mom of redheads - sunscreen question?

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[usetoschool]

The SPF number means that you can stay in the sun that many times longer. So, SPF 15 means you can stay out 15 times longer before you burn. In our family we have a little saying, 15 times 0 is still 0. Unfortunately.

 

My redheaded, freckled daughter uses SPF 70 and either expects to get burned or covers up. The brand doesn't really seem to matter as long as it is UVA and UVB protection. Brands with zinc type screen work better than a chemical type and irritate her skin less.

[Jennifer in MI]

Quick answer - we rarely go out in the sun!

 

Longer answer - If we go out somewhere - like the beach - we'll find a seat in the shade. Or bring a shade tent. Or a combination.

 

But, we actually prefer a beach after the peak hours. We go around 6 pm or so. Less exposure. Less (or no) burn.

 

My kids play baseball. We bought a shade tent and sit under it. This way we don't need sunscreen at all (I'm not totally comfortable with the chemicals anyway). Kids who play get sunscreen and they must reapply during games at certain times of day.

 

Good luck!!!

[WistfulRidge]

If your DS is anything like me (also very pale red head)... getting burnt is unavoidable. I have yet to find a sunscreen, or an article of clothing, that will protect me from getting burnt April through September/October. The first couple months are the worst and I will burn through -everything- (tinted car windows included!). To try to keep it somewhat under control I put sunscreen on (I still burn, but it does help some. 40-50 spf works best for me... I haven't noticed any difference by using anything higher, but I do burn a little more if I go lower), stick to the shade as much as possible (especially after 10am), and avoid wearing light colored shirts and very light weight shirts. Oh, and I stock up on aloe vera gel and slather it on several times a day (if I'm outside for extended periods) or immediately after coming inside.

 

I've also found that after I've experienced relatively mild burns for a month or two that my skin seems to have an upped "immunity" and I burn less after that.

[Stacia]

You might want to check out the sunscreens here:

http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/

 

Long-sleeve swim shirts help too.

[kalanamak]

I slap kiddo into Radicool clothes and esp. the flapped hat, screen the backs of his hands, miss the worst of the sun, and moved to the PNW! Kiddo isn't redhead, but I am, and kiddo is pale.

 

The Radicool clothes really do work. They aren't cheap, but they last and last. Takes about 10 days to get from Australia.

 

http://www.radicoolaustralia.com/index.php

Edited June 9, 2011 by kalanamak

[JeneralMom]

I am extremely pale with red hair. I burn just thinking about the sun, so my whole life I avoided being outside. Experiencing heat stroke and sun stroke once is once too many. However, my pale, blond children love being in the sun and do not burn like me, so I have been toughing it out. I finally (at 39yo) have found something that allows me to be in the sun with a hat on and not burn - Cetaphil spf 50, covered by mineral makeup with spf 30.

[Kim in Appalachia]

My sister is a redhead. There is no sunscreen that works. Nothing. She has to cover or she will be red. They make nice rash guards now, and boy swim suits are usually long. Make him wear that hat. I know he'll cry for a while. I put ties on a hat I had for my kids. I tied it on and they could not get it off. I made sure it stayed on. You just make the child keep it on. And you still should put on the sunscreen. It's just how life is when you have red hair.

 

My sister just had a baby. He is 7 months old and has her beautiful hair. She bought him a cute hat and puts it on him every time they walk out the door. If he grabs it to take it off, she holds it on his head. She knows he needs to get used to it now.

[Mommyfaithe]

I have my kids wear rash guards with high necks and long sleeves. I still sunscreen them...a lot...using 70 SPF...I find the No Ad works the best and they aren't allergic to it. I found really cool colored zinc oxide (neon orange and purple) for noses and cheek bones. It looks like war paint. They love it.

