Need Help Choosing a Sunscreen

The best website is www.cosmeticdatabase.com, and you can click on the "no thanks tab" to not have to sign up for the newsletter...and the sunscreen special is on the right hand side. It's interesting, they have added more products this year. Also, you can look up any ingredient and they are increasing their database of products as well.

A few years ago, the pediatrician told us about Blue Lizard. We have had great luck with it. I tried switching for a couple of days simply because I needed some sunscreen at the last minute and the store I stopped at didn't have any Blue Lizard. My daughter ended up red all over her face each time we used it. I found Blue Lizard again and she is back to normal. We don't seem to sweat with it like other brands either. I highly recommend giving it a try. They have it at CVS and Kroger around here (Cincinnati area).

I use Mexitan on my ds. www.mexitan.com
It's a physical sunscreen, as opposed to most store sunscreens which are chemical. It's titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (no nanoparticles).

We really like it. I find it protects better than the others I've tried. The only negative is that if you don't rub it in really well really fast, it leaves a white film. I don't use it on my face. lol.

There are other sunscreens (so I've heard) with physical sunblocks that don't leave a white film.

Hi K.,
My name is M. V. and I would like to encourage you to try melaleuca's sunscreen products. You can check out there website at melaleuca.com and remember their products come with a 100% money back guarantee.

Sincerely,
M. V.
Independepent Marketing Executive
Melaleuca-The Wellness Company

I useaveeno spf 15 but if u tried a number of time i think u should check with ur doctor

My daughter was breaking out in a bad allergic rash to the sunscreen we were using. I had to call my peds doctor and they suggested Water Babies. It works great and obviously can be used in the water. My daughter has very sensitive skin as well as me and we both use it. By the way, I'm a red head and I don't get burned with it.

my 2-year-old is very fair and i had good luck with mustela sun lotion. it is very thick, and sometimes a challenge to put on her, but does an excellent job for us

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=84151&...

good luck

I am blonde and fair as are two of my kids. Some how my son got lucky and is a little darker like hubby. But my girls and I are fair. We use all arbonne sunscreen products. www.arbonne.com (before sun line) and on my kids I use Arbonne ABC baby sunscreen. They only go up to 30 SPF as any higher and they have more chemicals. Arbonne's products are botanically based. So I like that.
Oh I have samples of the baby line if you want to try it. I can mail it over. let me know what you think
K.

arbonne has a good sunscreen

Hi K.! I've heard that the Aveeno Baby sunscreen is good, but I have also used the Arbonne sunscreen which was wonderful! We go to Myrtle Beach for a week in July, and the heat and sun is pretty intense there and we never have sunburn issues. One of my boys tends to burn as well, but we've had good luck with the Arbonne. You have to go to arbonne.com to order it. It's worth it! Good luck!

Hi K.,I don't really know about a sunblock but I have found a really awesome product to use on sunburns.
It is Avon skin so soft satin glow daily body moisturizer. I used it & I tanned down without peeling :) So now I use it on my husband, kids & grandkids. I tell everyone how great this stuff is!! Contact your Avon lady soon. I hope you find a good sunblock, but until then, this stuff is really good and has been a real life saver at my house.

L.

Durascreen.com it is a sunscreen from florida,,, my daughter always burned so bad no matter what we used. It works soooo good!

The do make clothes with SPF in them. I dont' know if that would help or not. Is the burn hot or painful? My dd has sensitive skin and it always looks like she's burnt, but it's never warm or painful. The pedi said to continue to apply sunscreen and lotion, but not to worry too much about it.

We love the Avon Sun Kids Disappearing Color Sunscreen Lotion. It has an SPF of 40 and my son has never gotten a sunburn when we use it. It goes on with a purplish tint so you can see where you're running it and then it fades into the skin. It's the only brand I've used.
Its on sale now on Catalog 14 (outlet catalog) for $4.99

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/07/01/sunscreen.study/inde... just found this link on cnn regarding sunscreen.

I recently found out that there's an SPF 85!!! If you can find it, I'd try that with him.

