Baby's skin is much more sensitive than our thicker adult skin. Therefore, we must be extremely careful when it comes to sun exposure on our precious baby's skin. Follow these guidelines and you and your baby will have fun and be sun safe!

SUNBLOCK:

Why can't baby's less than 6-months old wear sunscreen?

It is recommended that you use other forms of sun protectant in infants this young, such as, thin, cool clothing that covers the baby's skin. However, recently the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sunscreen for babies under 6-months if used on small areas of the skin, such as, the face and backs of the hands, parts that clothing cannot cover. Be sure to not get the sunscreen in the baby's eyes. When using for the first time, watch for rashes or other irritations.

The reason not to over use sunscreen in babies under 6-months is due to their thin skin and their skin to body ratio is much more than an adult or older baby's is. Since sunscreens are made of chemicals, These chemicals absorbed into the skin of a younger baby is potential for an adverse reaction. Also due to sunscreen causing a lack of sweating, which helps keep us cool, too much sunscreen on a young baby could cause his body temperature to overheat, causing a very bad situation.

Keep your younger baby out of the direct sunlight whenever possible, use a stroller hood or umbrella for shade. Whenever your baby is exposed to direct sunlight, be sure he wears a sun hat at all times to shade his little face.

For babies over 6-months, choose a sunblock that is especially formulated for babies because it will have less harsh chemicals for their sensitive skin and be sure it is at least an SPF 50.

How often should I apply sunscreen?

No matter how long it says it lasts before needing to be reapplied, you should always reapply sunscreen very frequently on babies to be safe, especially on the face, back of neck, and other sensitve areas, and areas that will get wiped off a lot such as the hands and feet. Any time your baby is in the water, you should reapply the sunblock. Be sure to bathe your baby after a day of sunscreen applications to prevent any overdose of chemicals into your baby's skin. A good rule is that your baby should not go to sleep at night with sunscreen still on her skin.

Apply sunscreen for any amount of time spent in the sun. Even if it's just 30 minutes of sun exposure, your baby's skin should be protected.

If my baby has sunscreen, it's safe for her to be in the sun as long as we want right?

Wrong. Sunscreens do not provide total protection from UV rays. You should always limit your babies exposure to direct sunlight especially limit your baby's time in the sun during the mid-day, as this is the time the suns harmful rays are more dangerous. Instead find a nice shade this part of the day for your baby to sit and play with some toys.

SUNHAT:

We can sunblock our baby's skin but what about his scalp. Even babies that have hair can get severe sunburn on their unprotected scalp. We must protect their scalp! Be sure to put a sun hat on your baby when she is exposed to direct sunlight. Choose a hat with a wide brim which will also keep the sunlight out of your baby's face and the back of his neck.

My baby won't wear a hat!

Try to encourage your baby to wear a hat by wearing one yourself. A sunhat can prevent harmful rays from your baby's eyes. Most baby's will not wear sunglasses, so a hat is really the best option for protecting their eyes too.

CLOTHING:

What type of clothing is best for sun protection?

It is beleived that the more sunburns you get at a younger age, the more likely you are to develop skin cancer later in life. So, enjoy the sun this summer, but don't over expose your baby's skin to the harmful rays.