Have you got questions on keeping your children safe in the sun? Ask expert Dermatologist, Dr Mary Sommerland, for advice - £200 voucher to be won

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This thread has now closed. Scroll down to read Dr Mary Sommerlad's answers to your questions.

Whether you have a child with a skin condition you need advice on, or you’d just like some top tips about how to protect children from the potentially harmful effects of the sun, ask Garnier’s dermatologist, Dr Mary Sommerlad.

• Everyone who shares a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw.
• One lucky user will win a £200 voucher provided by Mumsnet.
• Dr Mary Sommerland will be back online to answer a selection of your questions.

About Dr Mary Sommerlad:
“Dr Mary fell in love with skincare as a child sat on her mum’s lap at her vanity table while she applied her skincare. There are still certain products that if she sees now, take her straight back to that time. It was never a chore for Dr Mary to study for Dermatology assessments or presentations as skin, in health and in disease, is incredibly fascinating. In Dr Mary’s practice, both adults and children are seen with a wide range of skin conditions. Since becoming a parent to two little ones, Dr Mary has become even more interested in safe and sustainable skincare and is passionate about sharing skincare expertise with as many people as possible to ensure that effective and accessible skincare is available to all. Ask Dr Mary about skincare that suits the whole family.”

Here’s what Garnier has to say:
“As the only sun care brand with research recognised by the British Skin Foundation and over 85 years of experience in developing safe and effective sun protection, our mission is to teach children and families how to be safe in the sun. This is more important than ever as despite being a nation of sun-lovers, only 50% of us use sun care frequently when outdoors in the UK*. This is a topic that Dr Mary feels passionately about, understanding from her own experience as a mother of young children that getting kids to have good habits when it comes to sun protection is extremely important to their lifelong relationship with the sun. From expert advice about sensitive skin, to practical tips about keeping your little ones protected when the weather can be unpredictable, Dr Mary is on hand to help. Whatever your questions about sun protection for the whole family, share them below!”

*UK online survey of 1,548 women aged 18 – 65, March 2017

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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Is there any difference between factor 50 kids & factor 50 adults? I'm guessing not...

My daughter is away on an educational trip this summer and I'm really concerned about her burning in the sun, as she's just at that age where she's unlikely to get help from staff, but also a bit of a space cadet still! Would you recommended once a day suncream or reapplying - how often? They'll be swimming a lot outdoors too .

Hi

I only buy Nivea sun lotion nowadays in a spray and only always garnier aftersun dont ask me why for my children when they were very young, and now my skin is combination skin on my face so read on newer items and that there are even things for the scalp as my husband has lost most of his hair now and my son nearly 40 is loosing a bit now, and he has eczema on some parts of his face and body so my question would be which sun lotion/cream for him to use and which factor as i only buy the 50 now due to get the prickly heat last years when its so very hot, dont know why that is and the lotion or spray i used to get from my doctor on prescription is no longer.

سلام من یک پسر ۱۰ساله دارم از بیماری پوستی رنج میبره تاحالا دکترزیاد بردیم ولی نتیجه نگرفتیم حتی نام بیماری رانمیدونی زیاد تحقیق کردم به نتیجه نرسیدم

Do children need to use lip salve with SPF?

My 6 yr old is covered in chicken pox , her face, neck, body, arms, legs feet and even fingers . Tonnes of spots, all at different stages, some flat and red, some blistered and some scabs
but she’s had no itching ! none at all, is this normal?
Everyone says poor girl she must be so itchy but she’s not in the slightest
should I take her to get checked at the drs ?

I live in Madrid and although her father is Spanish my 14mo daughter has very fair English genes! Obviously it's not practical to stay completely out of the sun all year. What's your advice for long-term child skincare? Should we be fo anything differently to people who are just on holiday for a week? Thanks!

My poor 16 year old has suffered with eczema since a baby and now has teenage acne to contend with too. Applying sun cream just seems to make his skin worse - so he tends to hibernate, which saddens me as I think a bit of sun is so good for the skin. Are there any products you can recommend?

At what age can you use suncream? I obviously keep my 2 month old out of the sun, but does he need any cream when in the shade or in the sun for a short amount of time?

If baby is always kept covered or in the shade of a parasol say do I still need to plater her in sun cream?
do they have to be a certain age for sun cream to be applied?

Hi
my dd is mixed race and refuses to use sunblock as it leaves a white cast. Are there any 30+ factor sun blocks that aren’t ££ that dint leave a white cast?

