Sandra Gordon
You've read the statistics before: Eighty percent of harmful sun exposure occurs before the age of 18. That's why you're careful to slather sunscreen on your child when she's at the beach or pool. But how sun-smart are you when it comes to the nitty-gritty of deciphering SPFs, picking the best sunscreen, or treating a mild sunburn? We guarantee you'll learn some new facts from our quiz that will help you keep your child's skin healthier this summer and reduce her risk of skin cancer later in life.
1. True or false: Babies younger than six months shouldn't wear sunscreen.
False. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says it's safe for infants younger than six months to wear minimal amounts of sunscreen on small areas such as the face and neck. In general, however, the AAP advises that you keep a baby younger than six months in the shade of a tree, umbrella, or stroller canopy. "Babies are more prone than adults to sunburn because their skin is thinner and their body's protective tanning response isn't developed," explains Jim Chow, MD, associate director of the division of dermatology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, in Columbia.
If you can't avoid exposing your baby to the sun, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher that contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These key ingredients physically block the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays without irritating your baby's sensitive skin.
2. Which is better at protecting kids from the sun:
A. sun block
B. sunscreen
C. both can be effective
C. Both products can protect kids from UVA and UVB rays. For years, the terms "sun block" and "sunscreen" have been used interchangeably on products. However, in accordance with Food and Drug Administration regulations, all over-the-counter sun-protection products are now simply labeled "sunscreen." For a child who's older than six months, choose a waterproof broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher that contains titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or avobenzone. Avoid sunscreens with PABA or built-in bug repellent, both of which can irritate the skin.
3. Which are more harmful:
A. UVA rays
B. UVB rays
Both. They're equally harmful because both types can cause skin cancer. The sun's penetrating UVB rays also cause sunburn. UVA rays break down the skin's collagen, leading to wrinkles.
4. Your child is at highest risk for a sunburn:
A. At the beach
B. At the pool
C. On a hike in the mountains
D. At the playground
A, B and C. The beach, the pool, and the mountains are all serious sunburn spots. In or near the water, everyone gets a double whammy of ultraviolet radiation: harmful rays from above and those reflecting off of the water. At high altitudes, the sun's rays are also more dangerous to your child because they're more concentrated. The sun is less of a threat on the playground because some rays are absorbed by the dark surface but children will still get burned if you don't apply sunscreen.
And remember that your kids can also get burned through a car window or on a cloudy or hazy day if they're not protected. "You can't see or feel ultraviolet radiation. But it's there and it can be powerful," says David J. Leffell, MD, a professor of dermatology and surgery at the Yale School of Medicine.
5. Kids need to start wearing sunglasses:
A. At six months of age
B. At six years of age
C. When they're old enough to read
A. Six months of age is a good time to start putting mini sunglasses on your child if you can get her to keep them on. Pint-size sunglasses that filter out 99-100% of the sun's UVA and UV rays (the label will say so) can help reduce your child's risk of age-related cataracts. "Your eye remembers the sun damage you get as a child," says John B. Jeffers, MD, program director for ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital, in Philadelphia, PA. Ideally, your child's sunglasses should be made of polycarbonate, a shatterproof synthetic material that can protect her eyes from injury if she trips and falls or gets hit in the face by a ball.
6. True or False: Your child doesn't need to reapply sunscreen after he swims or sweats if the product he's using is waterproof.
False. "Waterproof or water-resistant sunscreen isn't 100 percent waterproof or water-resistant," says Dr. Chow. The pool, the ocean, sweat, even drying your child with a towel can wash or rub it off. Your best bet? Reapply your child's waterproof sunscreen every two to three hours. In fact, consider that a general rule for all sunscreen, whether or not it's waterproof. And don't forget to reapply protection to feet, ears and noses, three highly sensitive and commonly-burned areas on kids.
7. True or false: A sunscreen with a SPF of 30 protects twice as long as one with an SPF of 15.
False. A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 blocks 96-97% of the sun's rays, only two to three percent more than a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 does. Still, if your kids are going to be in the sun for more than a couple of hours, opt for the higher number. "The extra two to three percent of protection can make a difference," says Kathleen Behr, M.D., a dermatologist and skin cancer specialist at the UCLA Dermatology Center.
8. True or false: It takes just four sunburns to increase a child's risk of skin cancer.
False. Kids who get even two blistering sunburns may increase their risk of skin cancer later in life, which is one of the best reasons to protect your child's skin from day one. "Skin cells have a gene that can get damaged by the sun in childhood, setting the stage for cells to divide abnormally as we get older," said Dr. Leffell.
9. The best way to soothe a mild sunburn is to:
A. apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly
B. gently bathe the skin then apply moisturizer
C. leave the skin alone; it will heal faster by itself
B. The bath will cool your child off, and a basic moisturizer (doctors like Lubriderm and Keri) helps replenish her dried-out skin. To reduce the inflammation, give her ibuprofen within the first 48 hours. And keep her out of the sun until her sunburn is healed. If your baby gets burned, give her juice or water to replace lost fluids and call your pediatrician immediately. A severe sunburn in an infant can be dangerous.
10. Most sunscreens have a shelf life of:
A. one year
B. five years
C. depends on the brand
A. Even if the product that's been hanging around in your medicine cabinet has a later expiration date on the bottle, it's best to replace your sunscreen every summer to be sure it's as effective as possible for your children, recommends Patricia Witman, MD, a pediatric dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota.
11. The very best way to protect your child from the sun's burning rays is by:
A. wearing a brimmed hat and other clothing that will block out the sun
B. keeping him in the shade
C. using a broad-spectrum sunscreen
All. "Sunscreen is only one component," Dr. Behr says. Try to keep your child out of direct sunlight from late morning to midafternoon, when the sun is strongest. If this is unrealistic, have him take frequent shade breaks. At the beach, make sure he wears a hat, and have him wear a shirt at least part of the day.
12.It's a good idea to apply sunscreen to your child:
A. 30 minutes before she goes out in the sun
B. 10 minutes before she goes out in the sun
C. as soon as she gets outside.
A. Because sunscreen needs plenty of time to penetrate the skin, apply a generous amount of sunscreen all over your child's body, including the areas beneath her clothes, about half an hour before she goes outside. "Kids can burn very quickly," says June Robinson, MD, chief of dermatology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, New Hampshire, especially under the summer's intense rays. And, worse, you can't necessarily tell when they're getting fried. Often, a sunburn doesn't show up until that night or the next morning. And even if your child's skin does start to look pink while he's playing in the sun, the damage is already done.
13. True or false: It's okay to use an adult sunscreen on your child's skin.
True. It's not necessary to buy one sunscreen for you and a separate one for your kids, since adult versions are rarely irritating. "I put the same sunscreen on my children that I use, unless I notice that they have a sensitivity to it," Dr. Behr says. It's also fine for you to use the kids' stuff, since it works as well as the adult version. If your kids squirm or protest when it's time to put on sunscreen, a children's product that comes in a brightly colored bottle with a spray or foam applicator might make the process a little easier.
Sandra Gordon is the mother of two and the co-author of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products. She writes frequently on health and nutrition topics for Parents, Ladies' Home Journal and Family Circle.
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