Babies and the Sun
I'm obsessed with sun protection, in general, and that's definitely reflected in my preoccupation with my babies' skin. Both of my babies seem to share their father's milky white skin (courtesy of an Irish-Swedish-etc. heritage), with barely a hint of the olive that makes my skin so burn-proof. I started secretly slathering SPF on Lola when she was 4 months old (you're supposed to wait until they are 6 months)and when my husband caught me, I tried to convince him that she was close enough. He didn't buy it. Today, she gets an application of sunscreen every single morning, rain or shine. (It just occurred to me that I should try one of those sunscreen sticks for her face. It's so small that it's hard to do a good job without getting the goo everywhere, and without her running away!).
This afternoon, for the first time, the four of us spent time poolside. I spent most of the time lounging on our outdoor bed with Eva while Kevin and Lola played in the pool. It's an amazing king sized "bed" (a gift from Kevin's parents) that is complete with a canopy and side curtains that can completely block out the sun. I kept Eva in the shade and kept her covered in a little striped Ralph Lauren baby dress. Lola wore Baby Blanket SPF45 sunscreen and a cute little skirted bikini from Gymboree that has UPF50 built into the fabric. I also kept chasing after her with a cute matching sun hat.
Later, we all hung out on the bed, eating cheese and crackers and popsicles and just enjoying the glorious day, with the music of songbirds and the smell of jasmine floating through the air. It was really idyllic.
Since we have learned about the perils of too much sun exposure, summer has ceased to be as carefree as it used to be. That's why I'm a big advocate of sun protection that is built into clothing. It's completely effortless! All you have to worry about are the exposed areas, and as anyone who's tried to apply sunscreen to a squirmy baby knows, that's more than enough! So, on that note, here is my list of top sunscreen products for kids:
UPF-treated clothing: Why can't all clothes have sunscreen built into the fabric? Fortunately, more and more companies are catching on to this. I just bought a couple of bathing suits for Lola, one of them that matches Eva's, from Gymboree and they have a UPF of 50. (UPF is like SPF for clothes). Other companies that have UPF clothing include Cabana Life, Sea Folly, One Ste Ahead, and Land's End. For a long time, most of these clothes were strictly utilitarian, but now many of them are actually cute!
RIT Sun Guard: This stuff is miraculous. It's a powder that you wash your clothes in, and it boosts the UPF of your clothing to a 30. For example, a regular white t-shirt only has an SPF of 5, but with one washing in this stuff, it will have a UPF of 50. No need to be limited to clothing (or bathing suits) with UPF built in! And it last through several washes. I don't understand why this stuff isn't more famous!
Sunscreen Wipes: The easiest, most mess-free way to apply sun protection to a baby. As easy as using a baby wipe - you can even cover most of a squirmy toddler during a routine diaper change! Several companies make them, including Baby Blanket(which makes nice big ones, available at Babies R Us) , Baby Silk, and Swipes. But skip the ones by Desert Essence. They're tiny and not saturated enough to offer adequate protection. Unfortunately, sunscreen wipes are a little on the pricey side, but quite worth it!
Sun Sensors: These cute little stickers are an ingenious concept - they change color when your baby has had too much sun! And kids think love them. Available at onestepahead.com.
Sun Canopies: These are like little tents that pop up and offer an instant shady, UPF-protectant spot to hang out in at the beach or the park. One Step Ahead offers a couple of great ones - I just ordered the big family size one for the summer.
This afternoon, for the first time, the four of us spent time poolside. I spent most of the time lounging on our outdoor bed with Eva while Kevin and Lola played in the pool. It's an amazing king sized "bed" (a gift from Kevin's parents) that is complete with a canopy and side curtains that can completely block out the sun. I kept Eva in the shade and kept her covered in a little striped Ralph Lauren baby dress. Lola wore Baby Blanket SPF45 sunscreen and a cute little skirted bikini from Gymboree that has UPF50 built into the fabric. I also kept chasing after her with a cute matching sun hat.
Later, we all hung out on the bed, eating cheese and crackers and popsicles and just enjoying the glorious day, with the music of songbirds and the smell of jasmine floating through the air. It was really idyllic.
Since we have learned about the perils of too much sun exposure, summer has ceased to be as carefree as it used to be. That's why I'm a big advocate of sun protection that is built into clothing. It's completely effortless! All you have to worry about are the exposed areas, and as anyone who's tried to apply sunscreen to a squirmy baby knows, that's more than enough! So, on that note, here is my list of top sunscreen products for kids:
UPF-treated clothing: Why can't all clothes have sunscreen built into the fabric? Fortunately, more and more companies are catching on to this. I just bought a couple of bathing suits for Lola, one of them that matches Eva's, from Gymboree and they have a UPF of 50. (UPF is like SPF for clothes). Other companies that have UPF clothing include Cabana Life, Sea Folly, One Ste Ahead, and Land's End. For a long time, most of these clothes were strictly utilitarian, but now many of them are actually cute!
RIT Sun Guard: This stuff is miraculous. It's a powder that you wash your clothes in, and it boosts the UPF of your clothing to a 30. For example, a regular white t-shirt only has an SPF of 5, but with one washing in this stuff, it will have a UPF of 50. No need to be limited to clothing (or bathing suits) with UPF built in! And it last through several washes. I don't understand why this stuff isn't more famous!
Sunscreen Wipes: The easiest, most mess-free way to apply sun protection to a baby. As easy as using a baby wipe - you can even cover most of a squirmy toddler during a routine diaper change! Several companies make them, including Baby Blanket(which makes nice big ones, available at Babies R Us) , Baby Silk, and Swipes. But skip the ones by Desert Essence. They're tiny and not saturated enough to offer adequate protection. Unfortunately, sunscreen wipes are a little on the pricey side, but quite worth it!
Sun Sensors: These cute little stickers are an ingenious concept - they change color when your baby has had too much sun! And kids think love them. Available at onestepahead.com.
Sun Canopies: These are like little tents that pop up and offer an instant shady, UPF-protectant spot to hang out in at the beach or the park. One Step Ahead offers a couple of great ones - I just ordered the big family size one for the summer.
posted by The Beauty Insider @ 8:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home