 

Faithe

[kathkath]

I have my kids wear rash guards with high necks and long sleeves. I still sunscreen them...a lot...using 70 SPF...I find the No Ad works the best and they aren't allergic to it. I found really cool colored zinc oxide (neon orange and purple) for noses and cheek bones. It looks like war paint. They love it.

 

Faithe

 

long sleeve rashguard from llbean. my 4yo is a redhead and gets burned no matter what. I'm glad to see this thread. Where do you get No Ad?

[Alicia64]

Regular sunblock -- I don't care how high the number -- just doesn't cut it. We're very fair too.

 

When we're in the sun (which we try to avoid of course, but can't always), the boys are always in SPF tops along w/ bathingsuit.

 

The only sunscreen that does an excellent, reliable job comes with ONLY Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Nothing, nothing else.

 

I get mine at Target. The companies that I've found that make this kind of sunblock are: Johnson's Baby Daily Face & Body, California Baby, Aveeno Baby.

 

I used California Baby products last year. The Johnson's and Aveeno both say "New!" on their packaging. So I have all three this year.

 

I think more companies are going over to the Titanium and Zinc Oxides.

 

Alley

[ChristusG]

I don't have fair skinned children, but I am adamant about sun protection.

 

My kids always wear rash guards and board shorts. No regular swim suits. Always sun protection suits. I get them from Lands End.

 

When we go to the beach, they wear a hat. No ifs, ands, or buts. If the hat comes off, they come sit under the canopy. No hat, no playing.

 

Sun screen goes on the face with one of those sunscreen sticks, even when wearing the hat.

 

At the pool, I don't put sunscreen on the bottom parts of their arms or their legs, since they are submerged a lot. But if we go to the beach, where they are sitting on the sand a lot, I do apply sunscreen to those areas.

[JennyD]

I'm not a redhead but I am very fair (auburn hair) and had melanoma when I was 25. Fortunately, I married a Chinese guy so my kids are not as fair -- my dermatologist praises me for my choice of spouse every time he sees me :001_smile: However, I do not mess around when it comes to the sun. I cover them up with rashguards and long-sleeved swimsuits, and hats are non-negotiable. I have retied hats on babies' heads dozens of times in a row, to get them used to it, and I will take a child home who is refusing to wear a hat. I get a lot of stuff through Lands End and Coolibar; Solumbra is also very nice but $$$. Finally, I try to stay out of the sun during peak hours, although that's not always feasible.

 

I'd just go straight for the sun protective clothing, and since the hat thing may be a battle for a while perhaps consider growing his hair out a bit for the summer. Do you have a beach umbrella or canopy?

[suzybluecheese]

My son has albinism. Here is some great info on skin protection http://www.albinism.org/publications/sunprotection.html

 

cat

[JennyD]

My son has albinism. Here is some great info on skin protection http://www.albinism.org/publications/sunprotection.html

 

cat

 

That's a great website -- thanks for the link.

 

I also forgot to mention -- the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) comes out with sunscreen reviews every year as well.

[learningmama]

We use banana boat kids 50 on my dd. She must wear a hat too, unless she is in the pool. At the beach we do swim shirts and longer swim shorts.

We've never had her in full sun more than 1 to 1 1/2 hours at a time. On a few really long car rides we've had, she wore a hat, sunglasses, and covered herself with a thin blanket (we have a small car without tinted windows she she often ends up on the sunny side for awhile).

We keep in the shade or indoors as much as we can. We go out alot in the evening too. We just moved to Florida last year, so suncare is a daily function around here.

[Diana B]

These are cool and handy to keep around when you want to cover up quick without a clothing change.

 

http://nantucketsun.com/Child%20SunSleeves.html

 

I'm planning on keeping ours with us all the time (most likely in my purse, or just tucked into the car). I'm the red-head in the family and at this point I'm just used to getting burned because I so often forget about myself!

[redsquirrel]

as a redhead I cannot recommend rash guards enough. And hats. And those tent things for the beach that create shade where there is none. And dark sunglasses. And cultivating a lifelong love of sitting indoors and drinking tea. And screens on car windows.

