With all the time kids spend in the sun during the summer, it’s important to know how to protect them from sunburns. At Children’s, we believe in Making Safe Simple — so we’ve put together five tips to help you and your kids avoid sunburn this summer (and what to do if you do happen to get one!).
- Apply one ounce (two tablespoons) of sunscreen to the entire body 30 minutes before going outside. This gives skin a chance to absorb it. Reapply every two hours, or immediately after sweating heavily.
- Make your own shade with a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap. Protect your eyes with UV-blocking sunglasses (the bigger, the better). Just make sure the sunglasses have 90 to 100 percent protection from UVA and UVB rays.
- Don’t forget to protect areas that are often missed, such as: your chin, nose, ears, scalp, under eyes, shoulders, and on top of your hands. Also apply lip balm with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) to keep your lips safe.
- Look for “broad spectrum” sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher that includes ingredients that protect you from both UVA and UVB (Ultraviolet A and B) rays. You can also look for the “Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation” to help you find the right sunscreen.
- Don’t be fooled by a cloudy day at the fair. The sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate through clouds and even a thick fog.
- If you do get sunburn, aloe vera gel is extremely soothing, nontoxic, and helps heal the skin.
Need more sun-safety tips? Here’s how to protect your kids from dehydration and heat exhaustion.
