Summer is Coming - Know Your Sunscreen Ingredients

Knowing the ingredients in sunscreens and how they work will help you choose the best sunscreen product for your child.

Sunscreens work in two different ways:

Physical Blockers. Some sunscreens (often called sunblocks) have ingredients that form a physical barrier that blocks, scatters or reflects all types of UV rays. Two common ingredients are:

• Zinc oxide is most often found in white or colored ointments that can be seen on the skin. Microfine zinc oxide (Z-cote) is a transparent zinc oxide used in sunblocks. Both types of zinc oxide protect against both UVA and UVB.

• Titanium dioxide is often included in sunscreens with other ingredients. It is less visible than zinc oxide but still may show as a white film on children with darker skin. It protects against both UVA and UVB.

Chemical Sunscreens. Other sunscreen ingredients work by absorbing UV rays. Most of these ingredients absorb UVB rays. A few of the newer ones absorb only UVA rays. They are:

• Avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789) is not visible on the skin.

• Oxybenzone is not visible on the skin.

PABA is a sunscreen ingredient that is rarely used now, because it caused skin reactions in some people.

Choose the Best Type for the Job

There are many kinds of sunscreen. When properly applied, these sunscreens offer protection from the damaging effects of UV rays. Pick the formula that best meets your needs:

• Creams & lotions go on thick and stay on better, but they can be messy.

• Gels are somewhat harder to see, so it's easier to miss an area. Also, alcohol-based gels are more likely to irritate young children's skin.

• Sunscreen sticks are less likely to run into children's eyes. They work well for children's ears, forehead, nose and cheeks.

• Sprays take less time to apply and can save you from having greasy hands, but it can be hard to apply it evenly to all areas. Be careful to avoid spraying children's eyes.

• Towelettes are easy to throw in a bag or take on an outing. You'll want to pack at least one per child.

Waterproof or sweat-resistant sunscreens provide some additional protection for active outings but will still rub off. Remember that waterproof sunscreens need to be reapplied at least every 2 hours, especially if the children are playing in or with water or are using towels to dry off.

Colored sunscreens can be fun for kids, and can help you see where you've missed. Be aware, though, that they can stain clothing. There have also been reports that some children may react to the dyes in these products.

Sunscreens with bug repellent must meet the SPF rating on the container. However, if a product containing DEET bug repellent is reapplied every 2 hours, a child may get too much DEET. Look for a sunscreen with insect repellent that does not contain DEET.

If you need both sunscreen and a DEET-based bug repellent, apply the sunscreen first. Then apply bug repellent 15-30 minutes later, after the sunscreen has soaked into the skin.