Now that spring is here (finally), we know a lot of readers are planning summer vacations and summer camps, so it’s the perfect time to share some tips for easy sun protection for kids. We haven’t talked about sun protection since 2017 (!), so we’re definitely due for a post reviewing easy sun protection for kids.
What are your favorite products to keep your kids safe from the sun? Have your kids ever gotten a bad burn? (No judgment here! It happens.) What are your plans for summer fun this year?
Pro tip: Sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, as well as certain products to treat sunburn (those with aloe, for example), can be purchased with HSA funds! (I did not know that before researching this post!) And don’t forget, you can even get sunburned in the shade!
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When my 11-year-old son was younger, we typically used spray sunscreen when we were running late for summer camp (which seemed to be every day, ha), because it’s definitely quicker than applying a lotion/cream. (Make sure to rub it into your kid’s skin after spraying, though.) The pictured sunscreen, Trader Joe’s Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30, is a reader recommendation; another great option for a mineral spray is from Blue Lizard.
Spray sunscreens aren’t perfect — it didn’t take long for us to realize that being downwind of the spray isn’t a good idea, for example. (Inhaling certain sunscreen chemicals can be harmful.) If your child isn’t old enough to realize the importance of turning away when you’re spraying their skin, you may want to hold off. Also, for safe face protection, it’s best to spray your hands and then apply to their face with your hands — or use a cream.
Here are Corporette readers’ favorite sunscreen brands/products for kids, in general: Thinkbaby, Babyganics (stick), Alba Bontanica (spray), Babo Botanicals, Aveeno (stick), Tubby Todd, Blue Lizard, Pipette, Hello Bello (baby/kids’), Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunscreen, Coppertone Water Babies (mineral) CeraVe (mineral stick), and Aveeno Baby (mineral).
By the way, here’s note we included in our most recent Corporette sunscreen post, regarding the EWG‘s sunscreen recommendations and warnings:
A few articles we’d recommend are “Dear EWG, This Is Why Real Scientists Think Poorly Of You” [American Council on Science and Health] and “The Sunscreen Ratings That Scare People Every Year Are Bulls**t” [Lifehacker]. (FYI, the EWG also sells the sunscreens they recommend on their website…) If you’re looking for an alternate source of sunscreen info, check out Consumer Reports’ Best Sunscreens.
Powder Sunscreen
Powder sunscreen isn’t as well known as spray sunscreen, but it can also be a good option to use on older kids’ faces. This Yahoo! Parents article shared a few tips from a dermatologist: Powder sunscreen shouldn’t be the only thing in your sun-protection arsenal; you should use it on top of a cream, spray, or stick to serve as additional protection. Also, if your kid refuses to wear a hat, you can use a powder sunscreen at their hairline to avoid getting their hair greasy like regular sunscreen would.
One popular powder sunscreen for kids is BOB Kids’ Brush-On Mineral Powder Sunscreen, which has a lot going for it: It’s water-resistant (up to 80 minutes), made in the U.S.A., hypoallergenic, vegan, cruelty-free, reef-friendly, and free of parabens, PABA, and phthalates. The sunscreen has more than 350 5-star ratings at Amazon and is $26.
{related: what’s your favorite sunscreen in 2021? [Corporette]}
Rashguards
If you want to cut down the time you spend trying to slather sunscreen on a kid who can’t or won’t sit still (and who doesn’t want that?), dressing them in a short-sleeve or long-sleeve rash guard is the way to go. We’ve had good luck with rash guards from Lands’ End, like the one pictured, which is available in boys’ sizes XXS–XXL for $14.96 on sale at Kohl’s. Here’s a great girls’ option that’s available in sizes XXS–XL; it’s on sale for $18.71 at Kohl’s.
Other brands to check out for rash guards: Athleta Girl, L.L.Bean (“swim shirts” / “surf shirts”), Old Navy (girls’, boys’, gender neutral), Target (girls’/boys’), Mini Boden (kids’ & baby), and The Children’s Place (boys’ and girls’, with girls’ styles only sold as part of a set, for some reason?).
