Sunscreens for children: how they should be and their function
When the child comes into contact with the first rays of sunshine in the warm season, his skin is unprepared and still weak.
Against sunburn, erythema and similar discomfort, in addition to other precautions, sunscreens for children of all types and composition are encountered. But it is not easy for a parent to juggle all the sunscreens for children that exist on the market.
The basic things that are important to consider for a valid purchase of sunscreen for children are:
- UVB protection . It is the protection that usually appears large on the package. It is important that it is elevated (the best is the 50+, taking into account that the total screen does not exist) because it protects the child's skin against burns
- UVA protection . It is important to check that it is there, it is not always highlighted on the package. But in children's sunscreens there must be. It is the protection against rays that damage the skin in the long term and that cause irreparable damage to the cells, such as melanomas
- The components of sunscreen for children must be safe for the skin, non-allergenic or potentially so. This means paying attention to the filters.
Sunscreen filters for children
Sunscreens for children contain two types of filters, the chemical filter and the physical filter . The physical one, generally composed of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, is absolutely harmless and does not cause allergies.
The chemical one can be potentially dangerous and we must be very careful if it contains two potentially allergenic chemical filters, namely the benzophenone-3 also called oxibenzone (considered a perturbator of the endocrine system) and the 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, para aminobenzoic acid (also called PABA ). All other chemical filters are considered less harmful and safer. So be careful to read the label.
Sunscreens for children: herbal medicine, pharmacy or supermarket?
Undoubtedly, in all three cases, the indispensable factor to be sure of having purchased excellent sunscreens for children is to read the label . In one case or another, for opposite reasons (see filters), they can harm health or do good. Now also at health food stores and supermarkets, sunscreens are available for children who meet all European standards.
The difference is above all in the composition of sunscreens : herbalist companies often use natural sunscreens, such as gamma oryzanol from rice bran oil or the unsaponifiable fraction of olive oil . These filters are not as water-resistant as the chemical and physical ones of supermarket creams or pharmaceuticals. It is good, therefore, especially if you buy sunscreens for herbalist children, however in other cases, always apply a uniform layer, very often and always with each exit from the water.
