to think it's probably better to expose the DC to sun in a controlled way than to smear them in chemicals and leave them out there all day?

[fartingfran]

We're a fair-skinned family and in this weather I'm really careful with the DC - hats on, long-sleeved tops, and only out for short periods and not between 12 and 2. I use sunblock at times but hate using it daily cos it's so sticky and chemically. Plus, I think it's better to build up a bit of natural tolerance (wouldn't go so far as the term "tan" but less whiteness!) to the sun. What do you all do?

You could try the P20 stuff. It stinks a bit but lasts all day and is swim proof.

I'm a big fan of it. Live in the tropics and am quite fair (although I do tan well given time, as opposed to DH who goes from blue to white).

The P20 gives you enough protection to allow you to get a bit of a protective tan without getting burnt to a crisp

Thing is you only need about 20-30 minutes or so of UV spread across a day to convert the pre-vitamin in your skin to Vitamin D.
People just need to exercise some common sense - Vitamin D is also found in fish oils, eggs and cereals - and oddly enough we Scots who don't get that much sunshine don't all develop rickets.

P20 worked for my brother whose eczema was kicked off to ridiculous levels with most normal sun products - it still had me squealing "ewww horrid" when I tried it (think it's psychological with me and suncreams).

I'll need bereavement counselling when my long snuggly floaty white cotton top finally falls apart.

TheBride you are so right - it does stink!

YA probably not being U.

I'm fairly relaxed about sunscreen unless very bright and out all day or exposing more in swimmers and my kids have never had sun burn.

I've started using sunscreen on my face every day though - purely to try and delay the wrinkles. 80% of aging skin is from exposure to the sun.

Trying to keep them indoors all day is liable to go wrong, and also will reduce their exposure to fresh air, exercise, running about. So I'd go for the screen.

Difficult to find one that isn't greasy though

You don't have to keep them in all day though do you. Just when the sun is at it's hottest.

you can get burnt even on an overcast or cold day.

My DDs tend to dislike being out in the middle of the day anyway really, but as they are both fair I am pushy about hats and long sleeves. I tend to use zinc based cream when I need to, mainly because DD1 has very sensitive skin and reacts to a lot of standard suncreams by coming out in hives.

I am not sure if you are being unreasonable or not. Assuming you live in England you are probably not.

I live in FLorida and also hate smearing sunscreen on my 3.5 month old (especially when they all say they shouldn't be used on babies under 6 months :( )

But as we don't have a car keeping her completley out of the sun is pretty much impossible, the temps have been the low 90's for some time now as well so I can't cover her in clothes either. NOt really sure what to do for the best!

This thread makes me wince. I understand where you're coming from about the chemicals, but then I guess you're okay using moisturisure and make up etc.

I grew up in NZ under the sodding great ozone hole. It only takes 5 minutes to burn (and you can easily burn in 12 minutes at 5.30pm). Also UVA rays cause damage whether you burn or not. I find it so much easier to burn in Europe as the sun just isn't as harsh and it is actually possible to spend more than 30 minutes at a stretch outside. What lots of people forget is that sunscreen needs regular reapplication.

So by all means let your children build up a so called natural tolerence, just be sure to one hell of a good eye on their skin and moles as they get older (and yes I have moles that I need to keep a close check on, slip slop slap wasn't pushed until it was to late for me to learn good sunsense).

The best thing is to cover up and stay out of the sun in the midday. You are quite right to believe that the chemicals in sunscreen are dangerous.

moisturiser (that still seems wrong) terrible spelling sorry.

Years ago (when people had proper prams ) they used to come with big cotton shades, a bit like the pram hood, that you adjusted according to sun position. Bit like a parasol really.
Babies could then just be minimally dressed but shaded from the sun. Could you get some sort of parasol VajazzHands?

I agree.... I try to avoid suncream unless they're out in the sun all day.

The oldest and youngest are sallow skinned like me so tolerate the sun well but ds1 used to be very fair and couldn't take much sun. Now at four though he seems to have built up a much better tolerance for it and has a lovely healthy glow instead of being white and blotchy after some sun.

If it's very hot and they're out in it i'll put on some mid factor cream if i feel their skin is getting too hot but I don't slap it on just for the sake of it. I spent two year panicing about ds1 and slathering him in cream and now that I've relaxed a bit his skin actually seems to respond better.

I've only used the nasty chemical suncreams on my dc once which ironically was the only time one burnt slightly. I borrowed said cream from mother in law and it was too thin, nowhere near as good as the thick chemical free ones we use sparingly.

I cover my dc up and avoid the midday sun.We live near the sea so spend most of the summer(such as it is) out in it-they've never burnt with this formula so yanbu.

Chemicals in suncreams aren't nice.

Apologies in advance, not read the rest of the thread, but I personally think that we're all too OTT about suncare now.

Obviously it's vital that we protect our children's skin, but equally by covering them up all the time, either with clothes or with sunblock, we are limiting their ability to absorb Vitamin D.

I read a very scary story a couple of months ago about the increased incidence of Rickets in this country because children are lathered in SPF50 repeatedly for every waking moment they're outside, and as a result they have soft and weak bones.

OP, I'm sort of with you and sort of not! I do agree that excess use of suncream isn't good for young kids (especially ones with eczema like my DS), but equally I disagree with holding them indoors or covering them up completely in hot weather.

There has to be a happy medium, surely? Mayeb staying out of the sun at the particularly hot times, but getting them outside at the other times, either with ONE dose of suncream (unless they're going in water, in which case reapply) or with light, effective (but not stifling) cover ups.

Vajazz the Nipper is fab,the hood comes over a long way.Spent the summer in the south of France when my twins when tiny,never had to apply suncream due to said hood. My sister bought some obscure black shroud thing which fitted over her pushchair hood.

Stranded if children don't burn being out in the sun not covered in chemical nasties isn't dangerous.

What is important is protecting kids from sunburn and the sun not slathering on hideous chemical cocktails.

It is possible for kids to be outside and not burn without said creams.

You need 20 minutes of hands, neck and face exposed to get your daily dose of vit D. And strength of sun doesn't matter.

It is possible to get an SPF50 sun shade for push chairs/buggies. They can be expensive, but better than sunburnt, dehydrated, sun blinded baby.

I don't find it hard not to let my children burn in the sun, there are not that many scorching days in the UK (a few in April when the sun isn't so hot) and most of the time they run around without sunscreen on. I also don't sit with them on the beach in the middle of the day ever, I just don't like it myself, so I find a nice park and sit part in the sun and part in the shade.

However, if it's a hot few days, or they are wearing a strappy top (so shoulders exposed) I put some suncream on after they've been running about for a bit and also a hat.

It's also different if you have very very fair children say with red hair, as their burning time can be minutes rather than hours and so I don't see you have much choice but to put the sunscreen on early in the day ( I use the 8 hour one) and keep them out of the midday sun, otherwise they will get horrendous sunburn (like I used to as a child).

strandedbear I can't see where anyone has said that ?:)

I think ? it has been suggested that we just use common sense ?

It is not a good idea to slather sun -cream on and bake ,it gives a very false sense of burning/what your skin is doing .

I know you didn't say that btw ...:)

doley, I agree it's common sense, my children and I never burn because we avoid the sun at it's hottest, wear hats and mostly stick to the shade. We are outside a lot of the time and have a light tan by the end of the summer.

I think someone suggested that even on an overcast day it's possible to burn - that is not true for my family, certainly not in our climate.