We live in a sunny climate when summer weather is the norm six months out of the year, and our son has very pale sensitive skin. How do you momma's care for your children's skin in very sunny summer like weather? How much sun is OK??? Do you stay indoors mid-day???? Any special tips....
I currently try to be outside with him for 2-3 hours in the morning in the park and on errands outside...being careful to stay in shaded areas. I also use 32 or 50 SPF and a hat. We are usually inside (including lunch at a restaurant) from 1100-400, and go out again around 400-600.
Thank you in advance.
You're doing great. Staying inside at the dangerous times is really important. The only thing I would add is either wear protective UV clothing or make sure to put the sunscreen all over, not just on the exposed areas. Regular clothing only provides a very low spf, like spf 4 or something. Don't forget chapstick with sunscreen and uv sunglasses as well.
Don't keep him out of the sun becuase he needs the Vitamin D. Sunblock Sunblock Sunblock.
My kids are Native American/Hispanic so they don't have fair skin BUT sunburns shouldn't be the only concern. Dark skin people still get skin cancer. Just make sure you use sunblock everywhere and reapply. Even when it's cloudy out, he still needs it...so do you!
I don't know if you have a sunscreen that you love, but I just wanted to recommend Blue Lizard. It's a little expensive, but both my kids and I are super pale skinned, and it really helps prevent burns, and none of us have ever had a reaction to it. You can get it in stores and at drugstore.com. Enjoy the beautiful weather!
Right now with the cold finally going away I can see you wanting to finally get him outside. I totally agree that you are doing it right getting him out in the morning. I'm not sure how much sunblock you need at 9am though. Totally agree from 10:30 a on it gets a bit hot for a fair skinned child. Not sure how old he is but how bout some of those parks we got down in Biscayne. Find an area with tree cover for him to hang out in, put a little sunblock for when he ventures out of the tree line. Also many of the Parks have play grounds with those covers on top of them to block the sun.
i think you got it. sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen. in your area i would even put it on for errands. i lived in florida for several years, and you start to notice it less, but the first time i visited there (i too am very naturally fair) i got a tan during my visit, without even going to the beach, just out "sightseeing" every day. just keep in mind even if he's not outside for a long time he's still getting exposure. just from the house to the car, or walking down the block, can get him some sun. many women i know use spf moisturizer and makeup daily, even a low spf body lotion. you get a lot more exposure to the sun than you realize.
To me you sound like you are right on target! You've got the sunscreen going on which is the most important!! How old is your son???
I'm in lower SC (right on the GA border) and we are getting the nice weather too. I thought nothing of it on Saturday while the kids and I were out back most of the day to put sunscreen on any of us!! My fair skin, blue eyed 4yr old son got a bit pink on his face and arms!!
Just remember, it's not about how much time you spend outside, it's that you keep your skin protected with sunscreen, hats, etc. And when it really gets hot out and you are sweating more, plenty of liquids like water and gator-aid (water should be first!) instead of soda and juice.
Good luck!
S.
You sound like you have the right idea. Make sure you use a sunblock that s chemical-free and uses a physical blocker (look for titanium dioxide or zinc oxide on the ingredient label) rather than a chemical one. Neutrogena makes one.
There are also a number of places where you can get sun protective clothing. One I've used before is Coolibar.com. They have shirts, hats and even bathing suits that will fully protect you son's skin without having to worry about constantly reapplying sunblock. I have very sensitive skin myself and sometimes I break out into hives when I use too much sunblock too many days in a row so this is another option.
Don't cover him up too much, he needs the Vitamin D. Our children are so low on D a huge link between many auto immune disorders and developmental delays!
We live in the pacific northwest, but still on sunny days our strategy is the following:
- we use sunblock SPF 60+ on my very fair skinned daughter, I prefer "physical" sunblock such as zinc oxide or titanium oxide
- we stay out of the sun from 11 AM - 3 PM. That may mean inside or outside in the shade (we have a canopy on our deck and trees in the backyard for shade)
- we wear protective clothing, so I don't have to deal with too much sunscreen on her
- my daughter wears a hat outside and this spring we have also started with sungalsses
I am fair skinned too, and it really isn't to much of a hassle. Once you get into routine of just putting on sunscreen in the morning and then reapplying after snack and luck... just common sense stuff.
Good luck!
You are doing everything right. The time slot that the sun is at it's harshest is about 10-3.
This is what I do for sunburn: Castor oil and aloe vera gel (either purchased or from the plant) I put on the castor oil first then the aloe gel. The aloe gel penetrates the skin and takes the castor oil in with it. Rapid healing and pain relief and moisturizing. Cocoanut oil is also moisturizing and a natural sun screen.
I never use sunscreen, except if we are going to be out all day. Kids need vitamin D and when you use sunscreen, it blocks that. Just keep kids indoors in the middle of the day. There have also been a few studies that indicate that sunscreen may actually cause cancer too. So, I prefer to operate as God intended - without chemicals and just use common sense and avoid midday sun. What you are already doing makes sense. We use a hat too!
While the morning hours are cooler, the sun is stronger and kids burn quicker. We usually head to parks and beaches after lunch and use 45spf lotions (my favorite is NO/AD, doesn't seem to sweat or wash off too fast, only need to reapply every 2 hours).