I use Mustela and apply it before I dress her or put the swim suit on (very important). It is a pricy lotion, so I re-apply with Aveeno since it is not as expensive and still blocks UVA and UVB rays. Happy Summer!

I used Avon's brand and found it was as effective as the other's and was cheaper. You do have to reapply it but not as often and it seems to stay on better in water from pools etc.

Hello K.,

I have always used the Water Babies on my kids and neices and nephews. I apply it every 2 hours and it works like a charm. My brother is very fair and his youngest is fair like he is. My brother does not go out with a white tee on, even to swim. I remember one time years ago he tried to tan in a tanning bed, because he was tired of being so white lol. The lady at the tanning salon gave him his money back because the poor guy couldn't even tan there lol.

I think the key is to apply often, especially is he is swimming.
Good Luck
T.

My stepdaughter and my son are both red heads and are soooo super sensitive to the sun and burn so easily. (my stepdaughter even breaks out in hives if she is exposed to sun without sunscreen) I use Coppertone SPF 70 ~ and it works WONDERFULLY! I apply it every couple of hours, and they don't get a lick of sun. :o)

My son has red hair and the complection of a red head!!!!! I have always used coppertone sport, I apply it liberly and often!!! I have noticed the older he gets the less he seems to burn!!!

All you can do is make sure you hit every spot on his body, and have him wear a hat when possible. Even try keeping a tee-shirt on him, when we go to the pool I try to sit in the shade so I can keep him out of the sun as much as possible.

Hope this helps you a little. Good Luck!!
A.

i use on my son & daughter....OCEAN POTION BROAD SPECTRUM ANTI-AGING WITH PARSOL1789 & ANTIOXIDANTS/VITAMINS A,C,&E..UVA1/UVA2/&UVB PROTECTION. SPF:50+

if your kids are very active(sweaty), then you need to re-apply every 20-30 minutes. there isn't any sunscreen that you can just apply once & they're good for the day. i really wish there was..i would buy a case!!..lol.

The banana boat spray in the blue and silver bottle works great for my fair skinned little guy. It's spf 50 and it doesn't make him cry (from getting in his eyes) like some other brands. And he thinks it tickles when I spray his back and arms so he likes putting it on--that is half the battle with us!
Hope you find something that works for him. It's no fun having to keep active boys out of the sun!
J.

K.,

I have been using Enfuselle's SPF 30 on my son since he was 3 months old and my little blondie has never gotten sun burned. There are so many harmful chemicals in everything these days, I was glad to find this product because it is organic and instead of putting toxins on the skin it provides nutrients. And it is competatively priced. Go to www.shaklee.net/gemsoffire and type in 32519 in the search engine. It should take you to the right place. Let me know if you have any questions.

I am red headed and fair skinned so I use Neutrogena cooling mist spray with SPF 45. Since my son was over 2 this year I decided to use it on him and it has worked great. Only once has he even looked a little sun kissed after being at the pool or just outside.

I noticed on our last trip to walmart to buy sunscreen that they make a 65 SPF. I think it was Aveno. Sorry, not much help, but hopefully can point you in the right direction.

I have 2 red headed beautiful children. My daughter is three and a half and my son is five monthes old and I have been using Blue Lizard since my daughter was five monthes old and have had wonderful results. You have to go to the pharmacy and they have to order it, a little pricey but it lasts b/c it's very thick and my kids have never been burnt while using it! It's out of Australia.
Good Luck!
M. L

I personally am the same way. UG! I try them all. I found that I use more often and can apply more easily to myself the spf 50 coppertone spray on stuff. I have used both the sport and baby. So far, its the ONLY thing this year that has kept me from getting burnt! (Just got back from FL and it was the only thing down there that helped me out) I am one that can sit in the shade and get burnt. I read the bottles and found most of them saying SPF remains after 45 minutes--I tend to reapply no longer than an hour and half. If I get in water I reapply when I get out and dry off. I apply lotion sunscreen twice before going out. Once when I first get up and apply banana boat SPF 50 to my whole body and allow it to dry before putting anything on (yes 10-15 minutes) then once again about 15 miutes before we head out the door. I do spray if I'm outdoors a lot or all day, and hang out in the shade for 15 minutes while it dries.
This sounds crazy--but for me to wait 2-3 hours to reapply anything less I get burnt and my 5 year old LOVES to be out in the sun. (For him he ALWAYS wears those surf shirts or swimsuit shirts in between hours of 10a-4p He doesn't mind because he has seen me in so much pain from sunburns he doesn't want that to happen to him. They are awesome!) Best of luck! I FEEL your pain!

