Sunscreen

Bri - posted on 04/25/2011

important for children to wear sunscreen- yes. Reason- prevents/reduces chances of skin cancer, keeps skin healthier.

important for parents/adults to wear sunscreen- yes. Reason- good for their health too AND sets good example.

put it on when getting dressed in morning, reapply if it's been a few hours and we're heading outside, reapply when we're outside.

Jill - posted on 04/25/2011

I agree, sunscreen should be used, but not all sunscreens are created equal. Many of the chemicals in popular sunscreens have been proven to disrupt the body's hormone system. Because they mimic estrogen and other hormones, many of these chemicals are linked to reproductive, metabolic and neurological dysfunctions as well as cancers.

Some of these common sunscreen chemicals are Homosalate (HMS), Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) and Oxybenzone or 4MBC. Avoid products containing these chemicals.

Choosing a mineral sunscreen, rather than a "chemical" sunscreen is a good idea. Mineral sunscreens act as a mechanical barrier from UV rays and aren't absorbed by the skin.

Check out the Environmental Working Group's Sunscreen Guide for all the info you could ever want about sunscreen & other personal care products. You can even search their database to find the sunscreen you use & see it's safety rating and all the ingredients in it.

We slather this stuff all over our bodies & our kid's bodies, it's worth the effort & time to make sure we're choosing a good product and not something that could potentially harm us. The FDA doesn't regulate the ingredients in our personal products here in the US, so they can put whatever they want to in it. Just because it's on the shelf at your local store, doesn't mean it's safe. Check it out.

Barbara-Anne - posted on 04/25/2011

Yes of coarse my i have 2 children a daughter 9 months and a son 9 years even if it not that hot a make sure both my children have factor 50 sunblock and top it up every couple of hours, From th e day they are born children rely on parents to look after and care for them to the best of our ability's which includes on the outside, skin care very important if your baby had nappy rash you would treat it without a thought so why would you let your child burn needlessly,

Jayne - posted on 04/25/2011

I apply since they are only 2 and 3. But they help rub it in. They wear it every day as "lotion" since we live in FL and they spend lots of time outside. I think since there is so much sun exposure here it is important for them to wear it. I will not be able to control what they do when they are 15 so if I can instill it as a habit now they will be better off.

Jean - posted on 04/25/2011

I always insist they apply sunscreen if they have an athletics day at school or they are going to be swimming for a hour or more.

They don't apply sunscreen for normal school days, although I know the experts say you should in summer or winter. In our South African climate it is essential if you are going to be exposed to direct sunlight for more that 40 minutes I would say.

Nina - posted on 04/25/2011

If we are going swimming or there is extensive exposure to the sun then yes. But I also feel that sun is not going to kill my child and I do think it is getting kind of rediculous with the "protection" of our children. No I do not want my child to get burnt, but I also know that skin is created adaptive to the sun because we are humans and we were born on earth, with a sun....I think that children will be safe, or perhaps safer, if we allow them to develop immunities with their own bodies. I also believe in medicine when needed, so I know many here will not agree with me. My child is precious to me and I do not want something to happen to him, but lathering on sunscreen at the first sign of the sun is not helpful to your child....they will remain in a constant state of potential sunburn.

I normally do not respond to these, but I did not see anything but over protective mothers scolding people on sunscreen usage, so I thought I would post something for the rest of us who are not so....ummm.....obsessive? There is no right way to say that, but I know that there are moms out there who will read my post and smile :)

Sarah - posted on 04/25/2011

Any time my daughter is out in the sun for a period of time... I'm not taking any chances. Sunburns hurt.

Jacqui - posted on 04/25/2011

Yes,i do areas they cannt reach buy roll ons for them to carry with them,and incourage them to apply 1).when they cannt feel it anymore or 2).2 hrs when very hot 30. after swimming each time.
Its very important their skin needs to last them a live time,it looks lovely to have a tan,you can still tan with cream on and it can last longer without peeling which happens with too much sun too quick and on uncreamed skin.Skin cancer can be a killer,as a parent it is our job to protect our children and put them on the right path.

