Keep your kids sunsmart with these child-friendly sunscreens, sunglasses and hats

Beauty editor·NZ Herald·

26 Oct, 2024 08:00 PM4 mins to read

Schools and childcare facilities will be implementing their sun safety policies as term four gets under way, so it's time to slip, slop, slap and wrap. Photo / Getty Images

More than 6000 melanomas are diagnosed in New Zealand every year and almost 300 Kiwis will die of this form of skin cancer annually. Though melanoma rarely occurs in children, it’s important to set up safe sun exposure practices early to help decrease the likelihood of developing skin cancer later in life.

With the weather warming up, many parents are gearing up for the daily challenge of getting their kids to apply sunscreen and remember to pack their hats. And with term four under way, schools too are putting their sun safety policies into full effect – no hat, no play!

According to Plunket New Zealand, “gentle sunlight is good for children in small doses because it provides vitamin D. Vitamin D is important because it helps their body absorb calcium and promotes bone growth”.

Plunket recommends 10-15 minutes daily of sunlight exposure to the face, arms and hands of tamariki. It also acknowledges those with darker skin who tan more easily and burn less may need 20 minutes to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D.

Beyond this, we need to be protecting skin, young and old, from UV rays, which can cause sunburn and premature ageing. Here are a few timely reminders and considerations to make when updating your child’s sun protection for the season ahead.

Sunscreen made with kids in mind

Most sunscreen formulated for children will have an SPF of 50 or higher to ensure effective protection from UV rays. The sun protection factor of a sunscreen relates to the protection the formula provides from only UVB rays (the ones that burn), but to make sure you and your children are also protected from UVA rays (the ones that cause premature ageing), look for sunscreens labelled “broad spectrum”.

SPF indicates how much longer it would take for your skin to burn with the sunscreen on, compared with no sunscreen. For example, if you normally burn after 10 minutes in the sun, applying an SPF 30 sunscreen would theoretically allow you to stay in the sun 30 times longer (300 minutes) before burning, provided you have applied enough sunscreen to your skin. For adults, this is about seven teaspoons across the entire body.

No sunscreen can block out 100% of UV rays, but as an indication of the differences between the SPF ratings: SPF 15 blocks about 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks about 97% of UVB rays, SPF 50 blocks about 98% of UVB rays, and SPF 100 blocks about 99% of UVB rays.

If you’re looking for a sunscreen that is suitable for the whole family, choosing a children’s formula is a great option because they tend to be made for sensitive skin, rub in easily and aren’t too sticky. Be sure to check your chosen sunscreen is water resistant, apply it at least 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapply immediately after swimming or sweating.

Avene Sunsitive Children Spray SPF 50+, $44.99

Cancer Society Kids Pure Sunscreen Lotion SPF50, $23.49

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin Sunscreen SPF50, $43.99

Hats with a UPF rating

When you have a few hours of outdoor time on the cards, choosing a hat that provides protection from UV rays – plus wearing sunscreen – will help further decrease the chances of your child getting burned.

Many hats on the market now have a UPF rating. UPF measures the effectiveness of fabric in blocking ultraviolet radiation, and a garment with a UPF 50 rating allows only a 50th of the sun’s UV rays to penetrate the fabric, meaning it blocks 98% of UV radiation. Essentially, UPF is to clothing what SPF is to sunscreen, so the higher the UPF number, the greater the protection from UV rays.

Crywolf Legionnaire Hat, $34.99

Bedhead Hats Wanderer Reversible Girl’s Bucket Hat, $43.75

Sunglasses with UV protection

There are plenty of children who will refuse to keep sunglasses on (let alone a hat!) but if you can get a pair on your little one, they’ll get that extra bit of protection that can help prevent eye damage.

When it comes to children’s sunglasses, much like choosing a sunscreen, you want to read the label to ensure they’re providing adequate protection. Most UV protection in sunglasses is achieved through a special coating applied to the lens or by using lens materials that inherently block UV rays.

Eyewear labelled as UV400 provides nearly 100% protection from UV light. This is a standard that means the lenses block all light rays with wavelengths up to 400 nanometres, covering both UVA and UVB rays.

Where clumsy little hands (and mouths and feet) are concerned, it makes sense to look for sunglasses that can take some hard knocks too.