The best sunscreen for your child

Why do we wear sunscreen?

We naturally apply sunscreen to protect our skin, especially for children, whose skin is much more sensitive. The skin is our largest organ and plays a crucial role in keeping out intruders. Overexposure to UV radiation can cause symptoms such as redness, bumps, and even serious illnesses. By applying sunscreen, we protect our skin from the sun's harmful effects.

Vitamin D

Besides advising the right sunscreen, I also want to emphasize the importance of vitamin D, and the importance of not letting the sun be your enemy. People are quick to recommend applying plenty of sunscreen even when the sun is faint, but it's also important to expose your skin and eyes to the sun to produce vitamin D. Ideally, for 10 to 30 minutes. So, expose your skin and eyes to the sun early in the year, rather than waiting for the Spanish sunshine during your summer holidays. This gives your body time to adjust. You improve at everything you practice, so spending a lot of time outdoors trains your skin to protect itself better.

Which substances do you want to avoid?

Children have very sensitive skin, so it's important to protect them when spending a lot of time in the sun. But it's equally important to use the right sunscreen. Children are also very sensitive to all the harmful substances found in many sunscreens. So be just as careful with them.

There are several ingredients in sunscreen that are best avoided for the health of you and your baby. I'll list them here: oxybenzone, octinaxate, benzene, PABA, homosalate, parabens, octocrylene, sulisobenzone, octisalate, amiloxate, enzacamene, and anything with synthetic fragrances (not natural). These should be listed on the packaging, so it's always important to read the ingredients list, because everything you put on your skin enters your system.

What then?

Research shows that titanium dioxide and zinc oxide perform best in terms of sunscreen protection. It's best not to inhale high doses of titanium dioxide. Therefore, it's best to avoid sprays or powder sunscreens.

These two substances mentioned above are mineral filters, meaning the cream stays on your skin and doesn't penetrate. It reflects UV rays, thus still providing good protection.
Please make sure you reapply sunscreen after swimming, as it washes off easily.

Proper sunscreen is essential for sun exposure, but even more important is how you handle the sun. So don't bask in the sun during the hottest part of the summer. Ideally, spend the morning and the end of the day in the sun. The rest of the time, it's best to stay in the shade or wear protective clothing.

Here are the most important tips in a row:

• Get plenty of outdoor time all year round. Spending a lot of time outdoors trains your skin to protect itself better. So get outside with your little one; playing outside is also great fun! And especially starting in February, let your skin adjust to the increasingly strong sun.
• Use sunscreens with natural minerals and based on (non-nano) zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
• Spend the day in the shade during the hottest part of the day and use the morning and end of the day to catch some sun.
• Wear protective clothing, such as UV-resistant clothing, for your child.
• Spread your sunscreen with a (makeup) sponge, this will make the white haze disappear easily
• In terms of diet, you can ensure your skin's antioxidant levels (which remove waste from our bodies) are up to par. So eat plenty of vegetables (kale, beets, tomatoes, broccoli) and fruits (raspberries, berries). Seafood is also very good for protecting your skin from the inside out.