Dorothea - posted on 04/25/2011

My boys wear sunscreen whenever we are going to be outside. Even during the winter if I can get away with it :)
I feel it's important because or skin needs to be protected, and really who wants to wear a long sleeve shirt all day? I do try to get my boys to wear hats and sunglasses too, but that is a bit harder. During the summer we reapply the sunscreen every hour or so. During the winter, not so often.
We use an SPF 50 on everyone in our house, just for simplicities sake.

Nana - posted on 04/25/2011

You should definitely make your children wear sunscreen. How often to apply depends on the product. You should read the label carefully as many will have ingredients that actually don't help and may hurt. You need one that is actually absorbed into the skin rather than sitting on top of the skin, which means it would wash off easier when children play in or around water. Also be careful with "oils" and artificial anything in the product formula. Some fragrances will actually attract bees.

Alison - posted on 04/25/2011

I always put suncream on my daughter, she wears factor 50, I also ensure that she is wearing a hat usually a baseball hat with bit down the back to cover neck. I also ensure that she drinks plenty to make sure she doesnt get dehydrated.

Mel - posted on 04/25/2011

yes depending how hot is it and whether my kids will be in direct sun.

Nicki - posted on 04/25/2011

It is very important for children (& adults) to wear suncream. Having suffered with fair skin and being burnt a lot as a teenage (all self inflicted) i am uber conscious about Evan having fair skin and being burnt. I use Umbre Solaire Kids range factor 30 and put it on Evan every half hour or so if we're out & about and i always make sure i put some on him before we leave the house if we're going for a walk.

Julie - posted on 04/25/2011

Yes I always make sure my two have sunscreen on all of the time. There is a history in the family on my husbands side of problems with moles

Belinda - posted on 04/25/2011

me and my 13month old daughter are both elergic to sunscreen and sertain products that have a perticulay cemical in them there for we cant actually have and kind of sunscreen so far we are hoth fine she always has a hat on and is covered up as much as possible with the heat i also keep her fluids high so she dosnt get dehigdrated

Amanda - posted on 04/25/2011

It is important for kids to wear sunscreen to protect them from harmful, cancer causing rays. I also put a high SPF on my children because I don't want them to burn or get dark. My son is 1/2 black and has beautiful honey beige skin and when he gets a tan he gets darker. I don't want him to damage his skin because his coloring is not very common and I'm proud of his looks. My 2 yr. old is 1/2 mexican and has very fair skin like me so I make sure she wears it so she doesn't burn. She will still tan no matter how much sunscreen I put on her, even if I keep her in the shade, but I do the best I can.

You should be waiting 30 min. after applying sunscreen the first time before going out, then reapplying every two hours after. More often if they sweat or are in water. That is the best way to start protecting against skin cancer now and for their future.

Laura - posted on 04/25/2011

As soon as the time hits 11 am or the UV index is high the kids have to put on sunscreen or theres no playing outside. They apply it often, especially in our pool and lakes.

JEANNETTE - posted on 04/25/2011

I PUT SUNCREAM EVERY TIME , THE SUN IS TOO STRONG, AND MY DAUGHTER WEAR HER SUN GLASSES EVERYDAY .

Caryl - posted on 04/25/2011

i always apply sunscreen to my kids when they go out in the really hot sun even my 13yr old wears it

Nats - posted on 04/25/2011

Yes, all the time. Basically, if I can see outside without a torch, Charlotte wears a hat and some sunscreen. We live in Nairobi, Kenya where the sun is very strong. Every sunburn in childhood increases the risk of skin cancer (we're Scottish, so I'm appropriately paranoid).
N

Shantia - posted on 04/25/2011

Yes I do for both my 18m old son and my 6wk old daughter. Every time they go outside and its sunny out. And yes it is important to wear to protect there skin from the strong sun rays and frm burning.

