Follow these simple rules to protect your family from sunburns now and from skin cancer later in life.

• Keep babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. Find shade under a tree, umbrella, or the stroller canopy.
  
• When possible, dress yourself and your kids in cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, like lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats.
  
• Select clothes made with a tight weave – they protect better than clothes with a looser weave. If you’re not sure how tight a fabric’s weave is, hold it up to see how much light shines through. The less light, the better.
  
• Wear a hat or cap with a brim that faces forward to shield the face.
  
• Limit your sun exposure between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, when UV rays are strongest.
  
• Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection (look for child-sized sunglasses with UV protection for your child).
  
• Use sunscreen.
  
• Set a good example. You can be the best teacher by practicing sun protection yourself. Teach all members of your family how to protect their skin and eyes.

• Use a sunscreen that says “broad-spectrum” on the label – that means it will screen out both UVB and UVA rays.
  
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. The higher the SPF, the more UVB protection the sunscreen has.
  
• Look for the new UVA “star” rating system on the label.
  
  • One star is low UVA protection.
    
  • Two stars is medium protection.
    
  • Three stars is high protection.
  • Four stars is the highest UVA protection available in an over-the-counter sunscreen product.
    
• For sensitive areas of the body, such as the nose, cheeks, tops of the ears, and the shoulders, choose a sunscreen or sunblock with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. While these products usually stay visible on the skin even after you rub them in, some now come in fun colors that kids enjoy.
  

• For babies younger than 6 months. Use sunscreen on small areas of the body, such as the face and the backs of the hands, if protective clothing and shade are not available.
• For babies older than 6 months. Apply to all areas of the body, but be careful around the eyes. If your baby rubs sunscreen into her eyes, wipe the eyes and hands clean with a damp cloth. If the sunscreen irritates her skin, try a different brand or try a sunscreen stick or sunscreen or sunblock with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. If a rash develops, talk with your child’s doctor.

• Use enough sunscreen to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet, and hands and even the backs of the knees. Rub it in well.
  
• Put sunscreen on 30 minutes before going outdoors. It needs time to absorb into the skin.
  
• Use sunscreen any time you or your child might sunburn. Remember that you can get sunburn even on cloudy days. Also, UV rays can bounce back from water, sand, snow, and concrete so make sure you’re protected.
  
• Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. Sunscreen wears off after swimming, sweating, or just from soaking into the skin.

It’s good for children and adults to spend time playing and exercising outdoors, and it’s important to do so safely.

Simple Rules to Protect your Family from Sunburns

• Keep babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. Find shade under a tree, an umbrella, or the stroller canopy.
• When possible, dress yourself and your children in cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, such as lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats.
• Select clothes made with a tight weave; they protect better than clothes with a looser weave. If you’re not sure how tight a fabric’s weave is, hold it up to see how much light shines through. The less light, the better. Or you can look for protective clothing labeled with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF).
• Wear a hat with an all-around 3-inch brim to shield the face, ears, and back of the neck.
• Limit your sun exposure between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm when UV rays are strongest.
• Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection. Look for child-sized sunglasses with UV protection for your child.
• Use sunscreen.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows how to protect his or her skin and eyes. Remember to set a good example by practicing sun safety yourself.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen can help protect the skin from sunburn and some skin cancers but only if used correctly. Keep in mind that sunscreen should be used for sun protection, not as a reason to stay in the sun longer.

How to Pick Sunscreen

• Use a sunscreen that says “broad-spectrum” on the label; that means it will screen out both UVB and UVA rays.
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 (up to SPF 50). An SPF of 15 or 30 should be fine for most people. More research studies are needed to test if sunscreen with more than SPF 50 offers any extra protection.
• If possible, avoid the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone because of concerns about mild hormonal properties. Remember, though, that it’s important to take steps to prevent sunburn, so using any sunscreen is better than not using sunscreen at all.
• For sensitive areas of the body, such as the nose, cheeks, tops of the ears, and shoulders, choose a sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These products may stay visible on the skin even after you rub them in, and some come in fun colors that children enjoy.

How to Apply Sunscreen

• Use enough sunscreen to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet, hands, and even backs of the knees. Rub it in well.
• Put sunscreen on 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. It needs time to absorb into the skin.
• Use sunscreen any time you or your child spend time outdoors. Remember that you can get sunburn even on cloudy days because up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can get through the clouds. Also, UV rays can bounce back from water, sand, snow, and concrete, so make sure you’re protected.
• Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or drying off with a towel. Because most people use too little sunscreen, make sure to apply a generous amount.

Sunscreen for Babies

• For babies younger than 6 months: Use sunscreen on small areas of the body, such as the face, if protective clothing and shade are not available.
• For babies older than 6 months: Apply to all areas of the body, but be careful around the eyes. If your baby rubs sunscreen into her eyes, wipe her eyes and hands clean with a damp cloth. If the sunscreen irritates her skin, try a different brand or sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. If a rash develops, talk with your child’s doctor.

Sunburns

When to Call the Doctor

If your baby is younger than 1 year and gets sunburn, call your baby’s doctor right away. For older children, call your child’s doctor if there is blistering, pain, or fever.

How to Soothe Sunburn

Here are 5 ways to relieve discomfort from mild sunburn:

• Give your child water or 100% fruit juice to replace lost fluids.
• Use cool water to help your child’s skin feel better.
• Give your child pain medicine to relieve painful sunburns. (For a baby 6 months or younger, give acetaminophen. For a child older than 6 months, give either acetaminophen or ibuprofen.)
• Only use medicated lotions if your child’s doctor says it is OK.
• Keep your child out of the sun until the sunburn is fully healed.

Additional Information

• Baby Sunburn Prevention
• Teens and Sun: Keeping Them Safe Without Ruining Their Fun
• Sunburn: Treatment and Prevention
• Teens & Tanning: Safety Information for Parents
• Preventing Skin Cancer (Audio)
• Ultraviolet Radiation: a Hazard to Children and Adolescents (AAP Policy Statement)