Sunscreen, how much, how often?

[MommyMK]

We have a trip coming up in a couple of weeks, our first summer trip to WDW in a long time. We're doing 2 water park days and a day at the pool and I'm trying to figure out how much sunscreen to bring and how often I need to apply it to myself and my kids. In general, we are not prone to burning and I don't put much sunscreen on them unless they will be in direct sun for more than an hour. BUT I know the Florida summer sun is very strong and I still remember the blistering sunburn I got at Typhoon Lagoon when I was a kid.

I'm thinking once an hour to reapply? And that means get everyone out of the water, dried off, spray them down with sunscreen, wait 15 mins and then back in the water? Does that sound right? My kids will not be happy, but oh well.

Guess I need to pick up a waterproof watch to keep track of the time as well. Does about a can of spray sunscreen a day sound right?

 

[buzznina]

The skin cancer society recommends every 2 hours unless you are very fair skinned.

 

[dwbrewster]

Per the American Academy of Dermatology:
https://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/sunscreen-faqs
How much sunscreen should I use, and how often should I apply it?

• Use enough sunscreen to generously coat all skin that will be not be covered by clothing. Ask yourself, “Will my face, ears, arms, or hands be covered by clothing?” If not, apply sunscreen. Most people only apply 25-50% of the recommended amount of sunscreen.6
• Follow the guideline of “one ounce, enough to fill a shot glass”, which dermatologists consider the amount needed to cover the exposed areas of the body. Adjust the amount of sunscreen applied depending on your body size.
• Apply the sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes BEFORE going outdoors.
• Skin cancer also can form on the lips. To protect your lips, apply a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
• Re-apply sunscreen approximately every two hours or after swimming or sweating heavily according to the directions on the bottle.

 

[Gracie09]

Every two hours. I use neutrogenia wet if they will be in the water. You don't have to dry off to apply it (a benefit when chasing wet kids).

 

[Lisaloo]

We did every 1-2 hours in the water parks. It was good to come to our basecamp, dry off, have snack or drink and head out again. Neutrogena wet is our go-to sunscreen also.

 

[squeegee]

Not to hijack the thread, but if one is flying, does a spray sunscreen survive well in checked baggage? I'd hate to have one burst, even if the mess was contained in a ziplock, but I'd also rather not pay Disney prices for sunscreen.

 

[tiggergal15]

Not to hijack the thread, but if one is flying, does a spray sunscreen survive well in checked baggage? I'd hate to have one burst, even if the mess was contained in a ziplock, but I'd also rather not pay Disney prices for sunscreen.

I put this kind of item in a hard plastic container and then in a zioloc baggie in my checked luggage..may seem like overkill but if you have actually watched the luggage get onto the plane (rough handling and 10 ft or more drops) and had an item break all over your vacation clothes( I have and its not pretty) this works well to protect everything!

 

[tiggergal15]

As for sunscreen..every 1 1/ 2 - 2 hours and the equivant of 1 shot glass per person each time. Skin cancer is on the rise and I don't take chances for something I can help delay for my family. Its expensive at Disney so I'd bring my own

 

[Rileyroo26]

And don't forget your sunglasses! Ocular melanoma is a real thing and your eyes need to be protected too!

 

[Thing 1]

Our routine is to stop and go to our base every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Reapply Sunscreen first and then require everyone to sit and drink for about 10 minutes. Sometimes when kids are in the water, they don't seem to want to drink a lot and combining the sunscreen and H2O break works well.

 

[MommyMK]

Hmmm interesting. I just looked at the can of sunscreen we have (Kiss My Face kids denfense air powered spray) and it says water resistant for 40 minutes. Having to reapply it almost every half hour seems ridiculous.

 

[dwbrewster]

If possible it is highly recommended to use sunscreen that is hand applied. Spray sunscreen, while easy isn't always as effective because you cannot easily figure out how much was applied and how much blew away in the wind etc.

And this report as well...http://fox17online.com/2014/07/16/fda-dont-use-spray-sunscreens-on-children/

 

[BLAZEY]

I agree. I like the cream as I can put it on by hand and I can see where it was applied. DD and I are both blond and fair skinned. It only takes me about 15 mins to burn withou sun block. We apply it in the morning before getting dressed to ensure good coverage and that it is absorbed beore exposure to the sun.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

we use sun shirts/rashguards that have built in spf 50, disneystore.com and they have full suits for baby -nemo, mickey and minnie w/ ear hoods, and landsend.com for grown ups or coolibar.com, or ebay, long sleeve is what we buy.

 

[MainMom]

Hmmm interesting. I just looked at the can of sunscreen we have (Kiss My Face kids denfense air powered spray) and it says water resistant for 40 minutes. Having to reapply it almost every half hour seems ridiculous.

This type of sunscreen is different than banana boat or something similar. It is the reason you need to reapply more often.

 

[HCinKC]

Swimming, I would break every 90 minutes to reapply and rehydrate. I know spray sunscreen is easier, but lotion is more thorough. If you do spray, I'd spray everyone, rub it in, and repeat. With lotion, you should see white and rub it all the way in. Sunglasses, hats, and rash guards all help, too. Make sure your sunglasses have UV protection since some, such as dollar store ones, may not. Also, be sure you sunscreen those often neglected areas like ears, hands, and feet. The drying time is a good opportunity to rehydrate since most people do not drink enough when swimming. Also a good time for littles to take a bathroom break!

 

[holden]

We pack one can of spray per day and a bottle or two of lotion. We also uses a sunscreen stick on the kids' faces and a facial sunscreen on ours.

We lotion up in the morning and use the spray to reapply.

 

[WIMamatoTwo]

Not to hijack the thread, but if one is flying, does a spray sunscreen survive well in checked baggage? I'd hate to have one burst, even if the mess was contained in a ziplock, but I'd also rather not pay Disney prices for sunscreen.

I took 3 family size Banana Boat kids aerosol sunscreen in our checked bag and didn't have a problem.

 

[Nancyg56]

Also, remember that if there is a "part" in your hair or your kids, use the sunscreen there. I took my DGD and kept her all screened up but after a morning in the sun we noticed her little part was burned. Thank goodness we were not in the parks in the afternoon!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

we use sun shirts/rashguards that have built in spf 50, disneystore.com and they have full suits for baby -nemo, mickey and minnie w/ ear hoods, and landsend.com for grown ups or coolibar.com, or ebay, long sleeve is what we buy.

Yes! Long sleeve rashguards are our friends! Although, you should be warned that they kill the speed on body slides. We use long sleeve rash guards for the whole family, and reapply about every 2 hours to our exposed skin. Saves a ton on sunblock. On a simple park day we apply sunblock in the morning, and reapply if we swim or go back to the room. My husband and I go through a 3 oz bottle a day on non-water park days.