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Original poster

Children's Suncreams Fail Tests

35 replies

Tetley · 23/06/2004 09:09

Has anyone seen this story on suncreams not giving the protection they say they do - rather scary - though it doesn't mention any brands.

OP posts:
Piffleoffagus · 23/06/2004 09:11

Just was reading this on the sky news site, how spooky.
I rarely use suncream on my kids, I cover them up and keep them out of the sun...

StripyMouse · 23/06/2004 09:17

wow - 7 out of 8 failing tests on a spot check. That is such a high level of failure and all on baby and child specific sun protection. I am so paranoid about the sun with my two and get through so many bottles of the stuff. I hate to think that they have given me false confidence in the sun and that my children, and others too of course, have been at risk.

On the topic of sun protection - schools and playgroups often annoy me. Ours write home telling us very clearly of the dangers of the sun, to provide sun hats and to put on cream before they go etc. etc. - and yet by the time they are out for the breaks the sun is at the highest and the sun cream has worn off. What is the point in putting it on at 8.45am when they go out at 11.30?!! Just crazy. Thanks to rules and regs. teachers/play leaders won?t put cream on for the children and children are not allowed to carry it in themselves (for obvious messy reasons). It is just a joke.I even suggested that they could hand out those Sunnies type wet wipes on the way out of the door and the children could wipe their own faces, arms, legs etc. but was told that this wasn?t a suitable idea. Love to know what is when dealing with such child unfriendly rules and regulations.

zebra · 23/06/2004 09:25

Does anyone else think it's weird, almost a bit of scare-mongering?... Suncreams don't come with "Best before" dates, do they? It says when you buy what's labeled SPF=30 you don't usually quite get SPF=30, but maybe if you get SPF=28 that's good enough? Agree with the criticisms about high UVB protection being at expense of low UVA protection, though.

I've never found a way to keep my kids out of the sun entirely... a bit of a tan helps protect them from harmful effects of both UVB and UVA (having a tan makes your skin thicker; a skin cancer specialist explained that to me) when they do go on the sun. Where possible, seems like a better strategy to me than always covering up and leaving them completely white and vulnerable.

foxinsocks · 23/06/2004 09:38

yes some of them do have bb dates (only a few and I only noticed the other day when I was looking!).

The brands from a similar test (performed by Which, with similar results) will apparently be revealed later in the week. It does sound scary though. I hope they put in some sort of system like Australia where the sun creams seem to be tested more thoroughly.

In regards to the suncream and school - I know it sounds mad but I have to say, my dd reacts to almost all the suncreams (and those wipes) bar a few and I would much rather I put the cream on her.

Original poster
Tetley · 23/06/2004 09:40

Yes Zebra, I agree that a bit of a tan is good protection, so I also let me kids out into the sun and don't use total sun block.

I just find it a bit strange that suncreams are only tested under cosmetics laws & not under something more stringent. I suppose it's just a case of being aware of the limitations of sunscream.

OP posts:
carla · 23/06/2004 09:59

I can't understand why dd1's nursery were allowed to apply it, yet all of a sudden when she started in reception a few days after she left, they weren't allowed to. Do you think it's more of a child/adult ratio thing?

Also think that children's sun cream should be VAT free/subsidised. It's so bl**dy expensive ... I'm sure some hard up parents must be put off by the price.

webmum · 23/06/2004 11:05

Our nursery will apply the cream I supply when/if needed, I'm amazed others wouldn't do the same

homebird11 · 23/06/2004 11:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hmb · 23/06/2004 11:27

There are two reasons why some schools will not apply sunscreen. The first is the risk of abuse allegations (sad but true), and the other is the time factor. If you have 30 children in a class, say a two minutes to apply, that is an hour, half an hour if there is a helper I suppose. Again sad but true. Primanry school teachers get almost no non contact time for preparation etc and almost all of them that I know spend their luch working. They couldn't do that and appy sunscreen.

princesspeahead · 23/06/2004 11:29

Why won't your schools apply suncream? That is nuts. We send in a named bottle of suncream at the beginning of every spring and summer term, and it gets applied on sunny days before breaks and playtimes by the teachers. Having separate bottles means that children use their own - ie whatever spf their parents want, and whatever they are not sensitive to. Seems like common sense to me.... if it isn't a health and safety/regulatory issue in private schools, why is it in the state sector?!!

princesspeahead · 23/06/2004 11:32

posts crossed hmb. don't believe the abuse thing. it just gets put on forearms, visible legs and faces. In public, en masse. That is just an excuse!
Our classes are smaller than state schools though, I'll grant you that... but it doesn't take that long to do, they get through her class of 16 in about 5 minutes (teacher and assistant). The children do most of the application themselves, the teachers just make sure it is rubbed in and covers properly...

hmb · 23/06/2004 11:34

Honestly, advice is not to tough a child, ever, in the UK. I know of Primary schools where the teachers will comfort a child by giving them a cuddle, but it is not advised. It isn't an excuse, just a sad relection of the way society goes.

hmb · 23/06/2004 11:35

And most state intakes are much bigger than 16 (sometimes twice the size)and most do not have assistance unless there is a child with sn, or a parent volenteers.

