What Sunscreen Not To Use On Babies

Not usually according to hari cheryl sachs m d a pediatrician at.

What sunscreen not to use on babies. You know you re supposed to wear sunscreen every day year round. For newborns and babies under 6 months the american academy of pediatrics aap says that parents can apply a minimal amount of baby safe sunscreen with an spf of 30 50 no lower than spf 15 though to the face. Zinc oxide based sunscreen is the preferable type of sun block for babies. Zinc is a mineral blocker that works by sitting on top of the skin to form a protective barrier against the sun rather than seeping into pores.

In addition dress your baby in protective clothing a hat with a brim and sunglasses. You re at the beach slathered in sunscreen. The best way to protect babies from the sun is to keep them in the shade as much as possible. Sunscreen is ok to use on babies older than 6 months.

Use spf 15 or greater but keep in mind there s not enough research to prove any spf above 50 actually offers greater protection. If your child develops a rash talk to your. Make sure he or she doesn t get overheated however. It is one of ewg s best rated sunscreens for kids and babies for 2020 and gets great customer reviews.

But when it comes to sunscreen for babies especially infants the guidelines aren t quite as black and white. You should consider sunscreen your last resort to prevent sunburns though. Not only does this sunscreen rub in clear hurray thanks to the uncoated clear zinc oxide it s also made with 97 percent organic ingredients and smells like an orange cream popsicle. In fact there s no clear evidence that using sunscreens actually prevents skin cancer including in the best sunscreens and some ingredients may actually fuel skin cancer.

For babies 6 months of age and older. Adorable baby sunscreen lotion spf 30 badger sunscreen cream unscented spf 30. We tend to use sunscreen that contains mineral blockers for babies while adults use mineral blockers alongside chemical blockers as well explains joshua zeichner md a new york city based dermatologist many parents are concerned with the use of titanium dioxide in sunscreens for kids so many of the latest baby sunscreens are zinc only. Apply a small amount of the sunscreen you re planning to use on a patch of your baby s skin 48 hours before you go out to test for potential irritation.

For older babies and children sunscreen with an spf sun protection factor of 15 is the minimum recommended although the american academy of dermatology suggests using spf 30 or higher. So what makes baby sunscreen special. Apply spf 30 to 50 sunscreen made for children to all exposed areas of the body.