The best sunscreen for your little one

The best sunscreen for you and your little one works with mineral filters: non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These stay on top of the skin and reflect the UV rays. Avoid ingredients such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, benzene, PABA, homosalate, parabens, octocrylene and synthetic fragrance, and always read the ingredients list. Just as important is how you handle the sun: let your skin get used to it all year round, stay in the shade during the hottest part of the day and use protective clothing.

Why is your choice of sunscreen so important?

It's becoming more widely known that the ingredients in certain sunscreens aren't good for your body. A pharmaceutical company recently recalled some of its sunscreen because the substances in it were said to be carcinogenic. There are so many products on the market that you can't see the wood for the trees. Naturally you want the best for your little one, just like we do.

Why do we apply sunscreen?

We apply sunscreen to protect our skin, and that's especially important for children because their skin is much more sensitive. The skin is our largest organ and keeps intruders out. If you're exposed to UV rays for too long, problems can arise: turning red, getting bumps, and it can even lead to serious illness. Sunscreen protects the skin against those harmful effects of the sun.

Is the sun your enemy? About vitamin D

No. Alongside the right sunscreen, it's good to know how important vitamin D is for you. People are quick to advise covering yourself well at the first rays of sunshine, but it's also important to expose your skin and your eyes to the sun to produce vitamin D, ideally for 10 to 30 minutes.

Do that from the start of the year and not just in the Spanish sun during the summer holidays. That way your body can get used to it gradually. Everything you train, you get better at: if you spend a lot of time outdoors, you train your skin to protect itself better.

“Alongside advising the right sunscreen, I also want to mention how important vitamin D is for you, and that the sun is not your enemy.”

Annefleur Por

Which ingredients do you want to avoid in sunscreen?

Children have very sensitive skin. So it's important to put sunscreen on them when you're in the sun a lot, but just as important to choose the right sunscreen. Children are also very sensitive to the harmful substances found in many sunscreens. So be just as careful with those.

For your health and your little one's, these are the ingredients best avoided:

• oxybenzone
• octinoxate
• benzene
• PABA
• homosalate
• parabens
• octocrylene
• sulisobenzone
• octisalate
• amiloxate
• enzacamene
• anything with synthetic (non-natural) fragrance

These ingredients should be listed on the packaging. So always read the ingredients list, because everything you put on your skin enters your system.

“Children have very sensitive skin, so it's important to put sunscreen on them if you spend a lot of time in the sun, but it's just as important to use the right sunscreen.”

Annefleur Por

What does sunscreen do to the environment?

The substances above aren't only bad for your body, they also affect the environment. Hawaii has even banned oxybenzone and octinoxate because they cause coral to crumble.

The negative effect on the environment is mainly because these substances can form free radicals. The uncoated version in particular causes problems. In areas with coral, you can also wear sun-protective clothing to take good care of nature.

So which sunscreen is good?

According to studies, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide come out best in tests for sun protection. Titanium dioxide is best not inhaled in high doses, so avoid sprays or powder sunscreens containing it.

These two substances are mineral filters. That means the cream stays on top of your skin and doesn't sink in. They reflect the UV rays, so the skin is still well protected. Do make sure to reapply properly after swimming, because the cream washes off easily. One of the sunscreens I recommend is the Kenko natural sunscreen SPF50 for mother and baby.

The right sunscreen is important when you go out in the sun, but even more important is how you handle the sun. In summer, don't lie baking in the sun during the hottest part of the day. Ideally, spend the morning and the end of the day in the sun; the rest of the time, sit in the shade or wear protective clothing.

The most important tips at a glance

• Get outdoors enough all year round. If you spend a lot of time outdoors all year, you train your skin to protect itself better. So get outside with your little one, and playing outdoors is great for them too. From February onwards especially, let your skin get used to a sun that's growing steadily stronger.
• Choose mineral filters. Use sunscreens with natural minerals, based on (non-nano) zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
• Seek the shade during the hottest part of the day. Use the morning and the end of the day to catch some sun.
• Wear protective clothing, such as UV-protective clothing for your little one.
• Blend it in with a (make-up) sponge. That makes the white cast disappear easily.
• Watch your diet. Make sure the antioxidants (which carry waste products out of the body) in your skin are topped up. Eat plenty of vegetables (kale, beetroot, tomatoes, broccoli) and fruit (raspberries, berries); seafood is also good for protection from within.

Which sunscreens do I recommend?

You will find the products mentioned at the bottom of this article.

About the author

I've worked at Kideo.store since the very beginning and I'm also an orthomolecular adviser. For a long time now I've been interested in and enthusiastic about everything to do with health, and I've been researching it for years. I also enjoy making people more aware of the health choices they make. Do you have questions about other areas, or would you like to see a blog on another topic? Then I'd love to hear from you.

Do you have questions or would you like to know more? Send a message to the Instagram of @kideo.store, or take a look at the Kenko sunscreen for mother and baby right away.

Summary

• Choose sunscreen with mineral filters: (non-nano) zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, and no spray or powder.
• Avoid oxybenzone, octinoxate, benzene, PABA, homosalate, parabens, octocrylene and synthetic fragrance; always read the ingredients list.
• The sun is not your enemy: 10 to 30 minutes of sun helps produce vitamin D, so let your skin get used to it from February onwards.
• Avoid the hottest part of the day, wear UV-protective clothing and reapply after swimming.
• Oxybenzone and octinoxate also damage coral; Hawaii has banned them.

Frequently asked questions

Why no sunscreen spray with titanium dioxide?

Titanium dioxide is best not inhaled in high doses. So choose a cream rather than a spray or powder.

How do you avoid the white cast of mineral sunscreen?

Blend the sunscreen in with a (make-up) sponge and the white cast disappears easily.

Do you need to reapply after swimming?

Yes. Mineral filters stay on top of the skin and wash off easily, so reapply properly after swimming.