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During the summer months, sunscreen is a very important consideration for your little one when enjoying the outdoors. Sunscreen is only recommended for children six months and older. Children younger should be kept out of direct sunlight during the peak hours of 10am - 4pm.
Sunscreen on children younger than six months has been considered a hazard for several reasons; infants have a particularly high surface to volume area which means their exposure or "dose" of sunscreen is much higher than that of an adult or older child. The effect of this exposure is unknown, but the possibility of an adverse reaction may be heightened. Also, sunscreen can block the cooling mechanism infants have in the form of sweating, thus causing the possibility of overheating.
Now, the debate isn't about what age to put sunscreen on a child, but what brand to use. Most have made the assumption that all sunscreens are deemed equal. A recent investigation and report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found this not to be the case.
The EWG categorized and rated the safety and efficacy of 828 well known sunscreens on the basis of sun protection and safety concerns. They found that 84% of the 828 brands did not protect against the sun and posed possible health risks. 110 of these brands are marketed for the use in infants and children. They found 10 sunscreens marketed to infant and children that offered good sun protection with minimal health risk. Please see the table below for all 120 sunscreens marketed for infants and children.
For more in-depth information please visit http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php
Check out our product review on California Baby® Sunscreen. Labels: Skin Products
Is Your Child's Sunscreen Safe?
Is Your Child's Sunscreen Safe?
posted by Eco Baby Products on Friday, July 06, 2007
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