Recommended sunscreen for children

[Seraphine]

Hello all :)

 

Can anyone recommend a good sunscreen for small children who are very fair? We will be cruising for 2 weeks in the Caribbean.

 

We live in Scotland so don't have much need for it on a regular basis, and I'm debating buying it here or getting my husband to pick some up before we get there (as he'll be in the US first). What do suncare products cost in the US? (over here, they are extortionate!)

 

Many thanks

[Ula]

Seraphine,

I imagine the sunscreen will be less expensive in the US. I would get something with a high SPF factor. They also have UV shirts. A sunburn would really ruin your vacation, fair skinned children can really burn fast. I am sure the other parents here can advise on brands.

[youngestof9]

I like coppertone water babies. Definitely get a 45 or 50 SPF. I like to use the lotion in the morning - glob them up! Then I use sprays to reapply if we are on sand. I use banana boat continuous spray or coppertone sport continuous spray.

 

Each bottle is generally about $8 to $10 a bottle and especially in the caribbean, you should go through a bottle per child per week.

 

here are some examples

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=213377&catid=66388

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=163888&catid=12101

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=163877&catid=12101

 

For myself, I like neutrogena ultra mist

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=166370&catid=12101

 

Have fun!

[RoadTripFanatic]

I second the coppertone babies sunscreen! It's a good price for sunscreen and it works! I can put this stuff on (fair skinned momma here) and not get any sun! I would get either the 50 or the 70. Be sure to reapply when they are finished swimming or every so often during swimming time if they are in the water for hrs. I have read that it is recommended to apply at least 15 minutes before going out into the sun. I would also recommend the rash guard shirts w/ UV protection. .

[tankersbabe]

We use Coppertone 85 spray for beach and extended outside time. I am very very blonde and fair skinned, and my son looks like he was scraped off of me.

 

Between his UV shirt, his long shorts, his bucket hat and momma loading up the sunscreen, I am hoping he never suffers a burn like I did.

55spf is not enough for me...I will bake right through it.

[tropiclvrs]

I also love the Coppertone Babies SPF 50, and it's fairly inexpensive. I find that the lotion is difficult for covering the faces so I also buy a coppertone facial stick for those little areas. It's really easy to use but is only SPF 30 (from what I've seen). Still it works great and neither one of my kdis have ever been burned.

 

When you apply the lotion type sunscreen make sure you use enough so that when you first apply it their skin basically looks all white (from the lotion). Then keep rubbing it in until absorbed.

[Berk987]

make sure you apply at least 15-20 mins before you go in the sun. lotion better than spray but spray good if you're already all lotioned up. you can get them all at the local drugstore before going on the ship. should be at least 1 bottle per person if not 1.5 bottle. don't forget to get the stick for the face. I use that for the kids ears, face, forehead and get chapstick so their lips don't burn.

[Seraphine]

Thanks everyone! I think I'll stock up once we get to the States - much cheaper!

 

I'm totally paranoid now of letting them get too much sun. A lot different than my childhood, where I spent lots of summers trying to get colour! (laying on the patio concrete with oil all over... never did anything to colour my fridge-coloured skin!)

 

My husband needs lots of suncream too, but is a baby about it - he hates them smell, and is a pain about putting it on. Still, if he misses a spot and then burns, he moans forever! The kids are easier!

[Tggrtoes]

I agree with OP that the Coppertone Waterbabies 50 spf is great. I do the lotion first thing in the morning and then follow-up with the spray for touch ups. (although as cruisin mama pointed out previously, if it's windy - it's not that effective).

 

I also second using the sunscreen stick - I'm pretty sure it's coppertone water babies brand too. It makes it easy to not drop in eyes if you have a squirmy child (or husband :eek:)

 

I've not used the rash guard shirts, but I'm thinking of getting them. Are these sold in regular stores? I'm clueless. :confused:

[tankersbabe]

Yup...you can buy the UV shirts just about anywhere now. I bought my son's on clearance last year at Target...back in the pool/swim section. But I've even seen them at Walgreens.

[javma]

The Coppertone Water babies is great. I also like Banana Boat--Kids or Baby. Great protection, and it goes on smoothly.

 

I actually like the texture of the Banana Boat ever-so-slightly better than the Coppertone, but I like the Coppertone smell ever-so-slightly more than the Banana Boat.

 

Both are equally good in the waterproof and sun protection departments, so you can let your personal preference and price be your guide.

[mfantasia]

I also recommend buying the Aloe sunburn gel, the one with lidocaine. They are sold in every drugstore, they have two types, go for the one with Lidocaine. It works very well for sunburn, just in case...even if you are not sunburn, it refresh a lot your skin after a whole day in the beach. Vinegar works just fine, but who wants to smell like a salad.

I always take with me along with the sunscreen. Try to get 70 or 85 SPF for the sunscreen and if they are waterproof, much better for the beach, also, it should be UVA/UVB protection. All the brands mentioned above are good ad the stick for the face is the best.