Hulababy · 23/06/2004 11:39

I heard about this on news this morning. Anywhere where the brands are given yet???

DD's nursery will apply suncream if you send it. Once Dd is at school I am going to teach her to apply it herself using the Sun Wipes for school I think.

Has anyone used the once a day sun cream? Is t any good? Was thinking of trying it for holiday in Florida this Auguest. Any recommendations?

hmb · 23/06/2004 11:48

Is it called 'proderm'? never used it myself but know people who swear by it. It stains when wet tho.

Where do you get the wipes? I have looked for dd but not found any?

hmb · 23/06/2004 11:49

Only comment I heared about the brands was a statement that 'reputable brands seem to be OK' or words to that effect.

homebird11 · 23/06/2004 12:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

webmum · 23/06/2004 12:50

I can see time problem at schools, but do not really see the problem at nusrseries, they change theior nappies all the time and the ratio is quite low so can't understand why not.

Anyway, I also do not see the problem if a school age child spends half an hour in the sun without suncream....especially in this country!!

My dd's arms and legs are already tanned simply by going out everyday, and have gradually got used to the sun, and I only use suncream on her if she's going to bare other parts of her body, and/or we're going to spend a significant amount of time in the sun (ie playing in the garden/on the beach).

smellymelly · 23/06/2004 12:56

Just received my Ultrasun today! After it was recommended to me on Mumsnet.

Haven't had a chance to try it yet, what with the awful weather, but am looking forward to only having to put it on once a day. We cover up to, with hats and t-shirts so I'm not relying on it completely.

Levanna · 23/06/2004 19:56

DH and I were chatting about this today, it reminded us about a recent day out on a really sunny day; while in the car DH applied sunscreen to DD, but forgot to do her neck, which I did a few minutes later but with a different sunscreen. Both sunscreens were meant to be the same SPF, both had been on for a reasonable amount of time before DD was exposed to the sun, yet, her neck got burnt. I'm not saying that the one used on her neck was entirely ineffective - I'm sure she would have burned quite severely without it. But, one was certainly more effective than the other...

StripyMouse · 23/06/2004 20:02

You can get wipes in our local Tesos and in Asda - the brand I have used looks just like a packet of travel wet wipes and is called Sunnies HTH

sammac · 23/06/2004 20:09

The once a day stuff is P20. Its like a liquid, so put it on before going into sun, leave it to dry, and should last all day. You can buy it in some chemists, we got ours in Manchester Airport, slightly cheaper. Think around £20ish. My 2 were fine with it last summer in Spain, so will be taking some to Florida next week.

SoupDragon · 23/06/2004 20:19

DS2s nursery supply SPF 15 sunscreen for all children and apply it. If you want a different SPF or a sensitive one, you send in your own.

I put cream on DS1 (5) on sunny mornings and send him in with one of Boots' Soltan "Daily Takeaway" packs of sunscreen (children's SPF30) in his bookbag and he puts this on at lunchtime. It lasts for ages as he needs to use so little but it's a nice, light, small pack. I'm lucky that he does not burn easily and tans nicely so I do not worry too much about how well it's been applied. He's out for a short time so it's not a problem.

Supposedly Boots issued a statement saying that their product wasn't one of the "failed" ones.

cq · 23/06/2004 20:23

My DS has just got back from a school end-of-term pool party, he's been out in the sun for a good part of the day and I smothered him in P20 this morning, following the timings to the letter etc.. I usually apply this in the morning and then top up with factor 35. Of course because I wasn't there today, he didn't put any more on and he's got a really burnt face tonight - even though we've lived in Egypt for 20 months and have had reasonable exposure.

I'm quite cross with the teachers - he's only in Reception so you think they would have reminded them to put more cream on, especially when they told us to provide it. Humph.

So the conclusion to this rambling is that IMO, stuff like P20 is great for days when they are in and out of the sun, eg school breaks, but for longer periods of exposure it needs topping up with other stuff - it won't give high level protection all day. HTH

SoupDragon · 23/06/2004 20:25

Does P20 have any UVA sunscreen in it though? I I'd looked at it and thought it was extremely vague about what level of UVA protection it offered.

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