How did you prevent sunburn???

[wearegoingtoDisney]

My kids and are are fair skinned, light eyes and blonde hair. Just targets for that hot carribean sun. What have you all done to prevent sunburn? My kids will play at the beach all day if I let them. Up north sunscreen is usually enough but I am very nervous about the southern sun.

Did you use a certain brand of sun screen?
Did you use one of those UPF swim shirts?
Did you only stay out for short periods?

Thanks for any help you can give me

 

[ashman]

Stay out of the sun! Seriously though we use a waterproof brand with an SPF of 60. It is thicker than molassass and feels a tad grainy going on. That said, we lathered us and the kids with it in a stateroom before going out and it was good from 8 AM til 3 PM. The trick is high SPF and apply before you go out, that way you can ensure a more consistant application. Never used the shirts before. Hope this helps.

 

[flowerfacade]

No particular brand of sunscreen recommended but we use Banana Boat most of the time and it works well. You just have to re-apply after a couple hours. All sunscreens seem to be like that.
I am a believer in the sun shirts too. My kids really like them because besides the fact that they work well they are stylish! You can find them at Walmart and similar places sometimes; LLBean has really cute ones too!
My kids also like playing in the shade in the sand too, so you don't have to go in and hide.
Hope that helps!

 

[twinmom2]

We moved from MA to South Florida a year ago. We use Coppertone Water Babies Spectra 3 SPF50. My girls are almost 3 and I still use that on them. They also have the face one that comes like a stick(much easier on the face). It is waterproof, but still apply again. Use hats, get shade whenever possible and put the sunblock on before going outside (15-20min). My girls are fair and they spent 4 hours in direct sun yesterday at a water park and they are not burned. Have a wonderful trip.

FYI...research shows that anything over spf50 really doesnt do anything more.

 

[twinmom2]

one more thought...i usually try to apply it while they are nude LOL. A lot of bathing suits do not have protection, although you can purchase them. Being nude also helps in making sure i got every spot.

 

[ashman]

When we go to the beach for vacation, we try to stay out of the sun from 1 PM till about 6 PM, not only is it the hottest part of the day, but the sun is the strongest. While you certianly want to get as much out of the day as possible it helps to get out of the strong stuff. My kids (5 and 7) are usually in need of some down time after a busy morning on the beach anyway!

 

[LCTsMom]

We live in Florida and spend a lot of time at the beach and pool. The sunscreen that works best for us is the aerosol Coppertone continuous spray SPF50. My teenage boys (who burn very easily) won't use anything else. I think the selling point is how easy and effective it is. We also use Spectra3 50 on their faces. DD6 HATES the aerosol spray and will only let me use pump spray or lotion sunscreen on her (unless she can cover her head while I spray her down. )

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

We've found no matter what we've done we still all end up a bit sun burned so I would also advise to bring after sun products (aloe, solarcane, etc).

Wearing the rash guards is a huge help. Watch out for ears and forehead getting burned once your hair is wet. Try to get the kids to wear hats out of the water.

 

[LCTsMom]

...and reapply constantly!

 

[Tooth Fairy]

A must for us is to apply before going in the sun(in stateroom in the buff to allow it to be absorbed into the skin and the reapply to after swmimming!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

My daughter is 6 now, but I have sworn by UPF 50+ one piece sunsuits since she was a year old. We live in Arizona so sun is a big issue. We have also visited Litchfield Beach in South Carolina a couple times during the summer. My daughter, while wearing these suits, along with sun screen on her exposed skin, didn't even get pink!!! They are available through Skinsavers from the internet. I think they come from Australia, which has tougher regulations on sunscreen products than the US. They have long sleeve, short sleeve, shorts only, shirts only and hats in really cool color combinations!!

My daughter doesn't want to wear one pieces any more, but I will get her a sun shirt for Castaway Cay.

 

[deaner]

We have lived in Florida for 11 years now. Our 5 yo DD and I are about as fair as can be.

I am proud to say she has never had a sunburn. We use Waterbabies SPF 50. Unlike when we grew up soaking ourselves in baby oil before we went outside, what were we thinking?? We do apply sunscreen before she goes out in the sun and reapply about every 1 hour while out in the sun and after getting out of the water. Be sure to apply it to their scalp as well since most forget this and your head will burn. Don't forget the ears, tops of feet too. We also put her in a ball cap and usually a rash guard (surf shirt). Applying it when they are nekkid is usually a good idea too.

Using a beach umbrella is also a good idea. You can't be too safe in this hot southern sun!

 

[cdndizzylizzy]

Our two daughters are very fair. We went to the pools in the morning on the "at sea" days, and enjoyed the pools being less busy in the morning. We came in out of the sun at 11:30, and enjoyed lunch and afternoon activities away from the pools. On "at sea" days, we watched the shows as a matinee - gave us more entertainment options, and kept us out of the sun during the height of the day.