 

Fever reducer works wonders for sunburn pain.

[Sevilla]

You'll need to 'hat train' him if he's that fair. I did it with my DD when she was a toddler and it was so.very.worth.it. You will spend awhile putting the hat back on his head and holding it on, it will feel like you'll never win the battle, but barring any sensory issues he can get used to it if you make it your sole focus for awhile - with DD it took 30 minutes of constant vigilance and putting it back on each time she took it off. "No" was not optional for sun protection for her. It was so worth it in the end - she kept the hat on the rest of the summer with only minor lapses and it has protected her from burns (btw - iplay makes great toddler sunhats with wide brims that offer shoulder protection too).

 

You'll want a long-sleeved rashguard - Lands End and Gap both have them. Don't settle for short sleeved, he needs the most protection possible. Get long board shorts and sunglasses too. That way you'll only have to sunscreen his feet/ankles and hands.

 

For sunscreen, here is EWG's guide - it's very insightful (and fwiw, a high SPF doesn't really mean higher protection): http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/top-sun-safety-tips/

[Dinsfamily]

We're another family that uses hats, rash guards, and long board shorts. When my oldest was 2, I had to tie an big floppy hat on him. He got used to it after a while. We also have a sun tent that goes to the beach. We do use sunscreen and my boys' skin isn't as sensitive as their getting older. I, on the other hand, expect to burn for the first half of soccer season despite taking every precaution.

[AndyJoy]

I don't have fair skinned children, but I am adamant about sun protection.

 

My kids always wear rash guards and board shorts. No regular swim suits. Always sun protection suits. I get them from Lands End.

 

When we go to the beach, they wear a hat. No ifs, ands, or buts. If the hat comes off, they come sit under the canopy. No hat, no playing.

 

Sun screen goes on the face with one of those sunscreen sticks, even when wearing the hat.

 

:iagree:Us too! I had no idea about rash guards until I moved to CA and I have a 50 SPF one for myself now. When I was a teen I was very careful to always wear sunblock but I still got a few nasty burns due to not realizing that sunblock expires. It's so nice to not have to worry about getting good sunblock coverage on my back or have my toddler pull down a strap!

[Lady Dove]

Coppertone SPF 75 is awesome for my fair skin. I burn easy (my mother doesn't understand why I don't go to tanning beds) and had sun poisoning once. My children are biracial and I put SPF 30 sport on them, and they still bronze beautifully. *sigh* The drawbacks of being English/Irish American!!!

[AndyJoy]

You'll need to 'hat train' him if he's that fair. I did it with my DD when she was a toddler and it was so.very.worth.it. You will spend awhile putting the hat back on his head and holding it on, it will feel like you'll never win the battle, but barring any sensory issues he can get used to it if you make it your sole focus for awhile - with DD it took 30 minutes of constant vigilance and putting it back on each time she took it off. "No" was not optional for sun protection for her. It was so worth it in the end - she kept the hat on the rest of the summer with only minor lapses and it has protected her from burns (btw - iplay makes great toddler sunhats with wide brims that offer shoulder protection too).

 

:iagree:My ds is not a redhead, but we live in a desert with intense sun, so I require him to wear a hat EVERY TIME we're outside. He went through a short phase of pulling it off, but I just made him sit on my lap in the shade away from the fun until he consented to put it back on telling him, "If you don't wear the hat, you have to sit." It didn't take long until he gave in and he now happily wears a hat.

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[JeneralMom]

I notice most of the replies have to do with beaches or pools where it is feasible to have your child wear a rash guard/board shorts. My are all very, very fair and I slather sunscreen on them, but have no luck keeping hats on them. We live in San Antonio right now and it is hot, hot, hot so I wonder how warm they would get with a long-sleeve rash guard and board shorts if I made them wear them on our park day (usually from noon to 4pm).

