Sunscreen for Backyard Play and Kids
June 8th, 2008 | Posted by | Category: Sunscreen | Tags: noxema, skin care, sun's rays, sunburn, Sunscreen | No Comments
Many parents don’t even consider putting sunscreen on their children when they are going outside to play. This is the most important time and children should have sunscreen applied before going out for just regular play in their own yard. This is where they spend the most time in the sun.
It doesn’t have to be a trip to the park or to the pool when you apply sunscreen, always do it in the warmer months when your children want to go outside and play. Some of the worst burns happen in just an hours play before lunch time.
Keep applying it at least every hour or so in order to continue your child’s protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
When going on a field trip with daycare or while at summer day camp you must make sure to apply it everywhere that is exposed to the sun before sending your child off for a day of fun or they may have a night of misery with a bad sunburn that keeps them from being comfortable while trying to go to sleep.
The best thing I’ve found for sunburn relief is good old Noxema. A skin care product that is normally used to cleanse faces from oil and dirt works well to soothe the burn associated with over exposure to the sun. having some on hand is always a good idea just in case you do allow your child to remain in the sun for too long without having the proper sunscreen applied before hand.
Protecting your children from the sun’s harmful rays will give them a better chance at not getting a skin cancer later in life. In this day and age we need to do whatever we can to protect our children’s health for the future and applying sunscreen is one of those little things we can do now to help protect them.
How to Select the Right Sunscreen
June 7th, 2008 | Posted by | Category: SunscreenNo Comments
There are so many different sunscreens available. How do you decide which one is right for you? Sunscreen absorbs the ultraviolet rays sent down by the sun. It is very important to wear sunscreen in the sun to help prevent getting burnt while could lead to skin cancer in the long term. Here I will include some more tips of choosing the right sunscreen.
You should apply sunscreen about 15 to 30 minutes before heading out into the sun to go swimming, play volleyball, or to just enjoy the summer weather. The average adult requires one ounce, two tablespoons’ worth, of sunscreen for full body coverage. Use sunscreen even on a cloudy day because the sun’s UV rays can still penetrate through those clouds. On a cloudy day, 80 percent of the suns rays can still pass through the clouds for potential danger to your skin. Check the expiration date of sunscreen when buying it or pulling it out of your cabinet from the previous year. Some ingredients in sunscreen can spoil over time, so it would be best to keep up to date sunscreen for use. It’s also very important to remember to reapply your sunscreen every two hours. Without reapplying, you are a target for the sun!
Choose a sunscreen that protects against both ultraviolet A and B sun rays. These can damage the skin badly. Next, you should choose a sunscreen with at least a SPF, which is sun protection factor, of 15. This allows a blockage of about 93 percent of the UVB rays. If you have light or fair skin, then you should definitely choose a sunscreen with a high SPF, higher than 15. Higher SPF’s deflect almost 100 percent of the ultraviolet rays. A sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher is recommended for people that are at high risk for skin cancer.
Another important factor in choosing sunscreen, especially if you plan on getting in the water, is water resistant or waterproof. This is also important if you plan on doing heavy activities where you plan to perspire. You may not think there is a difference between the two but there is. Water resistant sunscreen protects up to 60 minutes and waterproof sunscreen protects up to 80 minutes of water exposure.
If you have dry skin then buy a sunscreen that includes an ingredient to increase moisture so that you are sure to not dry out your skin more. If you have oily skin, choose an oil-free based sunscreen. There are even sunscreens for sensitive skin. Choose a sunscreen that only contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These will help not to not cause irritation and redness to your skin.
Another tip is to get some lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher to protect your lips. Lips hurt when they are burnt or chapped. They are just as vulnerable to the sun as your face and body are.
Be sure to avoid sunscreen oils because they have a low SPF and are not made for reflecting the sun. They have little or no protection.
Choosing the right sunscreen for your skin type is very important. There are many different sunscreens out there for each skin type, whether you be dark or light or have oily or dry skin. Be sure to read the label and check the expiration date. You don’t want to buy sunscreen that may not work to its greatest effectiveness. Don’t forget to reapply every two hours to maintain protection.