Just back from le cottage with the kids and I can report two wins: 1. everyone jumped into the lake 2. I did not get a sunburn. The latter might not seem like a win to you…but I have the pale-est, most sensitive, most burn-able skin on the block…not getting a sunburn is a win in my book. Kids returned without a burn as well! Here are a few tips to prevent a sunburn…
I am loving the wide-brimmed hat I bought at a camping equipment store earlier this year. It’s light. Cool. And shades me wherever I go. I even gave it double duty by putting it on my toddler (it has adjustable strings – really meant to keep it on during wind and rain – but hey – if you have a toddler who needs a hat…you MacGyver it).
About 20 minutes before we went down to the lake I applied sunscreen to myself, the boy and the big kids (you need to apply ahead of sunshine bliss so that the sunscreen can absorb into the skin). And being prone to sunburns – I make sure to get the bits n’ pieces of the body often forgot (back of the knees, feet, neck). I’m a 30 SPF girl but I discovered an Aveeno Baby SPF 50 product which is FANTASTIC. It’s hard to see in the above picture (but the pocket-size of it was amazing for throwing in my bag). Guys….this ->
Aveeno Baby Sensitive Skin SPF 50
My nose (despite my big hat) always burns – until I put on this face stick. No. Burn.
I even caught my big kids putting the face stick on their arms when I told them to reapply (totally non-greasy and super easy to put on – just wipe it along your skin).
When the sun was at it’s fullest (11-2), I put a t-shirt over my bikini (how’s that for a share?! – I’m a bikini girl). Yes, it was hotter. But I preferred the heat than a burn.
When we sat (in between the activities of swimming in the lake and throwing rocks at dock spiders*) – we sat in the shade. It gave us a break from the sun (kinda nice to take those hats off).
I know we will be out and about in the sun this whole summer – and I will personally be using all of these tips (alone and in combination) every single outing. Having fun in the sun is awesome getting a sun burn and sun damage is not-so-awesome.
*No dock spiders were hurt on this vacation. Our, respective, aims are terrible.
I have a very burnable nose too lol
Doesn’t it hurt? Like for days?!…
I apply sunscreen all of the time on me and my son. I try to put it on my husband but he fights me to do so. My son has NEVER had a sunburn I’m happy to say!
My kids are lucky to always tan…yet I still make them put on sunscreen (you never know with sun damage)
great tips. we all burn easy too.
Once in Spain my husband put OIL on me instead of suncreen – worst burn of my life.
First thing to get burned on me is always my nose! I’m an avid sunscreen/hat wearer these days so that hasn’t happened in a few years! Good to know about Aveeno Baby, I’m going to give it a peek next time we need to purchase sun products for our grandkids.
Thanks
Oh you’ll love the Aveeno baby – for grandkids and yourself – not greasy or oily at all!
One bad thing is combining Bug repellant with sunscreen. It makes the bug repellant formula sink deeper into your skin and can cause skin cancer. My husband works in the sunny forests sometimes building homes and I told him to put sunscreen on upper body parts and bug spray on lower body parts and he gets sun and bug protection while still protecting his skin!
I didn’t know that about bug spray – thanks for sharing!
I use to never apply sunscreen until I got burnt really bad and now I apply it religiously. The thing that I don’t like is when I get a lot of sun, I get freckles on my face. This is why I have a big hat too. I understand your need to look for shade, that’s what I look for too. Nice, useful post this time of year. Thanks!
I am embracing the big hat. In my younger years, I thought big hats weren’t cool – now I prefer to be comfortable than cool.
That is great, the biggest problem with the kids, is that they don’t want to apply the running sunscreen. I have tried the spray, but it seems to not last and is so costly. I think they would all be rubbing the stick all over them. I have to stay out of the sun and I am always worried about burns.
My kids don’t like the rubbing and patting when it comes to sunscreen on their nose and faces – but this stick allowed a quick swipe (and I could see where the sunscreen went).
I have been trying coconut oil and it works well.
it is important to protect yourself from the harmful rays but it shouldn’t be over-done. They really do literally soak themselves with sunscreen in Australia to prevent getting skin cancer. However now it’s been discovered that most Australians have a deficit in Vit D. So I’d say prevent a sunburn by all means but remember to soak up some sunshine to get the production of Vit D in your body going. As I always say, everything in small doses, over-do anything and it’s bad for you.
my mother was allergic to the sun in later life and used to break out in a rash which meant covering up when she was outside no matter how hot it was. Luckily I can take the sun no problem.
My kids are adults now but they never burned just tanned