Ginger toddler allergic to suncream?!

[eclipse1808]

It seems like there’s just one problem after the other at the moment with my 20 month old son! He’s ginger and I know gingers have no natural sun protection. I’ve been advised even on quite neutral days to use suncream. Last year he was under 1 during summer and I used Asda’s Kids factor 50 with no problems. I picked up some Aldi kids factor 50 with the weekly shop and he came out in what looked like a heat rash all over where I put it (so legs arms neck & face). So i went back to asdas but now he’s reacting to that too! Am I doomed to buying really expensive suncream for the rest of his life? Does anyone have experience with suncream allergies. Obviously I will buy the expensive ones to try but I’m worried he’ll be allergic to all of them and have to choose between him reacting, keeping him indoors for the rest of his life / no holidays or him burning to a crisp!

Sunsense toddler sun cream can buy in Amazon.

I'm allergic to lots of sun creams. The piz buin allergy one works for me. Plus sometimes an antihistamine.

you need to try out a few.
dc was ok with non-sticky ones (usually labelled for the beach) but not moisturising ones.
dc also reacted less to factor 30 than 50. tbh the difference between 30 and 50 is minimal.
I don't know the difference between normal and kids versions, but kids versions didn't agree with dc.

My ds swells up with some and I have found the only one he can use is Nivea which is typical but I try and buy it in the winter when it's a bit cheaper.

Two of my DDs (blonde and have skin that tans easily despite factor 50 all Over!) have come out in awful rashes on their face due to sun creams. The best one we found is Ultrasun, no effects with it and we tried quite a few more expensive and ‘sensitive’ brands.

Thanks for your suggestions i’ll have to keep trying different ones & see if we have any luck, is it safe to give him antihistamines every day at less than 2? If so which one would you recommend?

My sensitive skin son is ok with the boots children's one also the La Roche Posay children's one.

My friend is allergic to sun cream. The only one she can use is the one in a brown bottle (Piz Buin?)

Another vote for sunsense.

I would recommend child's farm sun screen, my wee one is allergic to several but fine with this one. I'm sure you can buy it in Asda.

Ultrasun. Dd has contact dermatitis and has reactions to everything except this.

Avoid factor 50 on sensitive skin as the thickness of it can be really irritating, block pores and cause heat rashes. So it may not be that he’s allergic to it as such.

Factor 30 is perfectly good enough for a toddler.

Also Nivea last time I checked wasn’t 5* UVA so check this before buying another big / expensive brand.

Cheap ones like wilko are and I found that in factor 30 was best for my eczema prone toddler last year

I'm allergic to lanolin, it's in a lot of sunscreens but boots do one without. Might be worth speaking to gp/heath visitor/pharmacist to isolate if he's allergic and to what ingredients because it could have been a coincidence once

Just looked up ultrasun in the hope it would be cheaper than Nivea. Dont think I will be changing that stuffs expensive.

We use the aerosol sun cream as we found the cream ones were too thick and gave my son a heat rash. I thought he was allergic until I realised this. The Banana (I think) kids one is good and often cheap in Wilkos.

Will have a look at wilkos. Boots is one he has to avoid as his face swelled up to the point we rushed him to the drs.

Also OP keeping him covered with long sleeves, long trousers and a proper sun hat is very important whatever the weather.

Ginger DD was similar - the once a day ones seemed less problematic... Also factor 30, long light weight layers and hats

www.healthline.com/health/sunscreen-allergy#takeaway

Child's farm sumcream was only brand mine could use (had lot of allergies too). It's expensive tho :( now been able to move on to Sainsbury's own tho so maybe give that a try first?

My DD had a similar reaction to Aldi’s sensitive sun cream last year. She has suffered from eczema since birth.

I found La Roche Posay on the face (expensive but the little bottle lasted 3 of us most of last summer) and Boots Soltan Once Kids for the body worked well last year, no flare ups.

My little boy was allergic to most brands except Nivea I think it’s just a case of trying a few out, but maybe on a small area like back of hand or something. Make sure you have Piriton in too though.
Also don’t buy waterproof ones, I made that mistake once and his allergic reaction got so bad we ended up in hospital because even though I washed it off, because it was waterproof it didn’t fully come off and he continued reacting to it for a good few hours afterwards and a good few showers and baths too.

Its a tricky one, I have 2 fair DCs with sensitive skin and we have always gone down the covering up route. We then use sensitive sun cream (currently find Soltan kids ok) for the other bits. The hardest thing is finding light cotton clothing in small sizes... They both have sun suits/wetsuits for the beach.

My DS gets on fine with the Banana Boat factor 50, but reacts with others - it's just a case of trying a few until you find one that suits.

Also, you obviously don't mean any harm by saying e.g. "Gingers have no natural sun protection", but I know red haired people who don't like that use of "ginger" (possibly reacting to a lifetime of anti-gingerism).

@morallowground that sounds horrific! Thanks for the advice

@shutuptodd I know! How can they charge that much?!