Jenny - posted on 04/24/2011

A bit of both, i think its important they get involved. Normally put on about every two hours

Helen - posted on 04/24/2011

Very important. Get it on whenever you think, even if it looks cloudy as they can still get burn't throughthe clouds. Must admit I think I do overkill with my son (he's four) I'm always slapping on the factor 50 at the slightest bit of sun.He's very light skined though and I'd hate to think he ever got burned. But been thinking he needs a little bit of exposure so today I gonna mabye try a smaller factor while it's the spring and eventhough it's sunny at the mo (a real surpise!!) it should'nt be too bad!! watch I'll prob will still put the 50 on!! lol, Poor bairns lilly white compared to all his friends think I the only one who bothers as I've never seen any of my friends putting cream on their kids unless it's stonking hot. The tiniest bit of sun and I'm wapping the stuff on our Samuel!!

Chrissandra - posted on 04/24/2011

In my opinion, if my skin deserves sunscreen on a daily basis, so does my toddlers'. I use a daily lotion with SPF 25, that is safe for kids, and she sees it as pampering! My Mother had a melanoma removed 10 years ago, and luckily hasn't had any issues since. Instilling these good, healthy habits at a young age is important. We are so used to seeing kids with crazy dark fake-n-bake tans, doesn't anyone consider what they will look like at 60?

Desiree - posted on 04/24/2011

If we were going to go somewhere outdoorsy, like bike rides, swimming, or picnics I make an effort. But we don't go out in the sun that often anyway.
Putting on sunscreen IS important but I admit I sometimes forget.. sunscreen is not that common to use here, strangely. (I live in a tropical country with plenty of sun, but we almost always go by car when it's hot outside..)

Jodi - posted on 04/24/2011

Janette has a good point. You do NOT want your child learning the lesson the hard way. My step son is a red head, and has the skin to go with it.....in the Australian summer sun. He went to a friend's house and stripped off his rash vest, and burned SO badly he ended up in wraps and on morphine in hospital for 4 days. How did this happen? He had no sunblock on under his rash vest, and it was assumed that at age 9 he could be responsible for himself.......that is not teaching anyone a lesson. That's just cruel.



**Disclaimer: he lives with his mum, who is also a red head, so I don't know HOW it happened, I just know that it did. DO NOT TRUST YOUR CHILDREN TO TAKE CARE OF IT THEMSELVES!!!!

Janette - posted on 04/24/2011

Of course I apply it, the last thing I need is for my child to not put it on correctly or enough, and end up with a sunburnt child. Though some may say "they'll learn their lesson"..it is definitely not a lesson I care for her to learn at the age of 6, for mulitiple reasons. First and foremost, this is her health here, and Sunburns can be so dangerous. Secondly, I will spend DAYS caring for her sunburn, so that she can eat, sleep and function. and lastly, I am setting the example to her that it needs to be done, and thoroughly each and every time we go outside. We reapply if we are outside more than an hour, or if we use the wading pool or swim. I also run a home child care, and we have an assembly line of kids and sunblocks. It takes me nearly 20 minutes to "goop" up 5 kids but I know they are safe!

Karrisa - posted on 04/24/2011

We apply sunscreen before we go and after 45 min. of being in the sun.65

Briany - posted on 04/23/2011

my daughter wears sunscreen mainly when we go swimming, but if we are outside alot i put it on her, she is very fair skinned so i need to. I find the more i put it on when she is little she will grow up to know to put it on.

Trisha - posted on 04/22/2011

Just my opinion, but I believe so. I make my children wear it. I just lost a very dear friend to melanoma, so I'm a little obsessed with sunscreen and hats.

Karen - posted on 04/22/2011

You don't want your child to burn, so the younger they are the more important it is. As they get older and can actually apply it themselves, let them and just watch to make sure they get everything. but the easy to apply stuff (sprays) are great. Face sticks are great at any age. So, Until you find out if your children burn easily, I would make sure they use sunscreen. They should use some level all the time...

