Protecting Your Baby With Sunblock

Many people use the terms sunblock and sunscreen interchangeably. They are not the same though.

Sunscreens absorb ultraviolet light so that it doesn’t reach your skin.

On the other hand, sunblock physically blocks the sun’s UV rays and prevent your skins from getting sunburn & away from the harsh sun rays. The various form of Sun Block can be lotions, oils, sticks, gels, sprays and creams.

Most sunblock includes titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Although sunblock work well, they are messy, usually opaque (you can see them), and so are typically only used on small areas of a person’s body, like their nose, ears, or cheeks. Fortunately, newer sunblock are invisible, just like sunscreen. In fact, many products contain both a sunscreen and a sunblock.

Sunblock has the added benefit over sunscreen as it not only block UVA rays, it also block UVB rays. Unfortunately, many products are labeled as being sunblock, but are actually just sunscreen. If you really want a sunblock for your child, look for sunblock ingredients, including titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a worldwide standard for measuring the effectiveness of sunscreen. The higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against UV-B (the ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn). The SPF is the amount of UV radiation required to cause sunburn on skin with the sunscreen on, relative to the amount required without the sunscreen. So, wearing a sunscreen with SPF 30, your skin will not burn until it has been exposed to 30 times the amount of solar energy that would normally cause it to burn. The amount of solar energy you are exposed to depends not only on the amount of time you spend in the sun, but also the time of day. This is because, during early morning and late afternoon, the sun’s radiation must pass through more of the Earth’s atmosphere before it gets to you. In practice, the protection from a particular sunscreen depends on factors such as:

• The skin type of the user.
• The amount applied and frequency of re-application.
• Activities in which one engages (for example, swimming leads to a loss of sunscreen from the skin).
• Amount of sunscreen the skin has absorbed.

The SPF is an imperfect measure of skin damage because invisible damage and skin aging is also caused by the very common ultraviolet type A (wavelength 320 to 400 nm) which does not cause reddening or pain. Conventional sunscreen does not block UVA as effectively as it does UVB, and an SPF rating of 30+ may translate to significantly lower levels of UVA protection according to a 2003 study

It is always better to get sunblock or sunscreens with higher SPF, where of course SPF 50+ will be the best. Example: if you normally develop sunburn in 10 minutes without wearing a sunscreen, a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 will protect you for 150 minutes (10 minutes multiplied by the SPF of 15). To prolong the protection, just reapply the sunblock within the 150 minutes.

You can also use Water Resistant Sun for those active individuals or those involved in water sports. It’s important to check the label to ensure they say “water-resistant” or “very water-resistant.”

• Water-Resistant sun block maintains the SPF level after 40 minutes of water immersion
• Very Water-Resistant sun block maintains the SPF level after 80 minutes of water immersion

However, sun block is important for babies because it help to protect baby from UVA/UVB rays without any unwanted side effects. As baby’s skin is different from an adult, you won’t typically use the same products for your baby as you would for yourself or even an older child. Baby’s skin is 10 times more sensitive to the environment and this includes the sun’s rays. No matter where you live or what time of year it is, it’s important to protect your baby’s skin from the harsh sun rays.

Our popular choice for babies’ sunblock includes:-

• Banana Boat Baby Block SPF 50 (with UVA & UVB)
• Banana Boat Kids Dri-Blok SPF 30 Lotion

The main cause of prickly heat is over exposure to the sun and inadequate sun protection gear. Usually when the skin is in contact with harsh UV rays for more than 15 minutes, it leads to prickly heat. Sometimes, prickly heat can manifest itself in the form of tiny blisters spread over the top of the arms, neck and back or at times, it can be a certain type of redness on the skin. In either circumstance, the next step would be to rid yourself of restrictive garments and choose to let your skin breathe out the heat by wearing loose fitting, natural-fiber clothes.

In addition, to prevent prickly heat and protect your babies, reapplication may be necessary if staying outdoor for too long, also babies should not stay under the sun for too long. Wear loose fitting, cotton or natural fiber clothing and a wide brimmed hat to protect your skin from harsh UV rays, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated for yourself and your babies, and do not let perspiration dry on your skin and your baby’s skin as this can lead to further clogging of skin pores; instead wipe away with a clean towel and keep skin dry.

Related posts:

1. The Purpose of Baby Wet Wipes
2. The Purpose Of Baby Teether
3. How To Bathe For Your NewBorn Baby?
4. Types of Pacifier For Your Baby
5. Night Lights And Your Baby

Author's Bio:
ShopBug.com is a Singapore registered online webstore that sells baby products and ladies fashion. We are a commercial entity but we write posts that remain as neutral as possible, and in the event when we recommend products from our webstore, we'll try to list them separately to keep you aware. We will not be bias in our story just to sell you any products and all posts written by us are as genuine as it can be.