Baby sunscreen and sun hat recommendations anyone?

[Latecomer131]

I have a DS, almost 4 months old, who has inherited my ghostly white complexion. The sunny days that we have experienced this weekend made me think that I need to start getting sun protection stuff sorted, as we move into spring.

I have been googling for baby sunscreen recommendations, but I don't really trust the sites that list the "10 best baby sunscreens", for example, as I get the impression there are advertising kickbacks going on.

Would anyone with similarly pasty DC mind sharing which sunscreens actually had a decent protection and didn't sting the baby's eyes? I am also after recommendations for baby sun hats that stay on .

I have the exact same issue with my 4 month old DS so will watch with interest I couldn't find a single sun hat smaller than 12-18 months in our town yesterday!

The spray ones are good as you get good coverage. The branded ones nice and light and not greasy too.

I like a legionnaires style hat to cover the neck and ears. We have always found Frugi do one each season but I've also had one from Asda.

This one comes in small sizes.

These are hands down the best baby/toddler sun hats.

www.cambridgebaby.co.uk/catalog/0-2-yrs/hats-gloves-scarves/sun-hats/fireman-sun-hat-uv?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIztCz3bDU9gIVibPtCh3W6g8-EAQYBCABEgKcXfD_BwE

They are so cute, Have a softly elastic band do stay on pretty well and are longer at the back do protect the neck.
A bit pricey but soooo worth it

Child’s farm sun cream is brill, hypoallergenic etc

We got this as an emergency yesterday, it stayed in position well and covered his eyes and most of face
www.marksandspencer.com/kids-pure-cotton-dinosaur-sun-hat/p/clp60528990?extid=ps_ps-bpla_ggl_kw_ch__-UK---&ds_rl=1295953&ds_rl=1295953&gclid=CjwKCAjwoduRBhA4EiwACL5RP9os4wvQyeJmLF1dJaDvJRp8M4-49ucjlsXoFGfjRqys-ESvWuk-1RoCezkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Update from me - Tesco had some cute baby sun hats!

I thought you weren't supposed to use sun cream on babies under a year?

I have two ginger ones and tend to keep them in the shade with loose long sleeve clothing and this works well. Sun hats are all much of a muchness really. Get bucket style rather than baseball cap style for this age or a legionnaire style cap is good.

Swear by Ultrasun Family for all of us.

@BertieBotts

I thought you weren't supposed to use sun cream on babies under a year?

I have two ginger ones and tend to keep them in the shade with loose long sleeve clothing and this works well. Sun hats are all much of a muchness really. Get bucket style rather than baseball cap style for this age or a legionnaire style cap is good.

6 months is the general recommendation but I took the view that with a summer baby, staying in the shade, keeping her covered etc was best but if really needed then the hypoallergenic, organic stuff would be fine

I think they say it so that people don’t take their 3 month old babies sunbathing

Oh perhaps I'm out of date I had better look this up as it was definitely a year when DS1 was little but maybe sun creams have improved since then.

I love the stick suncream from boots. Much less messy and wet than than the creams. Glides on with ease and doesn’t go in their eyes as you can target the application.

www.boots.com/soltan-kids-stick-spf50-25g-10245702

I used childsfarm for my baby who was summer born last year. I didn't have him sitting in the sun obviously but was more for the times where I couldn't avoid him being in direct sunshine. I used boots own brand the other day to try it out and it seemed to work well. We bought a hat from next which has a strap for under chin.

We love the Jan and Jul grow with me sun hats, have lasted 2 years so far and have another summer in them for DS before being passed down to DD!

I have found that a mineral based sunscreen means less skin break outs on my DD. She had eczema when she was a baby/toddler and this was the only type of sunscreen that improved her skin, too. Also, I’d put her in those sun suits practically all summer. Long legs/arms so I wouldn’t have to apply as much sunscreen. Hats with a neck flap and chin straps are the best, in my experience. Jojo mb were best for hats and trespass and Asda best for sun suits!

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I will definitely be checking some of these out.

@BertieBotts

I thought you weren't supposed to use sun cream on babies under a year?

I have two ginger ones and tend to keep them in the shade with loose long sleeve clothing and this works well. Sun hats are all much of a muchness really. Get bucket style rather than baseball cap style for this age or a legionnaire style cap is good.

I agree. Ginger genes here and daywalker skin. I just kept DD out of the sun and if it was unavoidable, bucket hat and loose clothes. I also bought board shorts and rash shirts not tiny swimming costumes and I still do and she's double figures now.

Shade and avoiding the sun between 11 and 3 is what I do anyway!

I think they say it so that people don’t take their 3 month old babies sunbathing

Sunscreen isn’t recommended under six months partly because the skin is too immature to cope with the chemicals and also because sunscreen, especially high factor ones, block the pores and therefore could make a small baby overheat.

My little girl has a gorgeous Jan and Jul hat, too. It's lasted the last two summers and I'm sure it'll fit again this summer. She is 2.5 years old now. They're adjustable and she has never tried to remove it. The designs are gorgeous.

She also has very sensitive skin and the boots baby sunscreen has been fine for her.