by Lily S

Created on: May 16, 2008   Last Updated: July 26, 2010

Children's skins tend to be beautiful and perfect, but they are also very vulnerable to being damaged by sunlight so it is vital to protect them whenever they are out and about. It is estimated that 50% of a person's lifetime exposure to sunlight occurs in childhood, and poor care will lead to problems later in life.

The best sunscreen to use on children is a titaniam-dioxide one. It is usually labelled as "total sun-block" and is a non-chemical sunscreen that works by providing a physical barrier between the skin and light. It is also highly visible, so you can see if it is wearing off. It is usually coloured white, but you can get titanium-dioxide sunscreen in various colours, such as pink or green, which means you can make a game of putting sunscreen on your child by "painting" their faces. Use a standard titanium-dioxide sunscreen to coat their entire face and body and then use the colour blocs to coat the vulnerable areas of the face such as the nose, forehead, cheeks and chin. Alternatively use a single colour such as green all over, so you can see which areas are covered.

Reapply every two to three hours, and more frequently if they are going into water. The mistake most parents make is not putting enough sunscreen onto their children. It wears off very fast, especially if the child is swimming or running about getting sweaty. When in doubt, reapply.

You can use chemical based sun-screens for your child, but note that some children react to them, so the non-chemical ones at the best.

Use a sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 30. SPF 15 gives 95 percent protection from the sun; SPF 30 gives an additional two percent. It is widely believed that an SPF higher than 30 is a waste of money. American SPF factors are different to European ones (an American SPF of 10 is equivalent to a European SPF of 5), so check with your pharmacist before buying. There isn't a lot of difference between sunscreens marketed for children and adults - the important thing is to get the SPF right and to reapply frequently.

Babies under 6 months shouldn't be exposed to sunlight at all, nor covered in sunscreen (as their skin is thin and very sensitive). Keep them indoors till they are older.

In addition to using sunscreen, parents should make sure their children avoid being out in the hottest part of the day (between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) and carry hats, sunglasses, T-shirts and beach umbrellas to create shade, so that the child is not always directly explosed to light. Sunglasses are as important as sunscreen as the eyes are just as vulnerable as the skin. Also make sure they drink plenty of water.

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