[shortm]

You've just saved me a small fortune - it's about double the price over here so I'll definitely be stocking up before we board the ship next week.

[icanshine]

I agree with the posts about Waterbabies. I am very fair skinned and will not use anything else but Waterbabies on myself or my kids. I don't care for the spray on because I've found that it doesn't cover very well. I used it once when it first came out, and haven't tried it since. It may have improved since then, but I'm happy without it.

 

Have fun cruising and I hope none of you get sunburned.

[MnAsMom]

I guess I am the only one who's child burned with waterbabies and he had a reaction to Banana Boat Baby!

 

We now use a physical blocker sunscreen as opposed to a chemical blocker like coppertone/banana boat etc. With chemical blockers your skin absorbs the chemical with a physical blocker you sometimes will get a white cast on your skin but you will know you are covered and aren't being exposed to the chemicals. Check out a website called Skin Deep if you want more info on the stuff in main stream sunscreen!

 

Good physical blocker sunscreens are

 

California Baby

UV Naturals

Badger

TruKids

 

Neutrogena also recently came out with a Pure and Free Baby line. The stick is safer than the cream ... we love using the stick for quick reapplications when the kids are fidgety and want back in the water quick. This one is sold at a lot of places.... CVS, Walmart, Target, Amazon

 

I can't say enough good things about Rash Guard swim shirts! They kept my fair skinned boys sunburn free on our mexican riviera cruise in the middle of the summer last year! Many places sell them for children Old navy, Gap, Target, Boden. Many Surf wear companies sell them in Adult sizes. My husband has on made by O'neill that is cut more like a t-shirt so it's not as tight fitting as a typical rash guard. Amazon carries them too!

 

Good luck

[Ula]

I actually bought a very nice adult UV swim suit. It actually looks nice and covers the shoulders. Shoulders burn fast. I do remember the oil up and bake yourself times. Those have changed. It is good that there are so many items now that can protect the delicate skin of children.

BTW mom is a redhead, took us to the beach once on a overcast day. She ended up in the hospital due to burns. Fortunately I had just gotten my drivers license so I could do her driving. But learned a very valuable lesson from that. This was before the high SPF products were available.

It really is something the whole family has to be prepared for, a sun burn can just ruin a trip. And yes I have seen people turn into lobsters on cruises. And you know they are going to be in some serious pain later.

[highbridge5]

We prefer the more creamy sunscreens because you can actually see where you put them and where you missed. Nothing worse than missing a spot. The spray on's are easier to use and more expensive but harder to tell if you got it everywhere.

 

We use the water babies SPF 50 and higher but we are not prone to bad burns. My fair-skinned, Irish co-worker just got roasted (to the point of swelling etc.), even with SPF 70 on. Coming from that part of the UK, you should get as high an SPF as you can find.

 

We also use a brand called "NoAD". Seems to be just as good as water babies but less expensive because they do "No ADvertising"...

 

We "goop up" first thing in the morning before the kids even get dressed so we don't have to worry about shirts/no shirts/sandals/no sandals and are usually good for the day - unless there is sand and ocean involved.

 

For a cruise, I would use a high-SPF cream as a base coat first thing each morning and bring a spray (pump or aerosol) on the road/shore for touch-ups.

[CruisinFinsUp]

I also highly recommend the UV sun suits. The top is like a T-shirt, short or long sleeved, somewhat high around the neck (but still comfortable). Both boys and girls have "shorts" type bottoms - more coverage than a normal girl's suit for sure.

 

I like them because I then put less chemicals on my kids' bodies, and have to re-apply over less of their skin while we are out. Neither likes to wait while I reapply!

The suits are full enough coverage that the sensitive skin areas are protected well.

Lots of people wear them now, so they won't look out of place.

 

There are also now aerosol cans of sunscreen -some that require "rubbing in" some that don't. My kids hate them because the spray is cold, but I like to just be able to quickly spray arms and legs, and then only do face carefully. Makes re-applying quick and easy.

[kasil]

If your kids don't need sunscreen often, you may want to do a test on a small part of their body before you go. An allergic reaction can be as bad as a sunburn. Decide which product you want to use and buy the smallest amount you can find at home. Rub some into the skin and watch the area for 24 hours. It's unlikely that there will be a problem, but better to find out at home than on the beach in another country. When you use it on your trip, apply it at least 30 minutes before you'll be in the sun. That allows enough time for the protective chemicals to bind to the skin for maximum protection. Reapply every few hours and after swimming. Even "water-proof" products are really only water resistant. This is one time when less isn't more.:p Have a wonderful trip.

[md10074]

I like the rashguard shirts for my kids too. Last year my daughter was the only one who had one, but it did such a great job of keeping her from getting sunburn that I just bought my 14 year old son one too. It's so much easier to just pop that on them than to keep putting the sunscreen all over. This way I just have to keep reapplying it to their face, arms and legs.

 

I use whatever high SPF sunscreen I found on sale, so I can't really recommend one over the other.