Family Lifestyle Parenting

Should I Use Sunscreen? 5 Sunscreen Tips For Parents and Sunburn Facts

I am partnering with Know Your OTC’s on a sponsored post to share these ever important sunscreen tips for parents and sunburn facts! If you find yourself asking, “Should I use sunscreen?” these tips will definitely help.

Should I Use Sunscreen 5 Sunscreen Tips For Parents and Sunburn Facts

The summer time comes with beach days, family fun by the pool, and beautiful, warm sunshine. With sunshine comes UV rays, and those things can be harmful to our skin! I don’t know about you all, but I have been a sunscreen user since I was a child and my mother put it on me when I was out in the sun. We are an active family, so I also put sunscreen on my kids – it can be quite challenging! I feel like there has been a lot of conversation about the use of sunscreen, and I really think it’s important to educate parents about the facts – once and for all!

kids jumping at the beach

Should I Use Sunscreen? The answer…

Is sunscreen necessary? I am going to just go ahead and say YES. You may not have to use sunscreen every single day, but this depends upon your lifestyle and how long you and your kids will be exposed to the sun. If you’ve been on the fence about using sunscreen on yourself and your children, it’s important to know that you will be much worse off if you choose not to. You’re risking your exposure to UV rays, which can cause painful burns, premature wrinkles, and permanent skin damage leading to skin cancer. Read on for some helpful sunscreen tips for parents and sunburn facts that you absolutely can’t deny, courtesy of Know Your OTC’s.

Sunscreen spray - Important sunscreen tips for parents and sunburn facts

5 Sunscreen Tips For Parents and Sunburn Facts

1. Should I use sunscreen? You may be wondering what sunscreen is best for your family. Since sunscreen is considered an over the counter medicine, he team at Know Your OTC’s suggests looking for a broad spectrum sunscreen, which means that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. The UVA rays can cause premature aging and wrinkles and damage that can lead to skin cancer, and the UVB rays can cause your skin to burn. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

2. SPF means “Sun Protection Factor,” which is a measure of how well a sunscreen can protect the skin from sunburn causing UVB rays. Experts recommend a minimum of SPF 30, you should be able to see a clear marking on each sunscreen bottle. SPF 30 sunscreen blocks 97% of UVB rays, and SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays. 

3. If you need help with how much sunscreen to apply, the total amount needed is roughly golf ball sized. This is a pretty good place to start for proper coverage. Make sure you lather up and cover the skin completely, even underneath swimsuits, t-shirts, and shorts.

4. You should try to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure. As the day progresses, sunscreen should be re-applied every 2 hours or more frequently if swimming or sweating. An important note: Do not apply sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months old.

5. The best way to keep our skin healthy is prevention. If you do end up finding yourself or your child with a sunburn, do not fret! To treat a sunburn, you can apply moisturizing cream to relieve discomfort, take a cool shower or bath, wear dry bandages if blisters are visible, wear loose cotton clothing, and make sure you do not use products that have benzocaine or lidocaine, which might make the burn worse.

Mother and son swimming in the pool

Here’s a fun video we made to give a few sunscreen tips for parents and some sunburn facts!

Stay safe in the sun with these sunscreen tips! 

Avoid excessive sun exposure this summer and protect you and your family’s skin with these proper sunscreen tips for parents this summer. In addition, the use of hats, rash guards, and SPF swimsuits can help protect the skin from those harmful UVA and UVB rays! For more information about sunburn prevention and other sunscreen tips for parents, visit KnowYourOTCs.org.

SubscribeFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | Google+ | Periscope

1 Comment

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

/* ]]> */