Thinking about UPF options for rash guards? See below…
{related: the best waterpark tips: Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge, and more}
Sun Hats
If you’re lucky, your kid will agree to wear a hat when they’re in the sun — so much extra protection for their face and neck! Pictured is Kat’s recommendation (lots of options at Amazon!), which is from i play and is $10 and up, depending on the color/print. (We had an i play hat when my son was little, and I’d recommend the brand too.) This hat is available in sizes 0–6M to 2T–4T.
Here are some more options: Former CorporetteMoms writer April recommended this sunhat from Polarn O. Pyret, while readers like sun hats from Hanna Andersson, Sunday Afternoons, Jan & Jul, Coolibar, and SwimZip (girls’, boys’, unisex).
UPF Clothing
UPF clothing is probably the easiest sun protection for kids (to combine with sunscreen for the exposed parts of their body, of course). UPF (similar to SPF) stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and tells you how much UV radiation will be able to reach your skin when you wear a particular item of clothing. Clothing with 30 UPF (for the lightest shade of the product) can earn the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation — and UPF 50+ is the best choice. (REI has a webpage all about sun-protection clothing, in case you want more info.)
CorporetteMoms readers like Coolibar and UV Skinz for UPF clothing; the pictured three-piece set (narwhals!) is from UV Skinz and is $26.95 at Amazon. Sizes range from 12 months to 8 years.
What are your favorite tips for easy sun protection for kids — clothing, sunscreen, hats, swimsuits, etc.? Have you tried any of the products above?
Stock photo via Stencil.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Anon says
I am very vigilant/paranoid about sun protection. We sunscreen face, neck and hands year-round and forearms when it’s warm enough for school to roll up sleeves. From March to September or so we also send a hat to school, and we always have her in a hat, rashguard and swim trunks at the beach. When we go to really tropical places like Hawaii we try to stay out of the sun for at least two hours on either side of solar noon. Having a hotel on or right near the beach is crucial for this so we can get out in the morning and later in the afternoon and retreat to the hotel room for nap/rest mid-day.
My daughter got a sunburn once – not a bad one, but I still felt horrible about it. It was in the Caribbean and we had to walk across the tarmac to our airplane right around noon. We hadn’t sunscreened her since we didn’t realize we’d be going outside, and didn’t have any sunscreen with us. We tried to shade her face but she got a bright red burn on the back of her upper arm. She can’t have been outside for more than five minutes but somehow burned in that time (my non-white friends can’t believe this, but babies’ skin is so sensitive and she and I are really that pale).
Anonymous says
rashguards all the way – my kids turn into escape artists when i try to get sunscreen on them
Anon says
+1 on rashguards and hats so that I can minimize the amount of time I wrangle children for sunscreen application.
Boston Legal Eagle says
No burns yet but my kids are pretty pale and my older one has so many freckles on his nose now! (I think it’s cute but it’s also kinda sun damage?) I think we should do year round sunscreen on his face, but that is the last thing I want to do when getting dressed in winter. We’re pretty diligent with the sunscreen application when the warmer weather rolls around.
Anonymous says
Freckles are activated by sun exposure, but are not inherently sun damage. It’s just melanin.
Anonymous says
+1 I am covered in freckles despite bathing in spf 100 since birth. I never burn or tan on beach vacations but always come home with new freckles. I’ve had some very judgy derms but my daughter was born with freckles and I have some in areas covered by my bikini so I know you can get them without sun damage.
Tabitha says
Target started carrying a powder sunscreen that’s a little more affordable. I’ve used it on myself for days I’m wearing makeup to touch up during the day. It’s by Hawaiin Tropic and runs about $16.
https://www.target.com/p/hawaiian-tropic-mineral-skin-nourishing-sunscreen-powder-brush-spf-30-0-15oz/-/A-83952651#lnk=sametab