 

How do you enforce the "you wear a hat or else" policy when no one else is wearing a hat (for older kids)?

[Shannon in TN]

I thought I'd bring back this thread, but with a spin. We're getting ready for swim team this summer and hats just aren't an option for my redhead dd. does anyone have a favorite sunblock that won't wear off? What I put on her body tends to stay on for the time we practice (and I'll reapply if it's a long day at the pool) but whatever I put on her face seems to last all of 5 minutes. Any favorite brands out there?

 

TIA

Shannon

[Whereneverever]

I notice most of the replies have to do with beaches or pools where it is feasible to have your child wear a rash guard/board shorts. My are all very, very fair and I slather sunscreen on them, but have no luck keeping hats on them. We live in San Antonio right now and it is hot, hot, hot so I wonder how warm they would get with a long-sleeve rash guard and board shorts if I made them wear them on our park day (usually from noon to 4pm).

 

How do you enforce the "you wear a hat or else" policy when no one else is wearing a hat (for older kids)?

 

I don't have red headed children and my kids have never sunburned, but I do require hats. I would just explain for the older kids that your family makes rules and you need to follow them, no matter what other people do.

[ktgrok]

First, as to brand, Banana Boat, the orange label one, is the only thing that works for me.

 

Second, 50 SPF really doesn't work better than 30spf, in my opinion.

 

Third, as a red head, no...I really can't be out in the sun mid day for longer than say 30 minutes to an hour, even with sunscreen. I do swimming and such either before 11am or after 2 or 3pm. I have been known to get sunburn even around 4pm.

 

Finally...Dr. Weill feels that vitamin A helps the body to tolerate the sun better....maybe making sure his diet is high in vitamin A.

[ktgrok]

If you are going back tomorrow GET A TENT or umbrella. The big kind. That kid needs shade.

[Tarreymere]

Stay out of the sun during the afternoon. Only go outside in the morning or the evening. Sunscreen isn't going to cut it, if you want serious sun protection you need to have the kid wear something over their skin PLUS the sunscreen.

 

We're the family with the long sleeves and long tights with sunhats at the beach or the pool while the rest of you are tanning. Yes, it is hot. Yes, it is uncomfortable.

 

I've lived like this my entire life and I still had several bouts of skin cancer before I was 45. I get sunburned if I so much as ride in a car during the afternoon in the summer and I have exposed skin. I can't sit near a sunny window at home, either. Forget skylights. It isn't fun. I'm sure glad I live in PA and not any further south or I would have to live like a vampire.

 

Don't take any chances. Sun poisoning isn't pleasant. Neither is the increased risk of skin cancer, which can actually be fatal.

[Shellers]

My DD14 is a redhead. She gets sunburned very easily, even when she wears sunscreen.

 

We go boating a lot in the summer. I make her wear a hat and a tee shirt over her swim suit. I also make her reapply sunscreen every couple of hours.

[Desert Rat]

If your DS is anything like me (also very pale red head)... getting burnt is unavoidable. I have yet to find a sunscreen, or an article of clothing, that will protect me from getting burnt April through September/October. The first couple months are the worst and I will burn through -everything- (tinted car windows included!). To try to keep it somewhat under control I put sunscreen on (I still burn, but it does help some. 40-50 spf works best for me... I haven't noticed any difference by using anything higher, but I do burn a little more if I go lower), stick to the shade as much as possible (especially after 10am), and avoid wearing light colored shirts and very light weight shirts. Oh, and I stock up on aloe vera gel and slather it on several times a day (if I'm outside for extended periods) or immediately after coming inside.

 

I've also found that after I've experienced relatively mild burns for a month or two that my skin seems to have an upped "immunity" and I burn less after that.

 

:iagree: This is me, too. OP, there used to be a light spray that you could spray directly on you scalp. I would use this on my part and it worked really good, except that I loathe sunscreen and would compulsively scrub it out when I got home. Your little guy probably wouldn't mind though. I think it was a Banana Boat product.

