Recently I went on a trip with my children and went full armed with sun protection. It was for sensitive skin and it had an SPF of 50+. I plastered the kids from head to toe with it as I was determined that they would not be burnt. They spent an incredible amount of time in the pool but I still reapplied the product to them all. Imagine my surprise when my eldest caught the sun on her face and my second daughter got irritation on her forearm. How could this be? I had spent a fortune to make sure that they were properly protected from sun burn. Boy was I disappointed! So my question is, does sunscreen/sun block really work? After my experience I have come up with the following 7 tips to ensure that we can all have a happy holiday free from sunburn:
- Don’t be over confident with sunscreen with a high SPF. Research has illustrated that sunscreen that is at least SPF 15, blocks 93 percent of UVB rays. SPF 30 only provides an extra four percent protection—the difference isn't as huge as you'd think, so don't be overconfident in your number.
- Stay away from sunscreen containing vitamin A. Whilst this is ok for diets, it is not good on the skin as it has been found to increase the risk of cancer.
- Avoid sunscreens that are said to contain parabens. These have been found to be detrimental to skin care.
- Look for sunscreens which contain physical sun blockers in particular zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which are safe to use. They create a physical barrier between the skin and the sun’s harmful rays
- Try to use a sunscreen without fragrance as this can cause skin irritation
- Quite simply you can say out of the sun during the peak hours between 11am to 4pm. Stay in the shade and wear long sleeves and sunglasses to protect the eyes.
- Always reapply sunscreen after you or the children have come out of the pool. Although the label on the bottle says that the product is “waterproof” it will easily wash off.
Follow these tips and you will be sure to have a fabulous holiday!
