Summer is right around the corner, and since the weather is warming up quite rapidly, we thought that today we would share some sun safety and water safety tips to get through the next few months!
General Sun Safety for Kids
- Children’s skin is more sensitive to UV rays from the sun
- Try to keep toddlers out of sun during peak hours and look for shade
- Babies younger than 12 months are especially sensitive
- Use sun smart clothing and sunscreen
- “Sun-smart” clothing: wide brim hats that cover the neck and ears, closely woven fabrics, sunglasses
- Apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before sun exposure and make sure it is absorbed
- Reapply sunscreen every few hours
- Encourage children to drink lots of water
Extra Information
- Try to use hats and clothing that shade the ears and neck as well as the head
- Use sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection and a minimum SPF of 30
- Use lip balm with SPF 30 as well
- Do a sunscreen patch test before applying to the entire body to make sure your child’s skin does not react to sunscreen
- If your child is wearing a bathing suit, make sure to get sunscreen around and under the edges of the suit where skin may become exposed again as they play
- Sunscreen is not recommended for babies less than 6 months of age because it can get in their mouths and eyes
- Children’s eyes need to be protected from the same as well, use sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection
- A tan does not mean that your skin is protected, rather, a tan is an indication that there has been damage to the skin, be sure to take precautions even if your skin is already tanned
- Drink lots of water!
Source: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/sun-safety-children and https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/children.htm