[mommymilkies]

I have two freckly red heads. We use mineral sunscreen by BurnOut Kids. It has no nanoparticles or strange chemicals and endocrine disruptors. We use spf clothing, spf baby carriers, rash guards, hats, you name it. They still get burnt sometimes, but mostly when my oldest dd plays softball and she sweats all of her sunblock off and can't get any shade. I burn very easily, too, even with dark hair. No sunblock ever works for me, but mineral sunblock works better than chemical. Plus no rashes!

[redsquirrel]

neutrogena made a new kind last year, I am hoping they will make it this summer. It was made to stick to wet skin. It was great for our ocean vacation. I would spray it on the kids (and myself) after swimming. Usually, once you get wet it can be hard to get the sun screen to stick to your skin.

 

Once my kids got sunburns, they stopped complaining about hats and sunblock and tshirts.

[Lolly]

1. No outside time at the beach between 11 and 2:30. Period. End of discussion.

 

2. At home, no outside time unless it is in HEAVY shade between 11 and 2:30. Well, other than getting to and from a building/car.

[dangermom]

Every summer I just want to take my little redhead and stick her in a sheep dip vat of sunscreen...

[Education Explorers]

We are very pale here too and have a major hereditary risk for skin cancer. I had malignant melanoma at age 20 and so did one of my first cousins. I am still looking for "closet in a bottle," but until then...

 

Neutrogena with Helioplex 100--generously and frequently

Sunshirts with SPF Protection (Tshirts offer very little sun protection once they are wet)

Avoid sun when possible between 1 and 5

Beach time is always in the morning. We go inside for lunch and stay inside for the afternoon. We go back out for late afternoon and early evening.

 

However a caution... watch Vitamin D for the sunscreen slathered members of your family. My DD had a flu/mono/lethargy-like period of several weeks in Jan/Feb or 2011. After much head-scratching and blood work, the pediatrician finally figured out that DD was severely Vitamin D deficient. Mega doses of Vitamin D and in about a week, she was back to normal.

[TravelingChris]

My youngest is a bright red head and has been on swim and dive teams for the last three years and will be again this year. Number one, when she doesn't have to be outside from 10-2, she isn't. This year will be horrible as here her swim practice will be at 11 am since she is a high schooler. So here is what we will do and have done in the past- swim caps and rash guards and then put on sunscreen. Yes, she will burn. It is inevitable. She burns every year but what we try to prevent is second degree burns. So far, so good. It is much better for her to get a few very mild burns at the beginning of the year.

 

All of us here burn but the pure red head gets it the worse. The others here are dh, strawberry blonde, and second darkest, me, reddish blonde brown and second lightest, ds, dark ash blonde, and in the middle, dd1, golden blonde and the darkest, and dd2, red and the lightest/

[lailasmum]

I am a red head with pale skin, I basically avoid the mid day sun. I do find total sunblocks work for and hour or two and if I am well covered with long sleeves I survive fairly unharmed through a summer. I tend to use the thick heavy high factor zinc baby sun blocks and wear a hat. It's just a case of planning your exposure to avoid the middle of the day.

[Pen]

My sister is a redhead. There is no sunscreen that works. Nothing. She has to cover or she will be red. They make nice rash guards now, and boy swim suits are usually long. Make him wear that hat. I know he'll cry for a while. I put ties on a hat I had for my kids. I tied it on and they could not get it off. I made sure it stayed on. You just make the child keep it on. And you still should put on the sunscreen. It's just how life is when you have red hair.

 

My sister just had a baby. He is 7 months old and has her beautiful hair. She bought him a cute hat and puts it on him every time they walk out the door. If he grabs it to take it off, she holds it on his head. She knows he needs to get used to it now.

