will 50 sunblock be high enough for kiddies?

[PixiePlanner]

We applied a "lotion" spf 45 in our room in the morning. Made sure to do a good job on the face, ears and back of neck. I carried a spray sunscreen to the parks to apply before lunch and mid-afternoon. Both children had bucket hats to keep ears and part in hair covered along with shading their faces. No sunburn.

 

[newfiegirl]

just wondering if a sunscreen spray will be ok for the kiddies, or should i buy a lotion (i always rub in the spray).

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

just wondering if a sunscreen spray will be ok for the kiddies, or should i buy a lotion (i always rub in the spray).

We use the Coppertone spray and our boys have never been burned - and we only rub it in on their faces/ears. I am German-Irish, so we do burn if we are not careful...

 

[DisneyWisher]

Good Morning America had a segment about this just before the 4th of July. The main thing I got from it is that you need to put on an ounce over whole body. (You can even burn through clothing, it happened to my dad) and to make sure to reapply. She said if you buy an 8oz bottle and you have a family of 4 you should not have any left when your day is over. She said how many people have sunscreen that has lasted the whole summer? She said if you have left over you are not using enough. Another important thing is that even if its cloudy you can still burn. One of my worst burns happen that way, I was 15 and I was raised in Ft Lauderdale so I should have been used to the sun.

 

[veraletta]

I daughter was able to get Coppertone Water BABIES Sunscreen Lotion , SPF 70 at walmart.

 

[1hero2princesses]

I have 2 red heads, blue eyes and very very fair skin. We did Disney last sept. For little ones I love banana boat kids, tear free 50. I used this on all three of my kids and myself at disney (I am fair too but not a redhead and don't seem as sensitive as the girls) and we did not get sunburned at all. We would apply it in the morning at the hotel. I would only reaply during the day if we were in the sun a lot (a lot of rides and lines are indoors now). We always try wait in the shade where possible too. For instance if we were doing a parent swap we would hunt out a shady spot to sit with DD2, not out in the full sun. We did re-apply a few times at the waterparks. We were all fine.

 

[princessmom29]

According to our Dermo, reapplying every hour is not really necessary unless you are actually in the water. We do a lot of fishing in south Alabama and we are one of those damiles with 2 shades, either white or lobster. we do fine with Neutrogena 40 reapplied at lunch even in the middle of the summer.

 

[MonkersMama]

Good Morning America had a segment about this just before the 4th of July. The main thing I got from it is that you need to put on an ounce over whole body. (You can even burn through clothing, it happened to my dad) and to make sure to reapply. She said if you buy an 8oz bottle and you have a family of 4 you should not have any left when your day is over.

Wow! Thanks for that information, I'm going to calculate how many bottles I'll pack for our trip next month. My kids and I have very fair skin, and I definitely want to keep us protected.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

Since we are on the topic of sunscreen... I break out in a rash with every sunscreen I have tried. This is a new issue the only thing I found that I do not break out with is Oil of Olay face cream which I end up putting all over. Of course it isn't water resistant and is only 25 SPF. Any reccommendations for something that I might be able to use? I have even tried sunscreen for babies and still broke out. I am not sure what is in it that Oil of Olay doesn't have...I would like to have a higher (40) SPF though.

 

[rt2dz]

A friend is a dermatologist and this is what she says: Apply daily. Anything 50+ is fine (anything over 50 is negligible in coverage). Apply thick and heavy 30 minutes before going over doors (and make sure you're dry before putting on clothes). Re-apply every hour or two, or after getting wet--whichever comes first--even if water/sweat proof/resistant. She also says re-applying with a spray is fine, but always use a lotion for first application of the day. Additionally, don't forget a hat, sunglasses, and to apply places like the tip of and behind the ears. Use a special sunscreen for your lips.

RIT makes an additive that will add SPF to any clothing. Always a good extra.

 

[MHSweb79]

I break out in a rash with every sunscreen I have tried. This is a new issue the only thing I found that I do not break out with is Oil of Olay face cream which I end up putting all over. Of course it isn't water resistant and is only 25 SPF. Any reccommendations for something that I might be able to use?

You are describing me. I have very sensitive pale, Irish skin (allergic to most laundry detergents, metals, Ivory soap, lanolin, etc.) I use Neutrogena Dry-Touch sunscreen and it doesn't give me a rash. Anything over SPF 30 gives my DD a rash too, so we really have to be careful.
The biggest thing I do is wear a wide-brimmed hat, which my DD says makes me look ridiculous (I think I look like Indiana Jones.... ) but I'll take ridiculous over melanoma any day!

 

[calablovedisney]

I actually did not read all the replies to this, but did want to suggest that you test whatever block you decide to use. this year we used aveeno 70 for the face and it actually burned my skin and my daughters. At first I thought I needed more block because my face was red, but when I put on more it felt like a blow torch was on my face. Same thing for my daughter. The pool made this worse so I went back to my water babies for my face and my kids. I am always happy with the results and reapply 2 - 3 times. We also use coppertone continuous spray 50 and that also seems to work well. Have Fun!!

 

[hpkalika]

I haven't been to Disney for quite a long time, so I can't quite comment on the Floruda sun. And this may sound entirely silly, but, growing up I don't recall using anything higher than a 12. Are they really stronger these days to warrant a 50? I'm a very fair redhead, so believe me, I use sunscreen all the time. I am stuck in an office so I use it way less now. I just can't figure how an 8 or 12 worked for all those years and now I feel the need to use 40+?

 

[Lori1960]

Seems that every dem dr is different.My huband had seen one cause he had precancerous skin cancer and was told the higher number the better

 

[hollygolitely]

Two key tips...make sure you apply 20-30 minutes before getting into the park as it takes that long for skin to absorb the sunscreen chemicals. Application is tested at 1 oz per 150 lb body mass...so most common mistake is to apply to little. Reapplication is best every hour to two hours or after coming our of pool, etc.

As for the 8 or 12 from our childhood days...most doctors will tell you once you hit a SPF 15 you are getting all the protection you really need...as the way it works is you multiply the SPF by the time you naturally can resist sunbrun. So if you can be outside for 30 minutes and naturally protect yourself then a SPF 15 gives you 7.5 hours of protection. The problem is most people do not apply it as intended (see above) so the higher SPFs are more of an insurance policy for if you applied less than ideal. (this is for UVB protection the burning rays...UVA protection is another story!)

That is my understanding. a SPF 50 is just fine.

 

[hpkalika]

Thanks for the info!