Jane - posted on 04/22/2011

Carolyn you are so ill informed. The sun CAN and DOES cause cancer, have you ever heard of melanoma? obviously not. I don't want to be rude because everyone has a right to their own opinion, but this is FACT.

Kathy - posted on 04/21/2011

Carolyn, certain groups of Australians are, indeed, deficient in vitamin D, but not all. It’s a mistake to generalise.
“Groups for whom low vitamin D levels have been documented include:
 older people in low- and high-level residential care;8-10
 older people admitted to hospital;11
 patients with hip fracture;12,13
 dark-skinned women (particularly if veiled);14-16 and
 mothers of infants with rickets (particularly if dark-skinned and veiled).”
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/182_...
This same article from the Medical Journal of Australia lists recommended exposure times to the sun to get adequate vitamin D. Hobart, Tasmania, has the longest requirement: (I selected Hobart because it has the least amount of sunshine)
7 – 9 mins at 10 am or 2pm in Summer (Dec – Jan)
40 – 47 mins at 10 am or 2 pm in Winter (July – Aug)
Around midday it’s less than half an hour.
The same article points out that:
“Broad-spectrum sunscreens protect the skin against UVA and UVB radiation (wavelengths, 320–400 nm and 290–320 nm, respectively). Radiation in the UVB range is responsible for skin carcinogenesis as well as the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol into previtamin D3.2 Glass blocks UVB rays required for previtamin D3 synthesis. “
This article is useful reading:
“World leading research confirms regular sunscreen use can prevent melanoma” Groundbreaking research, conducted in Australia and published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has demonstrated for the first time that regular sunscreen use can prevent the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma.
http://www.cancer.org.au/Newsmedia/Issue...

Jodi - posted on 04/21/2011

Alexandra, that is not entirely correct. The experts recommend applying 1/2 hour BEFORE going in the sun, and then reapplying about every 2 hours, or sooner if you are perspiring heavily or in the water.

Alexandra - posted on 04/21/2011

we should apply every half an hour in the sun.

Jodi - posted on 04/21/2011

"the sun does NOT cause cancer"

I could do with that rock you are hiding under occasionally, but I think hiding under it all your life is probably a bad idea.

Ruth - posted on 04/21/2011

Definitely you need to apply to make sure it is put on properly all over. Children's skin is more delicate and therefore needs the protection to prevent sunburns. Protecting their skin from the sun is just as important as protecting them from any other painful experiences. Of course use common sense if you are not going to be out for too long I just put on a sun hat and sunglasses.Check the UV index in your area if not sure for the time and day you will be out. Remember you can get burned in the winter or in overcast weather as well.

Kathren - posted on 04/21/2011

it's very important, i apply it so that it is applied properly and they wear it anytime they are going to be outside playing.

Charlie - posted on 04/21/2011

"the sun does NOT cause cancer"

WOW seriously the mountains of evidence , scientific and biological studies , the incomprehensible amount of deaths from melanoma suggest otherwise .

Joy - posted on 04/21/2011

I can understand people not using sunscreen if they live in places where it's cool (or cold) and damp most of the year. And I can understand people not wanting to use suncreens that contain toxic chemicals. Fine, that's why they also sell all natural sun products. What I can't understand is why anyone would think it's ok to never use it. Vitamin D? It's been said several times in this thread that you still get the D, even with sunscreen on. So that excuse is out the window. All I know is that for most of my life, I avoided the sun. Did I use sunscreen most of the times I was in the sun? Yes. The way I see it, I'm 39 and have skin cancer. I've got two surgeries and an outpatient procedure scheduled so far. Imagine how much worse it would have been and how much younger it would have hit me, had I never used sunscreen at all? Use sunscreen people. Especially on your children. It's along the same lines as what gets said about drinking during pregnancy. No amount is proven safe, so why wouldn't anyone err on the side of caution and not drink? So why wouldn't you err on the side of caution and protect your child's skin (and your skin too), just to be on the safe side? And I'm talking about people of all colors here. Race doesn't protect people from the damage the sun can do. /rant over

