If your kids don’t burn, how strict are you on sunscreen

[Anonymous]

My kids don't seem to burn, and even dh and I burn more than they do. We do sunscreen if our all day in the summer, I try to carry a stick with me for reapplying on the face. They wear hats often, and also full arm rash guards at the beach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not putting it on unless they are going to be out for multiple hours in the middle of the day. I’m kind of wary about the long term impact of lots of absorbed sunscreen chemicals.

Why? What's the risk -- and how do you figure it outweighs the cancer risk?

[Anonymous]

Very. Darker skin gets hyperpigmentation much easier than lighter skin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen

"Given that darker-skinned patients have a very low risk of skin cancer, using sunscreen for skin cancer prevention is not necessary. However, people looking to ward off the aging effects from sun would still benefit from sun-protective habits..."

This seems misleading. outcomes are much worse for people with darker skin because skin cancer is often detected much later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not putting it on unless they are going to be out for multiple hours in the middle of the day. I’m kind of wary about the long term impact of lots of absorbed sunscreen chemicals.

Sunscreen has been in use for decades and decades. What studies have you seen on cancer risk v long term impact of sunscreen to make you say that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not putting it on unless they are going to be out for multiple hours in the middle of the day. I’m kind of wary about the long term impact of lots of absorbed sunscreen chemicals.

Sunscreen has been in use for decades and decades. What studies have you seen on cancer risk v long term impact of sunscreen to make you say that?

They don't exist yet because we haven't been encouraging people to put sunscreen on every single day for very long. It's only been somewhat common for the last 20ish years. Seeing as how we thought it was totally safe to use lead pipes for drinking water and baby powder contaminated with asbestos I'm not convinced we know the actual long term impact of daily sunscreen use. Also, see the recent news articles about PFAS chemicals. I don't think it's tin hat territory to wonder about it.

Right now we know it's absorbed into the bloodstream, but we don't know if that means anything. If I'm not out all day I'd rather wear a hat and some sleeves and minimize the sunscreen.

[Anonymous]

Black family. We always put it on, that’s the easy part. We hardly ever reapply though. I have read it should be done every hour and we are out for 4+ hours before I remember and sometimes have the sunscreen with us and reapply.

[Anonymous]

Every day from April - Early October if they are out for more than 45 minutes.

[Anonymous]

I’m strict. Not because I’m particularly worried about them, but because I’m a redhead and it simply does not compute in my brain that it’s not needed for their skin to prevent flakes and burns. Aka it’s more habit than anything else.

[Anonymous]

I also worry about the chemicals in sunscreen and mineral sunscreen makes my rosacea flare really badly. My DD doesn’t even tan. She’s light complected with very warm undertones. I really only put sunscreen on if we’re out for hours in the middle of the day (like at the pool or beach), and she still doesn’t have tan lines at the end of summer. My father had the same skin and was a barely wrinkled and had skin decades younger when he died in his 70s.

[Anonymous]

Mineral sunscreen literally has the same active ingredient as diaper rash cream. My aunt never burned badly but then lost part of her cheekbone to skin cancer (luckily not worse). Slather that stuff on.

[Anonymous]

Get them hats and enforce them wearing them. Easier than sunscreen for situations where it is not super long and not incredibly sunny. I put sunscreen on all the time for the beech or obviously sunny location, but for a sunny park for a little while, I might not. A hat will help prevent most of the most dangerous facial burning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get them hats and enforce them wearing them. Easier than sunscreen for situations where it is not super long and not incredibly sunny. I put sunscreen on all the time for the beech or obviously sunny location, but for a sunny park for a little while, I might not. A hat will help prevent most of the most dangerous facial burning.

You can’t really force hat wearing when kids are older and more opinionated (and spend more time out of your sight), and hats also don’t help when kids are playing sports like outdoor swimming, soccer, track and field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m…..not 🤦‍♀️ If we are out for an hour at a very sunny playground I don’t put it on. I hate putting it on (the fight, the gloop etc). I feel so guilty about it though. If we are at the pool for hours or something then I do

Spray, and we do it before we leave the house, as part of getting ready. Because we do it every time, there's no fight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mineral sunscreen literally has the same active ingredient as diaper rash cream. My aunt never burned badly but then lost part of her cheekbone to skin cancer (luckily not worse). Slather that stuff on.

I do the zinc.