Sunscreen Tip for Fair-Skinned

[SqueakyMouse]

I wish I had bothered to read my Family Fun magazine prior to our trip rather than on our journey home. The small sunscreen article turned me onto the greatest product for my 2 fair-skinned, red-headed children: Coppertone Continuous Spray. We spend nearly all-day in the pool and full sun. Both children have to have sunscreen reapplied frequently...and they HATE it. I have found that one application of this product will keep them burn-free for half the day. (If you have fair-skinned children, you know how much of a miracle this is!!) The best part is only takes a couple of seconds to spray each child. Application is much more even than with lotions, so they don't end up with odd red patches where dm missed. So far, we've tried the Sport in the blue bottle and I guess it's just regular waterproof in the white. Surprisingly, they are only SPF 30. Usually, we opt for the highest SPF we can find even though I've heard anything above a 30 doesn't make any difference. Note: this product feels different on your skin. It dries almost immediately, leaving my skin with a kind of tight (for lack of a better description) feeling. It's not unpleasant--just different.

 

[cristbaby]

Thanks so much for the tip.

 

[java]

I bought the pink spray(I think the baby one?) and it is a godsend with my toddler. Unfortunatly my other children are allergic to it so I am buying them Neutrogena and Mustela- you should see our sunscreen bag! And thankfully my children are half spanish so they tan. But they still need the protection

 

[HotMama]

Hmmm...I wanted to buy that spray on sunscreen, but I was worried about the SPF being only 30....most baby sunscreens don't have an SPF lower than 48. Why would they bother making SPF's over 30 if they don't make much of a difference??

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Hmmm...I wanted to buy that spray on sunscreen, but I was worried about the SPF being only 30....most baby sunscreens don't have an SPF lower than 48. Why would they bother making SPF's over 30 if they don't make much of a difference??

As a fair-skinned red head myself, I've never understood it. I can say that the kids and I usually spend quite a bit of time sunburned despite our best efforts. We've been using the Coppertone sprays since the beginning of June and we haven't burned at all.

What's really not fair is that my middle child (who looks nothing like me although he's definitely mine!!!) never burns and gets the most beautiful dark tan. I still give him a quick squirt of sunscreen on his shoulders.

 

[ntburns22]

Coming from a mom of a red head I thank you for the great tip!

 

[Rex Rules]

I Love that new coppertone continuous spray - I think it is the best new sunscreen innovation EVER! No rubbing in lotion!! Yippee and you can just spray and spray! Here's to no sunburns!!

 

[stacy6552]

Can you check the bottle? Does it have "parsol 1789" or avobenzine in it?

 

[stacy6552]

Just checked online. No parsol. No good. Darnit! That sounded awesome.

 

[rt2dz]

I am VERY fair skinned and skin cancer runs in my family (both sides). Amazingly enough, besides two of my neices, I am the only one with fair skin. And they at least will tan. Thankfully, there is no way on earth my boys will ever burn, they have their Dad's very olive skin tone. I also have a good friend who is a dermatologist.

According to her, not just to beat sunburn, but skin cancer (different types of the rays & you don't need to be fair skinned & burning to be at risk for it), you should always apply over your entire body a lotion sunscreen first thing in the morning--every day of the year. Then use the sprays for reapplications (every 30 minutes if in the water about every 2-3 hours if not, despite what the bottle says). She also recommends buying the RIT sunprotector and throwing it into your laundry to help your clothes protect you from the sun since you probably won't be reappling sunscreen under clothes. She has no problem using facial sticks for little kids, but says applying the lotion to the face in the morning using make-up wedges is probably better and using the sticks for reapplication.

 

[HotMama]

Can you check the bottle? Does it have "parsol 1789" or avobenzine in it?

What does parsol 1789 and avobenzine do?

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Could someone please post the ingredients? We can't use any chemical sunscreens, and I'm pretty sure this is one, but if it's a physical sunblock we may be in business!

 

[dphie28]

I just stocked up on sunscreen today and opted for lotions. Now, I am tempted to go back and return them for the spray. I was weary of them thinking they couldn't possibly coat you as well as a thick layer of lotion rubbed in with mommy's hands. I am a redhead as is my youngest DS.

 

[CleveRocks]

Hmmm...I wanted to buy that spray on sunscreen, but I was worried about the SPF being only 30....most baby sunscreens don't have an SPF lower than 48. Why would they bother making SPF's over 30 if they don't make much of a difference??

It's correct that anything above 30 is meaningless; my wife is a pediatrician and she learned this fact years ago. So why do they make sunscreens with a labeled SPF above 30? SImple: MARKETING. You're willing to buy it because you feel you will be safer, and feel you are being a better parent. It implies: "Spend four dollars more on THIS product to keep your kids safer or you're a bad parent!" Marketing, marketing, marketing.

I don't know how old you are, but do you remember the ad campaign for Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo from the late 70s or early-mid 80s, when the had the entire country believing that if you see anyone ever scratching even the tiniest little itch on the scalps that they had dandruff and needed to use their shampoo immediately or else? Of course it wasn't true, but it's their jobs to convince you to buy their product instead of another.

-- Eric

 

[Brina]

I love the coppertone triple spectrum stuff for my kids. it is such a great product. The spray application sounds great. Now if coppertone would just combine these two things I would be trilled.

 

[DVCLiz]

Another great thing about the Coppertone spray on stuff - solo travelers!!!! I really worried about applying suncreen at the beach when traveling by myself. I went to Hilton Head last week for a few days, and discovered this product just before I went. With a spray, I can usually get almost all of my shoulders by myself, and I wouldn't feel uncomfortable asking a lifeguard or a friendly-looking mom to spray my middle back. But I'd never ask a stranger to rub lotion in. This is a great product!!!!

 

[720L]

OK I'm a redhead also and always looking for the perfect sunscreen--I just bought Coppertone Sport Lotion Spray Sunscreen--is that what you are talking about? It's SPF 30 UVA/UVB. It goes on great,smells good and dries quick. <y problem is with my daughter--she has an allergic reaction to that Coppertone pink baby sunscreen, the Coppertone Sport I just bought, Hawaiian Tropic 45 plus UVB/UVA sunblock. (that's all I've tried so far. Any suggestions? What could be causing the allergic reaction?

 

[Becky2005]

Cool!!! I've been seeing these ads quite a bit lately and doing the "Hmmm....wonder if that really works or just wonderfully marketing?"

I think I may have to invest in some! I have a DS who does not tolerate me putting the lotion on him well (and he's already got slightly burnt shoulders just from going out 4 times this year!! ) The spray looks like it would be ideal for us.

 

[KLAIT]

We love, love, love this stuff! We recently spent 3 days at a waterpark in the Dells and none of us got the least bit pink.

It is always the battle to make the kids stand still while applying lotion as they are always excited to get where we are going. This is so fast...

I even noticed my son reapplying it on his own shoulders when he was out of the water! (the son who is most impatient about being rubbed down with sunblock)

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

We love this stuff too!! I have a blue-eyed blonde that inherited my fair skin, and it works great on her. Especially since she is 3, and doesn't sit or stand still for very long.

The only thing I noticed is that a can does not last very long. Especially when DD6 is the sprayer!! She pushes the button, then forgets to move the can!!