Directions on most of the sunscreens I have seen tell you to apply 1/2 an hour before exposure to sun, but I don't ever remember doing that. I applied it right when we arrived at the beach. Have you given any of the products you have tried time to soak in before you get to your destination?

When applying sunscreen lotions, they must be applied an hour before going out into the sun. The new spray sunscreens are quick dry and generally indicate they may only need 10 minutes to soak into the skin before being effective in the sun. Sunscreen is only effective for about 1.5 hours. So... you may need to reapply every hour for a fair child and assure it's completely soaked in.

If it's really intense sun, the SPF 30 prevents sun poisoning up to 30 times the normal time. Since it usually becomes ineffective after 1.5 hours, anything over 30 SPF tends to work the same.

Sunscreens tend to all have the same sorts of things in them, so they all work similarly. Sunscreen does not prevent 100% tanning. It's just supposed to prevent severe sun damage with minimal exposure.

I know this might sound a little crazy but try extra virgin coconut oil. Surprisingly it works great as a sun block. Try it on one half of his body with a sunscreen on the other half to see how it works.

Its all we use in our house for sunscreen.

http://www.coconutdiet.com/skin_health.htm

Hi K.,
I have very fair skin. Five minutes in the sun without sunscreen and I look like a cooked lobster. I have found that Neutrogena works well for me. The Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock. It now comes in SPF 70 which is wonderful! I put it on about three times a day when I spend the whole day outside, along with wearing a hat. Another tip, when your son does get sunburnt, try using 100% aloe gel to take away the hot and scratchy feeling. It also helps with any blistering. Noxzema is also great for treating a sunburn. Hope you can find a solution.

D.

The nurses at my ped. office state that the new Aveeno is really good. It is also 75 SPF. Let me know how it works if you use it. :)

Hello K.! I am not surprised that he is still burning. I am an Environmental Wellness Consultant and I just recently wrote this article as part of my latest newsletter to my customers. I think you'll find it eye opening and educational. If you're interested in learning more just PM me.

"The sun gives out 3 different types of ultraviolet (UV) radiation - UVA, UVB and UVC rays. UVC has the shortest wavelength so the ozone is able to block it. UVB (the “burning ray) is the middle of the pack and does reach us, penetrating the skin damaging our cells, reddening our skin and causing skin cancer. UVA (the “aging ray”) penetrates to the skins deepest layers, causing skin aging, sagging, spotting and cancer.

UVB rays are seasonal and peak during late morning to mid-afternoon whereas UVA rays are steady throughout year and throughout the day, being a constant threat to your skin.

Most store brand sunscreens only protect you from UVB rays, which is important but what about UVA rays? The mid-day sunlight is 95% UVA rays and SPF sunscreens do not protect you from these rays. Luckily, we have created a sunscreen that protects you from BOTH UVB and UVA rays—Sunshades Mineral Sunblock line! Get best in class protection for only $1.69 / oz. compared to $2.27 / oz. of Neutrogena Sunscreen!

After fun in the sun, use SunShades After Hydrogel E made with glycerin, aloe, and grape leaf/green tea extracts!

Don’t forget your lips with Sun Shades Lip Balm with SPF 15, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, beeswax and T36-C5 Tea Tree Oil. Use Sun Shades for Long-Term Skin Health!

Bull Frog brand. Best out there. I have a friend who has had skin cancer - his dermatologist recommended this brand to him, he has a very fair complexion as well. A group of us just came back from Cancun - he used it there - was the only one who didn't burn (or get any sun to speak of either). It comes in an SPF of 36 - which is plenty for anyone! And, it has a non-greasy, quick-dry spray that is awesome. Good luck....