You need to know exactly what to use and when and how to protect their skins. The following guidelines were adapted from the AAD:
Shading the sun away
- Kids can wear sunglasses too! Protect their eyes and the skin around their eyes with sunglasses that block 90-100% of the sun’s UV rays.
- Let them wear wide brimmed hats that will shade their necks and faces.
- Apply sunscreen to your child every day if they will be outside for more than 20 minutes.
- Apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
- Use enough sunscreen to cover all the important areas.
- Take a break from the sun and rather play indoors between 09:00 – 15:00 when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest and most harmful.
- When choosing sunscreen, look for one with an SPF of 15 and higher that provides broad spectrum coverage against all ultraviolet light wavelengths.
- Dispose of sunscreen older than 3 years because they are no longer effective.
Understanding your sunscreen – What factor sunscreen should I use?
- Determine how long it takes for your skin to burn when you are in the sun.
- Divide that number of minutes into the total number of minutes you want to spend in the sun.
- The result is the SPF you should look for in a sunscreen e.g. if your unprotected skin burns in 10 minutes, and you plan on being in the sun for three hours, you would need a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 18 (180 minutes divided by 10 equals 18).
- If you are still unsure use a high SPF factor to protect your kids. Rather safe than sorry.
Tip: Make sure they stay hydrated…
If they complain of headache, feeling warm and nauseas they might have heat exhaustion.
You might want to read about the advantages of swimming lessons.
