Parenting / 23 May, 2018 / My Baba

Are You Following These Six Sun Protection Steps?

Sun protection should be at the forefront of your mind. Whether you’re at home in the UK or abroad, you should always be considering whether you and your family are taking the right precautions in the sunshine. Many reserve sunscreen for the holidays explains Childs Farm’s consultant dermatologist Dr Jennifer Crawley, but with the UK weather hotting up, we need to be keeping sun lotion topped up when outdoors at home too.

“Any sunburn on children’s skin is worrying, no matter what skin type they have, because young skin is much thinner than an adult’s, making it far more susceptible to damage,” says Dr Crawley.

Sunburn in childhood dramatically increases the chance of skin cancer in later life; it really is imperative that parents take the right steps to protect their little ones when they are outdoors.

In order to keep your children protected and allow them to enjoy the sunshine safely, always follow this advice:

1. Opt for a high factor and ensure that you’ve applied cream to all areas of exposed skin. The experts at Childs Farm recommend SPF 50+ for maximum protection,  “at least two teaspoons for the head and neck area and two tablespoons for the body,” says Dr Crawley.
   
2. Keep sunscreen topped up throughout the day, especially if you or your children have been swimming in the pool or sea. Dr Crawley advises reapplication more than twice a day and that “you can’t apply too much, so use it liberally.”
   
3. Keep children out of the sun between 11am and 3pm. This is when the sun is at its strongest and can cause the most damage, especially to young and delicate skin.
   
4. Ensure your children are always wearing sunglasses and a wide brim hat for added protection to their face and neck. Childs Farm also recommend UV suits to protect against the sun’s harmful rays.
   
5. Don’t forget to keep the little ones hydrated! It’s very easy to become dehydrated with the heat and to forget to drink if you’re out of your usual routine. Give them water every 20 minutes.
   
6. Babies under the age of six months should be kept out of direct sunlight completely.

Protecting sensitive skin is at the centre of Childs Farm’s research, but their products can be used on all skin types.  The sensitive aspect promises that the formula will be gentle on your child’s skin. Their latest addition to the range is sun cream, available in roll-on or spray. The creams are unscented and use organic filters to block damaging UVA and UVB rays.

You can buy the sun cream or spray for £12, while the roll-on (easy for the kids to apply themselves!) is available for £10. 

You can also pick them up in your local Boots or Waitrose, or shop the range on Amazon and Ocado.

Sponsored content in collaboration with Childs Farm