It’s summertime and that means more outdoor time, which gives our youngsters a great opportunity to absorb the important Vitamin D from the sun’s rays.  But what about protecting them from the sun’s harmful rays, do you use sunblock or sunscreen?

Here is the difference.  Sunblocks are simply a physical barrier to the ultraviolet sunrays, bot  UVA and UVB sunrays.  Sunscreens work their way into the skin and absorb the sunrays before they can do their damage.  The SPF in sunscreen stands for “sun protection factor.”  An SPF of 15 will block 95 percent of the radiation, SPF of 30 will block 97 percent.  These are generally sufficient.

For babies, we prefer sunblocks instead of sunscreens.  Sunblocks are okay for infants under six months because the potentially irritating chemicals are not absorbed by the skin.  Because sunscreen chemicals are absorbed, parents are advised to avoid them for babies under six months.

So let your baby or child enjoy the healthy outdoors during sunnier months with the appropriate protection.  Also, it makes good sense to have them outdoors before 10am and after 3pm when the sunrays are less intense.  And for baby, a wide-brimmed hat is always a good idea.