Is there anything more fear-inducing than trying to figure out what sun protection jargon means, especially when it comes to our little ones? Like, do you know your spectrum from your UV or your SPF from your factor 50? Yup, it's not easy...
And neither is applying sunscreen on a wriggling little octopus (your child), not to mention trying to haul them out of the water to reapply sunscreen. Total pain, we know, but we can't stress enough how important safety in the sun is. Repeated unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression, and
skin cancer.
So to keep your mini revellers happy and healthy, it's super-important their parents are aware of these need-to-know facts to keep your smallies safe in the sun, and not to sound like we're scaremongering, but most children get much of their lifetime sun exposure before they are aged 18, so it's up to the parents to teach them how to enjoy fun-in-the-sun safely. Taking the right precautions can greatly reduce your child's chance of developing skin cancer:
The hit list – print this out and put it on your fridge:
- Look for SPF (sun protection factor) numbers on the labels of sunscreens. Select an SPF of 30 or higher to prevent sunburn and tanning; both are signs of skin damage. Choose a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays (usually this says broad-spectrum on the packaging).
- The amount of protection your child gets depends on how well you put it on. It’s easy to miss bits when you’re applying sun cream. CRUK recommends you reapply regularly to help get even coverage of your skin.
- Make sure you apply sunscreen at least twenty minutes before you head out into the sun to give it time to soak in, especially if you have an eager little water baby and it gets washed off before it gets a chance to work.
- Getting sun burnt in childhood or adolescence can increase the risk of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, in later life.
- Keep babies under six months in the shade as much as possible.
- Try to keep older children indoors from 11am to 3pm.
- Take care whether you are in Ireland or abroad - UV damage from Irish weather is just as harmful as that from warmer climates.
- Take care on cloudy days too – up to 90% of UV rays can pass through light cloud.
- Always provide hats and sunglasses for your children.
- Dress children in loose fitting clothes that cover arms and legs.
- If your teen or preteen wants to use a self-tanner with sunscreen in it, make sure it has UV protection (many offer little or none).
Caldesun is kind to your children's skin, with a combination of micro-pigments and organic filters to protect children's delicate skin from sunburn. It has a unique formulation with: UV-A, UV-B, and IR_A (infrared) protection filters; it's water resistant, clinical-led tested, and suitable for children with neurodermatitis. Oh, and there is no perfume, artificial colours or preservatives and it's packed with moisturising oils to prevent the skin from drying out.