 

:iagree:

 

 

I'm a redhead--and I agree! I hated the hats and all myself, but nothing else really works, and the chemicals are themselves and issue. Make him wear a hat, long sleeves, long swim wear--and watch out for the sensitive tops and bottoms of feet too (might not be able to swim in shoes, but they help once back on land. So do shade tents. I think there are several Australian sources for good cool cover up clothes and swim wear. There is an American company called Solumbra that has some children's clothing. Try for something comfortable and cute, but in the end, insist it be worn. Also if he is being kept out of sun you need to make sure he gets Vitamin D from other sources, or get very careful controlled sunning when burning is not likely, and also remember that foggy days can lead to burns too. I recall getting very burnt on a school field trip once on a day when there was "no sun." No other child in the class had the least bit of pink.

[asta]

I thought I'd bring back this thread, but with a spin. We're getting ready for swim team this summer and hats just aren't an option for my redhead dd. does anyone have a favorite sunblock that won't wear off? What I put on her body tends to stay on for the time we practice (and I'll reapply if it's a long day at the pool) but whatever I put on her face seems to last all of 5 minutes. Any favorite brands out there?

 

TIA

Shannon

 

I know it isn't rated the highest, but my brother in law is a surfer, and they all swear by Banana Boat KIDS (no other type). It has worked well for us (redheads) and definitely doesn't come off until you use soap.

 

Like someone else said, though - if you burn in 15 minutes normally, it is only going to give you the Protection extrapolated from that. This website explains it:

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/sunscreens-explained

 

 

A

[Pippen]

I have my kids wear rash guards with high necks and long sleeves. I still sunscreen them...a lot...using 70 SPF...I find the No Ad works the best and they aren't allergic to it. I found really cool colored zinc oxide (neon orange and purple) for noses and cheek bones. It looks like war paint. They love it.

 

Faithe

 

My daughter has very pale skin and we like No Ad too for around home, but I've found that spray-on of spf 50 upward works best on the beach when she's in and out of the water. We've had good luck with Coppertone and the Walgreens brands. She wears a rash guard top and bottoms and a hat most of the time in high sun situations like this.

 

She's diligent about applying it and even made it through a week of summer camp without sunburn.

 

What I have had problems with is finding rash guards in big girls sizes.

[Pippen]

Thanks for all the suggestions! We're supposed to have another beach day tomorrow. I think before the fun begins, we'll make an early start and travel in (about an hour each way) to find rashguards for all the kids, and hats too. In addition, I guess I'll just keep slathering on the sunscreen everytime I can catch them.

 

We did find that that the brand of sunscreen made a huge difference. I mentioned we had best luck with Coppertone and Walgreen's spray-on and I just remembered a friend saying the Target brand was highly rated.

 

http://main.stylelist.com/2010/05/25/best-sunscreens-consumer-reports/

[momma2three]

There is some research that vitamin D and can actually help your body process sunlight and prevent sunburn. I'm unclear how it works, because Vitamin D also comes from sunlight, but I guess if you already have a baseline in your system, your skin can absorb the sunlight in a healthier way. It was a real study that came out a few years ago, and I read about it in the NYT I think: I know it was definitely a reputable source. Anyway, I make sure my kids get their vitamin D gummies every day in summer, AND I started taking them myself because I'm the fairest of us all, and I swear it has helped.

 

It obviously does not replace sunscreen and covering up with clothes and a hat, but I no longer get a sunburn while wearing sunscreen, which used to be the norm for me. I don't even get the cumulative sunburn that I used to get just from running errands and walking down the street not wearing sunscreen, and honestly I do that a lot more now that I have kids than I used to back when I burned every summer.

[Lisbeth]

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL (must contain Mexoryl XL...specifically XL). Most sunscreens that claim great UVA coverage, don't really have it. This one does. It is also safe compared to some toxic popular brands. It is pricey but actually does what it says, so it is what we use. I don't want my redheads (or me) to have skin cancer because we falsley thought we were getting great coverage, when all along the UVA was doing damage. I also get sick from sunlight, long story (autoimmune), and this sunscreen is one of the few that helps me.