When we went to Grand Cayman, we were only at 7 Mile Beach for 2 hours and we were close to sunburned. DD(5 yo) had SPF 50 on, but it was 85-90 degrees and very sunny, and the water also reflects off the ocean. So we left at noon after a 2-hour beach day. Castaway Cay was better - probably because it was Day 6 and by then she was more acclimatized to the sun. We reapplied sunscreen often, and were able to stay on the beach from 10 til 3, with a mid-day break at Cookies BBQ sitting in the shade for an hour. Also, the sun was not quite as intense in the Bahamas as it was in GC.

I have not tried sunshirts, but I do put a t-shirt on her, and I have a Tilley hat with the strings that she wears at all times on the beach. Makes a big difference in the amount of exposure...

 

[La2kw]

Baby Faces SPF 50 or 60+ by Hawaiian Tropic. We have traveled to Florida for years in the summer and have always used this. Also, stay in the shade as much as possible, and reapply after swimming and after being outside for a few hours.

 

[Caitsmama]

I'm nervous more for me than anything.. my dd and my dh are both tanners naturally.. Not that i allow my dd to get burned, but when she DOES get any color - it tans right up, Their both Portugese.. Not me, not in the least. I am FAIR.. by all means! I am getting nervous when i read the TR's where people say how burnt they got! I am thinking i am going to be buying a nice hat (sun hat) for me for our cruise.. and for dd as well. Well, i guess one for DH wouldn't hurt too ,since he is a head shaver and is bald as they come! LOL

I am also gonna look into those sun shirts, i have never heard of them before!

 

[minniesota]

As a person who has had skin cancer and as a daughter who just lost her father to melanoma skin cancer (yes, skin cancer can be fatal), please make sure that whatever sunscreen you buy, it has Avobenzone (sometimes called Parsol 1729), titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as one of the active ingredients. Most sunblocks will block out UVB rays (the shorter rays that cause burning) but these ingredients block out UVB and UVA rays (longer and more penetrating rays) which are the ones that cause aging and skin cancer. I also agree with those who try to stay out of the sun between noon and 3, wear hats and rash guard shirts and reapply often. Remember, it takes about 20-30 minutes for the product to absorb into the skin and provide protection so apply 20 -30 minutes before you head into the sun. And calling the kids out of the pool to reapply - only to have them jump back in - is only clogging the pool filters! Make 'em wait.

 

[owensamo]

We use Blue Lizard - it's got the 2 best ingredients for blocking UVA and UVB, and it's a 50+ sunscreen. I think we only reapplied on my DD once at Castaway Cay, and noone else reapplied. We didn't really swim, though - just dip our feet in the water as it was kind of chilly.

We also all wear sunshirts we got from cwear.com. These were 100+ SPF until a few years ago when the US changed their SPF rating rules - now they're 50+. We've never had a problem. They do say that you should replace them after a few years, and we're targetting getting new ones next year (since our DD finally outgrew her shirt).

They're awsome! I wear one too. I love it because, even though it's long-sleeved, I don't overheat. And as long as the shirt is wet, it keeps you nice and cool.

Amanda

 

[tvguy]

please make sure that whatever sunscreen you buy, it has Avobenzone (sometimes called Parsol 1729), titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as one of the active ingredients.

Interesting. I have a bottle of "No Ad" SPF 45, "Coppertone" SPF 45 and "Sea and Ski" SPF 45......those ingredients are not in any of them. I'll have to look at other brands at the store, what brand has those ingredients?
I usually buy the cheapest SPF 45 I can find.......and with frequent applications never burn. Of course, they say SPF's above 30 really don't make much difference.

 

[payogie]

I am like your kids, blue eyed and fair skinned. Last year we went on a cruise to Hawaii and found a wonderful product called Maui babe. It is a oil but you can apply it over sunscreen and it promotes tanning. It honestly does what it advertises. Do a Google search, you have to order it on-line. I wont use anything else.

 

[Shercara]

Hi Folks,

My company just opened a website at the end of last year that carrys all kinds of sun protection products, We have the :

"Top Rated Sun-Protection For Less than $10! Our 100% Cotton T-Shirt is UPF Rated 40-50+ And it Comes in 35 Colors. Cheap Only Where it Should Be (in your wallet), The SPF® T-Shirt Is The Choice For Cool, Casual Comfort in the Sun. "

We started by manufacturing SPF® fabric, and even had it tested an approved by Nasa - click on the Nasa link on the site and see how we helped a young boy with UV allergies.

We have expanded into high quality, UV protection products, tested in the USA. The T-shirts are GREAT, and very comfy - you can get them to match your swim suits! There are hats, sunglasses, natural sunscreen lotions ( Blue Lizard too!) family sun tents, swim suits, apparel, and more products will be added soon.

Also - we give a portion of our sales to the Melanoma research foundation, and there is lots of information about sunprotection on the site.

Check out www.sunprotectioncenter.com- we currently offer free shipping on orders over $100. If you want to PM me, I can give you the friends & family discount code, which will give you 10% off your purchase.

Happy cruisin'!

Shercara