The Best Baby Clothes For Sun Protection

I’d like to start by emphasizing one very important point to remember – for babies who are six months old or less, please keep them in the shade as baby clothes are inadequate protection and you should not put sunscreen on a baby’s skin.

With the vast amount of publicity that’s been given to over-exposure to the sun and the harm it can cause, most people understand that babies and children also need protection. In Victorian times the fashion was to have pale skin, but then times changed and a tanned skin came to be regarded as both the height of fashion and an indicator of good health.

When you live in a sunny climate you realize just how fierce the sun is and how little time it takes to burn. Wearing sunscreen lotions, sunglasses, hats and protective clothing becomes a way of life especially during the hottest part of the day if you have to be out in the sun.

This is especially important for babies and young children as their skin burns much more quickly than an adult. The best protection for very young babies is to keep them out of the sun altogether. Even while in the shade babies can get burnt by reflected sunshine so keep them dressed and provide a parasol or canopy over the stroller.

A lot of people think that if they cover up with a T-shirt or blouse that that will be adequate protection from the sun however the amount of protection they afford very much depends on the color and the fabric. The best everyday clothing to protect your child and yourself from the sun’s harmful rays is made of closely woven material in dark colors not the white T shirt that you slip on at the beach.

Hats are a very important part of a child’s summer wardrobe. It is important to keep the sun off the back of the neck, ears face and eyes and a wide brimmed hat or a legionnaire’s hat provide the most protection. Protecting the eyes is just as important as protecting the skin so be sure to get your child to wear sunglasses to protect against future eye damage.

Technology has been used in an attempt to stop or at least minimize the effect of sunburn. Some suppliers now offer clothing for children that has sun protection built in. Right now, though, choices are limited and prices are relatively expensive. In addition, a product called Sun Guard can be added to your washer loads of laundry and it claims to offer protection of up to UPF30, staying effective through twenty washes.

But not every part of the skin can always be covered by clothes and hats. The skin that is left exposed needs to be covered by the right-strength sunscreen. As awareness of the sunburn problem has increased, so have the varieties of products available. Even sensitive skins are catered for. Babies over six months old and children need a product with SPF15 or greater, according to leading dermatologists.

A common mistake is to apply sunscreen too infrequently, a mistake made by both adults and children. Start applying it before you go into the sun (half an hour before) and replenish it at two-hour intervals. Shorten the intervals if you’re in and out of the swimming pool or sea. Apart from babies who are no older than six months (they’re always in the shade, remember), keep in mind that all exposed parts of the skin should be screened from the sun – that includes the back of the neck, the ankles and feet and the ears.

It is painful to see anyone, whether a baby a child or an adult, suffering from sore red skin or even blisters because of too much time in the sun or too little protection from sunscreen or clothing. It is even more painful to experience it and it adds to the risk of skin cancer. One immediate essential after an incidence of sun burn is to keep out of the sun until the skin has recovered.

One final point: sun exposure is undoubtedly beneficial to everyone, children and adults alike. It causes our bodies to generate vitamin D which in turn strengthens teeth and bones. But we only need a few minutes of exposure to give us all we need!