name: Parsol 1789), zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide. Avobenzone is a chemical sunblock, while zinc and titanium dioxide are physical sunblocks. While both have been tested for safety on baby’s skin, some pediatricians recommend that children under six months use a physical sunblock, as it may be less irritating.
• Do a “patch test” on your baby before relying on the product. Cover a small (quarter-size) area of skin with the sunblock, and wait a day or two to see if there’s any irritation.
• Apply the sunblock at least half an hour before sun exposure, to allow the skin to absorb the product.
• Choose a waterproof or water-resistant formula, and reapply at least every two hours while babies are outdoors.
• It doesn’t matter whether you use a lotion, gel, or spray. “A lot of parents like a stick product, which is easy to apply and doesn’t run into the eyes and sting,” says Patricia Agin, a scientist with the Coppertone Solar Research Laboratory, who recommends Coppertone’s Water Babies sunblock which comes in both lotion and stick form.
• Choose a product specially designed for babies, since these sunblocks are liable to be gentler. Look for the words non-irritating, fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic on the label. “Parents can also look for the Skin Cancer Foundation seal, which means that an objective third party has evaluated the formula and given its approval,” says James SaNogueira, director of suncare research and development at Sun Pharmaceuticals, makers of Banana Boat Baby Block.
• Sunblocks marketed for older children are also safe to use on babies… with some caveats. Some kids’ sunblocks contain colors, glitters or dyes specially designed to appeal to children to encourage them to use sunblock daily. A baby who wears these products on her hands, for instance, may ingest some of the extra ingredients if she puts her fingers in her mouth. Small amounts of sunblock ingestion are not a hazard for babies, but its best to keep baby sunblocks as simple as possible.
• Even if you’re convinced that your baby is properly dressed, suitably sunblocked, and safely parked in the shade, check him constantly for signs of overexposure. If any area of skin appears reddened or pinkish, bring your child inside. Call your pediatrician immediately if your baby is severely sunburned.

How to buy Baby Sunblock

The popularity of organic baby sunblock grows every summer because of its lack of synthetic ingredients. Regular sunblock includes parabens, a synthetic preservative, in the ingredients. Organic sunblock doesn’t have parabens, so no synthetic chemicals get absorbed by the skin. Organic baby sunblock also moisturizes the skin with natural oils while providing sun protection.

Step1
Look for a baby sunblock that guards the skin using zinc oxide rather than titanium dioxide. Although studies suggest titanium dioxide doesn’t do harm, zinc oxide is a better choice for baby skin.
Step2
Check that the sunblock protects against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA protection is the most important because it’s the ray that does the most damage.
Step3
Read the labels and ingredients for a listing of the organic products in the baby sun block. Common organic sunblock ingredients include sesame oil, green tea extract, grape seed extract and oil, almond oil, beeswax, vitamin E and sunflower oil.
Step4
Purchase organic baby sunblock that is free of fragrance and artificial colors. These substances can cause allergic reactions in babies with sensitive skin.
Step5
Buy water resistant organic sunblock for your baby. Even if they don’t go in the water, their sweat can wash away the sunblock.
Step6
Get a sunblock with a no-tear formula. This is most important for babies who go in the water and wipe at their eyes.

What’s in sunscreen and how does sunscreen work?

Sunscreen contains chemicals that absorb/and or reflect UV radiation away from the skin. It also contains preservatives, moisturisers and fragrances.

There are two types of chemicals in sunscreen:

• chemical filters, which work by absorbing UV radiation before it can damage the skin
• physical filters, which contain microscopic particles that sit on the surface of the skin and act as a physical barrier.

Don’t rely on sunscreen as the first method of sun protection, as no sunscreen provides 100% protection. Always use other sun protection strategies, such as avoiding outdoor play during peak UV times and wearing hats and protective clothing. A sunscreen must be broad-spectrum and rated SPF30+ to give good protection.

What does ‘broad spectrum’ and the SPF number mean?

SPF stands for sun protection factor. The higher the SPF number, the more protection the sunscreen provides. The maximum SPF in Australia is 30+.

Sunscreen labeled as ‘broad spectrum’ filter out some UVA radiation as well as UVB radiation. (UVA and UVB both contribute to sunburn, skin aging, eye damage and skin cancer.)

Can I use sunscreen on my baby/Is sunscreen harmful to my children’s health?

There is no evidence that sunscreen harms babies, but it’s best to protect your baby with hats and clothing and keep them in the shade. You can apply sunscreen to small exposed areas of the baby’s skin that can’t be covered with clothing.

If you baby reacts to sunscreen, try another product or talk to your doctor.

How should I apply sunscreen?

Firstly, look at the label and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most people apply too little sunscreen, which means they get a lot less protection than they think. A rule of thumb is that children need about half a teaspoon for the face, neck and ears, and half a teaspoon for each arm and leg. The important thing is to ensure there is a film of sunscreen over exposed skin. Apply the sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside, to allow the sunscreen to bind to the skin, and reapply it every two hours.

Does sunscreen expire?

All sunscreen is labelled with an expiry date and storage instructions. Sunscreen won’t work as well if it has passed its use-by date, or has been stored incorrectly, such as in the car, or left outside. It’s best to store sunscreen out of the sun and at temperatures below 25°C.