Sunscreen For Babies
All about Sunscreen for Babies
You shouldn’t rely on sunscreen for babies. Babies and heavy doses of sun don’t mix regardless of what precautions you take. As any mom or dad knows, baby skin is very, very sensitive and it doesn’t take very much at all to burn. If you thought you had a hard time getting baby to sleep without a sunburn, you will soon discover that a sunburned baby is a completely new set of difficulties.
Of course, we can’t always avoid the sun. We have errands to run and other kids, and bunch of other reasons why we have to go out on sunny days. Therefore, you put on the sunscreen as a precaution and go about life. There are however, certain further precautions you can take.
Choosing the Proper Sunscreen
Just as you should not get a detergent with possibly harmful chemicals for your baby, you also want to be the sure that you are getting a sunscreen for babies. You should look for a sunscreen that has zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These “physical” sunscreens work by forming an actual barrier on the surface of baby’s skin that shields the sun’s rays from burning him or her.
The drawback to these kinds of sunscreens is that they wipe or wash off easily. Therefore, you should prepare to reapply it often. Just take it along with you when you go anywhere.
The problem with chemical sunscreens is that they can go deep into in the dermas and that they may irritate the skin. You should be especially cautious if your baby has eczema or some other skin condition that presents itself as a skin irritation. The physical sunscreens don’t do this because they don’t penetrate the skin.
If you find that you have to use a chemical sunscreen, you should test it out on a small section of your baby’s arm the day before you plan to go out. If your baby has a reaction to it, then you should continue to look for another sunscreen. You should also keep in mind that some chemicals in sunscreen tend to have their reactions when they come into contact with sunlight, so your prior day’s test may not turn out to be conclusive.
You should not get a sunscreen with more than an SPF of 30 since the extra chemicals they put in to get them beyond this level will further endanger your baby without adding significantly to the protection. You should, however, at least have an SPF of 15.
Other Precautions
Even with your sunscreen for babies, you still should try to keep your baby out of direct sunlight as much as possible. If you are at the park with your older children try to find a shady area underneath a canopy. Dress your baby in cool clothes but try to get as much coverage as possible without overheating baby. Make sure baby has a nice hat and cover up baby’s carriage so that the sun isn’t shining in on your little one.
Be mindful of baby. If baby shows any sign of feeling the effects of heat, call it an early day. Ideally, however, you want to make sure to head things off before there are any problems. It is a cliché, but it is true: better safe than sorry.
Don’t forget that heat effects baby as well. Therefore, you want to be sure to keep on giving baby her fluids. Bring along a bottle and make sure that baby keeps the liquids flowing.
If you take these precautions and avoid exposing baby to too much sunlight, your baby will have few problems with the sun.