Rebecca - posted on 04/21/2011

I used to always put on sunscreen until some of the spray on sunscreen spilt on the table and ate through the varnish that woke me up to the kinds of chemicals they put in so I now check th UV rating every day and only put on a mild sunscreen during peek hours

Jennifer - posted on 04/21/2011

My kids use it rather frequently. Its second nature, like getting dressed in the morning. I buy the non greasy spray stuff that my oldest can apply herself and either her or myself will help my younger two. They know they have to have it on. Period, end of story. I get a little lazy with myself. Especially since I like the bronze look, and I don't tan very easily anyway. I tend to do what my mother did. Protect my kids, ignore myself. I'll put it on myself when I go to the beach or if we go to the pool and I know I'll get my color anyway, because it'll rinse off after a couple hours in the water and I don't reapply to myself, just the kids.

Maureen - posted on 04/21/2011

Everything that is applied to the skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. Sunscreen are full of chemicals. Avoid the sun during the strongest hours, wear hats, sleeves and use sunscreen as necessary, not just because you will be outdoors.

Carolyn - posted on 04/21/2011

I used to until I heard that Australians are becoming deficient in Vitamin D, lack of which causes Oesteoprosis and cancer, and that the sun does NOT cause cancer. Now I use a natural zinc screen to prevent burning, only if out for a long while.

Zhanna - posted on 04/21/2011

I put sunscreen on my kids only when they are in the sun after 10 am and befor 5 pm. I think if you use sunscreen all the time kids become vitamin D deficient. I prefer a natural vit D rather than supplement form.

Sara - posted on 04/21/2011

I apply sunscreen (even to my school-age kids). They wear it anytime they are going outside for any length of time, starting in spring (as soon as the coats come off). It is very important for children to wear sunscreen to prevent cancers caused by the unhealthy rays of the sun. Most people do not realize how much sunscreen should actually be used and don't use enough. An adult ARM should have a "line" of sunscreen from one corner of the palm of your hand to the other corner (caddy corner) and that is just ONE ARM. When applied correctly, the lotion should still be visible on the skin for 10-15 minutes after application and you should apply the lotion 20-30 minutes before going outside. This gives the skin time to absorb the lotion. Also, sunscreen goes bad just like any other medicine and has an expiration date...don't use last years bottle, throw it out and buy a new one, or expect it to not last as long as a new bottle would as the formula is not as strong when it's old.

Cathy - posted on 04/21/2011

I'm British. I use sunscreen when it's hot and sunny only, on myself and the kids. But I also consider hot to be anything over 18c. I guess if I was in Australia I'd be applying it all the time.

Why would I use sunscreen at a time when myself and my kids are fully covered with clothes and have no interest in going outside in the rain ... which is usually from October to March? That just seems like a needless use of chemicals to me.

Carly - posted on 04/21/2011

Most definitely a requirement before going outside. My son is 5 and he puts it on himslef now (they make him put it on before he goes out for lunch at school too), and I pop it on the other kids. The earlier you start doing it, the easier it iss in the long run - like with making them wear a hat. Soon it becomes routine and there's no fuss. Children's skin is a lot more sensitive than an adults and they burn quicker so you have to be vigilant.

Kathy - posted on 04/21/2011

I think for Australians it's not an issue. it's just something you do, like cleaning your teeth.

Jane - posted on 04/20/2011

Like Jodi, I am from Australia and you would not even second guess about applying sunscreen. It is an absolute necessity everytime you are out in the sun. My mother in law is Canadian and everytime she would see me apply sunscreen to my children she would tell me not too as they need to get their vitamin D. I understand that vitamin D is necessary and I don't always apply sunscreen, for example if we are out late in the afternoon, but skin cancer is not.