suncream and school

[bobblewobble]

I am just wondering what all your schools do regarding sun cream at school.

My son has recently turned five and is in reception. In his second year of nursery, he burnt on a few occasions whilst at school. (He was only there 2.5 hours) I always applied sun cream an hour before school starting and also before taking him into class, 9-11.30. I spoke to his teachers about him burning and asked if they could apply sun cream half way through class. They spoke to the headmaster who said they were not allowed to do this, due to child protection issues. I asked if there was a way around it, like two teachers present or if I got the sun cream prescribed. No! I asked if he could do it himself or if they could spray it on him and not touch him. No!

I have now started to worry about what will happen this year now that he is in school all day. When out ourselves, we apply sun cream every hour as he really does burn so quickly. Ten minutes in the sun and he is red for a few days. He is very fair skin and ginger hair. My husband is awaiting genetic testing as his family have a strong history of skin cancer (10 year old cousin had it to) and his father has the faulty gene. I have a younger daughter at the school who has much darker skin and doesn't burn so easily so can have the sun cream applied once before nursery and I'm sure she won't burn.

Last year I bought one of those sun proof tops, still applied sun cream and he still burnt :( He also keeps a hat with a neck protector at school, so that he always has a hat available.

Do your schools allow teachers to apply sun cream?

the way an all day protection works is that you rub it on once - rubbing on again later does not offer any additional protection -

we use Soltan factor 50 Once (all day) kids waterproof - covers all bases.

Glad to hear the teacher is being helpful, we use the soltan once 50 here.

I was going to suggest a sun block stick for his face, it's the only thing I've found that stops one of mine getting a burnt face.

Oh the other thing is do you use zinc? That seems to be the best thing available here in Australia and you can buy invisible zinc too, I'm sure you could source it online if it's not in shops over there.

Not sure how many of these sun-creams are available in the UK But here is what consumer magazine (like which) found when the tested sun-cream in December 2013

I get my kids to put on sun-cream all over before they get dressed, in the summer in the younger end of the school there is shade over the play area. The operate a no hat no play rule. One of them burnt when she was on a surfing trip she forgot to put in on her inside of her legs she was then sat crossed legged to listen to the teacher and eat her lunch, she wont do that again. I have burnt when I have grabbed the 30 instead of the 50.

I seam to apply more cream than I see any of the kiwi's use.

P20 has is high factor but low UVA score. You need a high UVA score. Aim for 5 stars. The best sun creams recommended by dermatologists are sunsense factor 50. Daily face lasts all day. Also ultra sun is amazing and lasts all day. Boots have a once range which probably is good too. Your best option for your son is to have him wear long selves everyday and a hat - be it a rain hat or a sun hat. The school will be able to ensure he wears his hat all the time outside and will allow him to wear a long sleeved PE top if you request

Ultrasun is amazing. Wish I had discovered it sooner. Leagues apart from other sun creams!

Aussie here - We have a bit pump pack of sunscreen by the door which students use before going out to lunch. Those who need special creams have their own in their box which they use. By the time they get to school, aussie kids are pretty good at putting it on themselves, even my 2 year old DS at daycare is learning how to do it by himself. No hat, no play is strictly enforced. All of the main outdoor play equipment areas have UV shade screen over the top of them, and we have lots of undercover areas (big concreted areas under most of the buildings which have basketball, etc, courts painted on them). We also have an indoor pool and the 3-6 graders can bring their swimsuits and use it at lunchtime if they want on the hot days.

boots once comes in a spray and has worked for my red headed ds. as has piz buin once a day stuff

nice one, OP. Sounds like your child does indeed have a medical problem, but glad to hear there is a solution for now.

yet again to all those on this thread who think sun strength is related to air temperature - WRONG! BACK OF THE CLASS!

op I was thinking about you earlier and I remembered of a medical condition.
Has any one ever mentioned xeroderma pigmentosum? (XP)

It's very rare so chances are it's not it but it might not be something a gp would think of.

Might be worth a quick google to see if it might apply?

School have asked not to use a spray sun cream in case he sprays it in his eyes. To be honest I wouldn't have thought about that. He can wear what I think is best (will try the Ultrasun first and move on to the uva clothing if that does not work and doctor says all else is fine) and I will also send a hat into school to keep at school and send him in wearing one. There will always be a hat there if one gets lost.

I have not used zinc but I will look into it. Thanks

I have looked at the images of people with the xeroderma pigmentosum and he doesn't look like that. However he does have a lot of freckles (most ginger people do) and more appear each time he is in the sun. Severe sunburn in short amount of sun time applies to him, his eyes are also sensitive to the sun, so he normally wears sunglasses to school. He does also have dry skin :S He has an appointment soon for his ears so will discuss the sunburn issue then.

is he realy burning or is it an reaction to the sun cream?

I started researching this a little as I am keen to make sure I am protecting my children properly - it looks like zinc oxide is important as it blocks/reflects the sun altogether. Found this on Wikipedia, hope it is helpful:

Sunblock typically refers to opaque sunscreen that is effective at blocking both UVA and UVB rays and uses a heavy carrier oil to resist being washed off. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are two of the important ingredients in sunblock.[35] Unlike the organic sun-blocking agents used in many sunscreens, these metal oxides do not degrade with exposure to sunlight.
The use of the word "sunblock" in the marketing of sunscreens is controversial. The FDA has considered banning such use because it can lead consumers to overestimate the effectiveness of products so labeled.[36]
For total protection against damage from the sun, the skin needs to be protected from UVA, UVB and IRA (infrared light). Roughly 35% of solar energy is IRA.[37]

And here is a link to another article - sorry I'll stop now as I have got a bit over interested!
www.babycenter.com/404_what-kind-of-sunscreen-is-best-for-children_12504.bc

The school and nursery asked that children had sun cream applied before coming to school and they wore a hat. Neither child has burned thankfully but I will send in some sun cream though I doubt they will remember to re apply.