Baby Sun Care 101

The best way to protect your baby is to keep your baby out of direct sunlight as much as possible, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest. Routinely dress him in a hat, lightweight pants, and a long-sleeved shirt for outings during the middle of the day. Tightly woven clothing protects better than loosely woven fabrics (to see how tight the weave is, hold the fabric up to a light – the less light that shines through, the better). Add UV-protective sunglasses if your baby will wear them. Use an umbrella, stroller canopy, or sun-protective tent to protect your baby while he’s outside.

Until August 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended against using any type of sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months, because their skin’s ability to metabolize and excrete chemicals may not be fully developed. This recommendation has been revised somewhat.  You can use sunscreen on babies under 6 months if adequate clothing and shade aren’t available, but check with your pediatrician first.  If you use organic sunblock you can avoid chemical interaction altogether.  That doesn’t mean you should slather your baby in sunblock, though. Just apply a small amount of lotion to exposed areas.

For babies over 6 months, use a waterproof sunscreen designed for children. Choose a sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum,” which means it protects against both ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreens are good to use on particularly sensitive spots, such as the nose and lips.

The AAP and American Academy of Dermatology recommend an SPF of at least 15, but many experts recommend SPF 30 or higher for babies, and many baby sunscreen formulas have even higher SPFs. If possible, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply it at least every two hours, especially if your baby has been playing in the water or has been sweating (even if the sunscreen is waterproof).

When trying a new sunscreen, do a patch test on your child’s back to make sure he doesn’t have a reaction to it. If he does develop a rash or redness at the test site, choose a hypoallergenic formula instead.

How to Treat Your Baby For Sun Burn

Understanding your baby’s skin and the sun can help you prevent a sunburn. First its important to note the best treatment is prevention. A sunburn is the result of overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A baby’s skin is very thin and delicate, so despite your best precautions, a sunburn can happen – and it may take only ten to 15 minutes of exposure to cause one. Your baby can even get burned on a cloudy or cool day because it’s not the visible light or the heat from the sun that burns but the invisible UV radiation. Sunburns can be painful and can also cause more serious problems such as dehydration and fever.If you suspect your baby might have been overexposed to the sun, you may not notice a sunburn immediately. The redness and pain of a mild first-degree burn can take several hours to appear. A more severe second-degree sunburn can cause red, tender, swollen, or blistered skin that’s hot to the touch. It’s extremely unlikely that a baby would get a third-degree burn – the worst kind – from sun exposure. If you see blisters contact your pediatrician.

If the sunburn is mild, soak a cloth diaper or clean washcloth in cool water, wring it out, and gently place it on the sunburned area for ten to 15 minutes a few times a day (make sure your child doesn’t get chilled). You could also bathe your baby in a mixture of cool water and baking soda to help cool the skin and reduce redness. Follow either treatment with a gentle application of water-based moisturizer. Also, give your baby plenty of fluids – breast milk, formula, or, for an older baby, water – to prevent dehydration.

For more sever cases consult a doctor. The doctor may prescribe topical steroid ointments or creams, an infant non-aspirin pain reliever, or draining and dressing of blisters.

Basic Baby Sun Care

When you take your bay outside you should understand how to keep them safe from the sun. Their skin is so delicate that the sun and wind can burn them easily. If there is any tanning on your baby’s skin it means that there is some skin damage. The mildest of sunburns is very painful for the baby and studies have shown that skin cancer is related to sunburn in childhood. Here are some tips to protect the baby from the sun:• Dress your baby up in long-sleeved T-shirts and pants made of cotton. This will be cool and protect the skin from the sun.
• Do not let your baby out in the sun especially at noon, as the sun is the strongest at this time.
• Use a sunblock every time you take the baby out. The sun protection factor SPF should be at least 15. You should reapply if your going to be out in the sun for over a couple hours
• Use a wide rimmed hat when you take the baby out. Sunshades and umbrellas are a great tool also.
• If your baby does get sun burnt give him a cool bath and apply an aftersun lotion. It is always safer to consult your doctor first.
• Ensure that your baby is drinking a lot of fluids. Whether it is breast milk or water especially if it is very hot so that he doesn’t get dehydrated.
• Sometimes babies can have a heat stroke due to over exposure to the sun. The common symptoms are vomiting, listlessness, headaches and drowsiness. Give your baby plenty of fluids and consult your doctor immediately.
• Remember to protect your babies from the wind too. Harsh wind can damage their delicate skin as well.

Skin Types 101

There are four dominant factors that determine your Skin Type. These factors are: oily vs. dry, sensitive vs. resistant, pigmented vs. non-pigmented, and wrinkled vs. tight. The key factors interact to determine the skin’s appearance, problems, needs, and vulnerabilities, and therefore dictate the kinds of products, ingredients, and tratments useful to address them. To get started, let me introduce you to some basics about the skin.

THE BIOLOGY OF THE SKIN

The top layer of the skin, called the epidermis, is made up of four distinct layers. When you look at someone’s skin, you see the very top layer, made up of cells that reflect light. When that top layer is smooth, it reflects light evenly so that the skin looks more uniform and radiant than it does when the surface is rougher.

At the lowest portion of the epidermis are “mother cells,” called basal cells, which produce all the other skin cells. They divide into “daughter cells,” which rise up to the higher levels of the epidermis. As they travel, they age and eventually die, so that the top layer consists of dead cells which naturally exfoliate off in a process called the “cell cycle,” which can take anywhere from twenty-six to forty-two days. Between the third and eighth decades of life, the cell cycle slows from 30 to 50 percent of its pace in youth. That means that older skin renews itself much more slowly, forming a rough surface of cells, rather than a smooth surface. The uppermost cells contain a natural moisturizing factor (NMF), which holds moisture. The body responds to a dry environment by producing more NMF, but it takes several days for production to rev up, so your skin may become quite dehydrated before help comes. That’s why it’s important to moisturize your skin in any dry environment. Substances released by the cells in the middle of the epidermis form a protective film made of lipids (fats) that surrounds skin cells and helps keep the skin hydrated. Your fingers and toes contain fewer lipids and are therefore not as “watertight” as your legs, which is why your fingers and toes look shriveled after immersion in water but your legs do not. Your skin cracks in cold weather because the chilled lipids become stiffer and less able to adjust to movement. The goal of the best moisturizers is to increase the amount of these important lipids, helping your skin to hold moisture.