My daughter has quite a dark skin tone, does she still need a higher spf, and should this be higher for her face than legs etc ?

Congratulations to the winner of the prize draw@MumC2141. Thanks for all of your questions!🎉

Hello everyone, thank you for all of your questions. I hope I can provide some insightful answers!

This is a common problem for people with partings in their hair or hair thinning. I recommend using either Spray or liquid/ fluid formulations rather than Cream sunscreen formulations. Don't forget to re- apply every 2 hours. Wearing a hat will also reduce sunburn dramatically especially if a lot of time is spent outside.

Stinging skin with Eczema implies skin barrier impairment. I would go back to basics- make sure your eczema is effectively treated with anti-inflammatories and that you and your family are using large volumes of Moisturiser daily to restore and protect the skin barrier. Choose sunscreens that do not require vigorous "rubbing in"- therefore opt
for Spray or Fluid/ liquid formulations as opposed to Creams. If your skin is smooth with no itch, in other words your eczema is in remission but Chemical sunscreens still sting you can stick with your Mineral formulation provided it is providing Broad Spectrum coverage (SPF and UVA). To be honest, the best sunscreen is the one you will use consistently and whether it is Mineral or Chemical does not make a difference to sun protection. Finally, sunscreen is only one part of protection from Sunburn. Do use Physical protection too in the form of hats, long light clothing, staying in the shade and avoiding sunbathing altogether.

I would recommend your daughter sees a Dermatologist to manage her rash as it does not sound as straightforward as Heat rash. She may need medical treatment to help her skin in warm weather.

Use sunscreen formulated for Kids such as Garnier Ambre Solaire. If your daughter gets a lot of rashes in the summer she actually may have a medical condition rather than straight forward Heat rash which should not be so rough and so persistent. She may need to see a doctor to treat her skin.

Adult sunscreens are designed for adult skin and have been tested on adult skin whereas children's formulations have been tested on Children's skin. Both will give the same level of UVB (SPF) and UVA protection as stated on the label/ bottle. Adults can use children's sunscreen but I would not recommend children use adult sunscreens as it has not been tested on Children's skin. Sunscreens, especially those designed for facial use may contain additional ingredients that target Adult skin concerns such as Pigmentation issues; these ingredients may irritate children's skin which generally is more fragile and absorbs more.

Even a Tan is a sign of sun damage let alone going a shade of pink. Sun damage is cumulative and your skin never fully recovers. Sunburns in childhood will contribute to the risk of developing skin cancer in Adulthood as well as premature skin ageing and pigmentation issues. The best advice is to always avoid tanning the skin by ensuring you and your family have physical protection from inadvertent sun burns such as long sleeve rash guards when swimming at the beach, wide brimmed hats, sitting in the shade as well as daily use of sunscreen.

Look for sunscreens designed for kids with Sensitive Skin and formulations that are easy to apply and need less rubbing in such as the Garnier Ambre Solaire Kids Sensitive Advance Mist formulation which is fragrance free and also repels sand. Once a day formulations will need to be re- applied if its a very warm day as sweating/ perspiration will dilute it making it less effective. Furthermore, most of us do not apply the correct amount of sunscreen to get the protection on the label therefore I do still recommend a re- application especially in warm weather or on active days.

Your son may have a medical condition triggered by UVA and Visible light. With regards to skiing, the higher up we are (higher Altitude) the thinner the atmosphere is and the less UV is absorbed. In addition, UV is easily reflected off the white snow onto the face- this combination of less absorption and greater reflection triggers UV sun damage ranging from tans to burns. I would recommend he gets a diagnosis from his GP or Dermatologist as he may need prescription strength treatment. In the meantime, I would recommend he uses broad spectrum sunscreen that tackles UVA - aim for 5 stars in the Boot's rating as this will hopefully help reduce a sunlight provoked skin reaction.

SPF 30 blocks out about 96% of the UVB from the sun while SPF50 blocks out 98%, Although the difference does not seem large, it still is more protection using SPF50 than SPF30. Your body still makes Vitamin D when SPF50 is used and these days there is no difference in terms of formulations and ease of application between 30 and 50. Facial sunscreens may sometimes contain ingredients that target skin concerns such as pigmentation prone skin or blemish prone skin or anti- ageing; these ingredients may not be found in body sunscreens. High altitude sunscreens should offer high levels of UVA and UVB protection for instance SPF50 with a 5 star UVA rating (or PA++++) as higher up, there is less absorption of the sun's rays/

Yes. Reapply after swimming especially if you are drying off with a towel.