Can you use sunscreen on babies?
It is not recommended to use sun creams in children under 6 months, and from that age we must use just and always greater than SPF 50.
Summer has arrived and with it thousands of different plans! If there is one thing that characterizes this season, it is the high temperatures and the increase we have in free time. This implies, on the one hand, that we are going to spend many more hours with our babies, enjoying them , their growth and their company and, on the other hand, that we are going to know new places and new corners with our babies.
Taking a trip with a baby requires much more care than when we do it alone, this means that we must leave everything tied up and that nothing escapes us. One of the most important aspects to take into account when we travel or go anywhere with our baby is its protection.
Using the proper sun protection methods with our babies will determine their well-being in all the plans we make with them this summer. Therefore, it must be borne in mind, especially if we go to the beach or the pool, that not all of them require the same care.
Index
PROTECTION IN BABIES FROM 0 TO 6 MONTHS
According to experts, protecting babies under 6 months with sunscreen is a serious mistake, since they contain the same chemicals that are used for adult sunscreen except for the perfumes they contain. Being a baby under 6 months, its skin has not yet finished forming, so it is much more sensitive than the skin of a child or an adult and it absorbs much more these chemicals, thus being able to produce any type of allergy or abnormality in the baby’s skin.
For this, experts recommend not exposing the baby to the sun during the central hours of the day, from 11 in the morning to 18 in the afternoon, since it is during this period where there is a greater risk of our little one getting burned.
On the other hand, protecting it with the right clothing is another recommendation from the experts, as this can determine the baby’s journey.
PROTECTION IN BABIES OVER 6 MONTHS
It is from this age when dermatologists recommend that we can start using sunscreen on our baby, but we must always bear in mind that we should not abuse it and apply it in the areas that will have more sun exposure, such as face, hands and feet.
When choosing which sun cream we are going to apply to our little one to protect him from the sun, we must always opt for those free of parabens , since these can cause hives, hypoglycemia and even intestinal problems.
The sun is necessary for our baby, since it contains vitamin D , which is essential for our little ones, and helps them absorb calcium for growth and bone formation. That is why we must ensure that our baby receives the sun’s rays, but always at times when its intensity is not too strong. Activities such as a walk on the beach or in the city in the early morning or late afternoon is perfect for our little one to absorb the necessary vitamin D.
When choosing sunscreen for our baby, we must take into account that it has a sun protection factor of more than 50 , since it will act as a screen with the baby’s skin, preventing it from burning. On the other hand, it must also be taken into account that it is a special cream for children, that is, that it does not contain chemicals that affect any reaction on their skin or in their body.
Finally, we must also take into account that it is a protective lotion or cream that is resistant to water , so that our baby is protected at all times and does not affect him if we give him a bath or he sweats due to high temperatures. temperatures.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.