[Lisbeth]

Let me add, you can get NO burns and still be getting aging and cancer- causing damage from UVA. Also, any tan means your body has already detected damage and is throwing up some melanin to try to prevent FURTHER damage. A redhead getting a sunburn yearly or regularly is a bad deal ... I know so many adult redheads who have to get growths removed starting fairly young, and who see my redheads and say, "Please protect them from the cumulative damage when they are young."

[SMRB]

The kids and I are very fair and allergic to all chemical sunscreens. We have yet to find a mineral sunscreen that works well enough or stays through sweaty play outside, so we go for sunscreen clothes. Those can get very expensive, though. We have tried sun sleeves (SunnySleevez), which work for my daughter, but my son refuses to wear (husband likes them, though). We also do big brim Coolibar hats and just insist that if they want to go out, they must wear the hats. I had to convince DH to always wear a hat and sleeves so they would these as a family rule. We still fight my son a little over wearing the Coolibar flapped hat to go swimming, but there's really not a better option for covering the neck and ears in water.

 

What's worked best for us is washing clothes in Rit SunGuard - it adds a UPF30 mineral sunblock into the fibers of cotton clothes that isn't reduced when wet and lasts for 20 washes. You can get it at Amazon or direct from Rit at sunguardsunprotection.com . I buy lightweight long sleeve shirts and pants and wash this into it. So far, no complaints from the kids - they like it much better than the sun sleeves. I am the most sensitive and burn the fastest, and it's worked great for me - I have a super lightweight jersey cardigan that I treated and carry everywhere - I just pull it on when we want to go out. The kids have never burned, and I don't burn now, either. But I'm not a redhead and try to limit our outdoor time during peak hours, so you might need to sunscreen underneath the shirt and then use it the shirt as a second layer of protection.

Edited May 18, 2012 by sbelmar

[mommaduck]

The SPF number means that you can stay in the sun that many times longer. So, SPF 15 means you can stay out 15 times longer before you burn. In our family we have a little saying, 15 times 0 is still 0. Unfortunately.

 

My redheaded, freckled daughter uses SPF 70 and either expects to get burned or covers up. The brand doesn't really seem to matter as long as it is UVA and UVB protection. Brands with zinc type screen work better than a chemical type and irritate her skin less.

:iagree:Yep, sunscreen doesn't do diddly for my husband if he were at a beach with his shirt off. Because of this, you will never see him with his shirt off (and he is very modest on top of that) and will only see his farmer's tan (ironic. He gets a farmer's tan, but if he takes his shirt off at the beach, he comes home with boils from the burn and it takes over a week to heal). Our redhead is also very sensitive. Sunscreen doesn't make a difference. Wearing clothes that cover do. Can your son wear a rashguard?

[Pretty in Pink]

The SPF number means that you can stay in the sun that many times longer. So, SPF 15 means you can stay out 15 times longer before you burn. In our family we have a little saying, 15 times 0 is still 0. Unfortunately.

My redheaded, freckled daughter uses SPF 70 and either expects to get burned or covers up. The brand doesn't really seem to matter as long as it is UVA and UVB protection. Brands with zinc type screen work better than a chemical type and irritate her skin less.

 

Agree, especially with the bolded part. I burn through the car window when I'm driving down the road on bright days. Ugh.

 

We go out before 10 to 11 a.m. and then again after 4 p.m. or so. I just don't go out during peak sun hours if I can avoid it. If I have no choice then I use California Baby. It's mineral-based and works well enough if I reapply every fifteen or twenty minutes, plus wear a huge, wide brim hat and sunglasses.

[Lisbeth]

My pale redheads use LaRoche Posay Anthelios XL in copious amounts and never burn or get tan. A tan is equally undesirable to us, because a tan just means damage was already detected and the body is desperately trying to shield itself from more damage.