Currently, 17 active ingredients are approved by the FDA for use in sunscreens in the United States. These fall into two broad categories: organic/chemical (absorbers) and inorganic/physical (blockers). Common FDA-approved active ingredients in sunscreen include: UVB organic/chemical absorbers:
The Skin Cancer Foundation lists all the products that carry their Seal of Recommendation at www.skincancer.org. Recommended products for babies and children include:
Banana Boat Kids Sunblock Stick SPF 30 Banana Boat Baby Tear-free Lotion SPF 50 Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 50 Coppertone Little Licks Lip Balm SPF 30 Hawaiian Tropic Splash for Kids SPF 30 Lime/Kiwi Hawaiian Tropic Baby Faces SPF 50 Broad Spectrum Lotion Jafra Baby Block SPF 45 Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 55 NO-AD SPF 45 Baby Sun Block Stick NO-AD SPF 50 Kids Sun Protection Rite Aid Kids Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 45 Rite Aid Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 Disney Pals Nemo SPF 30 Sunblock Wipes Disney Pirates of the Caribbean Suncare SPF 30 Continuous Spray by NO-AD
More on DEET Safety for Children
A careful approach would be to select the lowest concentration effective for the amount of time spent outdoors. It is recommended that DEET should not be applied more than once a day. Repeated application may increase the potential toxic effects of DEET, as DEET is absorbed through the skin. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Environmental Health offers the following information:
• The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. • Apply DEET sparingly on exposed skin; do not use under clothing. • Do not use combined sunscreen/DEET products as sunscreen needs to be reapplied and DEET should not be applied more than once a day. • Do not use DEET on the hands of young children and avoid applying to areas around the eyes and mouth. • Do not use DEET over cuts, wounds or irritated skin. • Wash treated skin with soap and water after returning indoors. Wash treated clothing. • Avoid spraying in enclosed areas. Do not use DEET near food.
Now that sunshine is more than a pale rumor, our children enjoy days filled with outdoor activities. We can protect them from sunburn and bug bites with good timing, smart clothing, shade and carefully applied products to fend off ultraviolet rays (UVA/UVB) and insects.
“There is a definite connection between childhood sunburns and adult incidence of skin cancers,” says Dr. Annalisa Gordon, a Seattle-area dermatologist and spokesperson for the Skin Cancer Foundation. “I see patients in their 30s and 40s coming in for treatment for skin cancer who now are very vigilant about putting sunscreen on their children. Most [sun] exposure happens in our youth when we have the time to be outdoors.”
Gordon says parent awareness translates into fewer sunburned children, but she also notes a common mistake among Northwest parents. “If parents see a gray, cloudy day, they might not apply sunscreen to themselves or their children. You are bombarded by UV anytime you go out.” Altitude and reflective surfaces like snow, water, sand and cement can compound the sun damage to skin.
Cancer experts agree that a comprehensive approach to sun protection is best:
• Guard against UVB rays (shorter-wavelength solar rays that cause most sunburns, but penetrate only the outer layer of the skin) with a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher. Skins of every color need protection. The lighter the skin, the higher the recommended SPF. • Protect against UVA rays (longer-wavelength solar rays that penetrate the skin more deeply) with products that contain some combination of avobenzone, oxybenzone, mexoryl, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. • Adults need to apply one ounce of sunscreen – about a jigger full – to the whole body; children require less, according to their size. Do not use sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months. Protect babies with netting and shade. • Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating. • In addition to sunscreen, outfit yourself and your child with UV-protective clothing, sunglasses and broad-brimmed hats. Stay in the shade from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Skin Cancer Foundation puts its blue Seal of Recommendation on about 500 commercial sun-screening products, including awning fabric, window films, sunglasses and clothing, as well as the more familiar topical sunscreens. The skincare products marked “broad-spectrum” filter out both UVA and UVB. SPF indicates a product’s ability to block UVB only.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hopes to introduce a “star” system for rating the efficacy of sunscreen products in the next year or two – similar to the system already in use in Europe. The national nonprofit public health advocacy organization, Environmental Working Group, is monitoring the FDA’s progress and has produced its own sunscreen rating system at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
Meanwhile, back at the mall and at the mercy of marketing hype, American parents squint at too-small print trying to identify the ingredients in lotions, gels, wipes, sticks, roll-ons, sprays, creams and balms.
Some products appeal to our desire for convenience, some to our fear of chemicals, and a couple attract attention through gimmickry. Repackaging makes other products appear new, but often you are buying the same material as in former years, all dolled up. Resist the flashy marketing claims and decide what to buy according to ingredients and credible recommendations.
Sun Protection Choices
With all sunscreens, test the product on your child by putting a small amount on the inside of her wrist the day before you plan to use it. If an irritation or rash develops at any time, try another product. Ask your child’s doctor to suggest one that will not irritate.
New sports formula lines of sunscreens promote their resistance to water and sweat. A sunscreen is “water resistant” if the SPF remains effective after 40 minutes in the water. Products marked “very water resistant” retain their SPF after 80 minutes of water immersion. No product is 100 percent water-proof. Toweling off removes sunscreen, so be sure to reapply it when you are dry.
There are recent advances in processing sunscreen ingredients to make them less gritty or slick or sticky to the touch. Manufacturers add fragrances, delete fragrance altogether or add trendy natural oils and aloe, and a few feature colors that kids love. The stuff in the container comes in an amazing array of delivery systems, from moist towelettes to fine continuous flow aerosol sprays that go on wet and air-dry to a powder. Hold your impulse to buy until you have read the ingredients and confirmed you are buying the UV protection you need.
UV protection also is available in clothing, hats, swimsuits, umbrellas, tents, portable pop-up beach shelters, and the tops of baby strollers. Check out the play hats and “fun buckets” – featuring neck veils to cover the nape – from www.SunDayafternoons.com (also available at Joe’s). Don’t miss Seattle-based Solumbra for sunblock clothing at www.solumbra.com. See www.kaboodle.com for tent and cabana choices.
You can add UV protection to clothes yourself using Rit SunGuard Laundry Treatment.
Bug Repellent
Cover up arms, legs and feet during mosquito “snack times” at dawn and dusk, and dump out standing water where mosquitoes breed. Teach children not to swat at stinging insects, such as bees and wasps.
DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide)-containing products are not new, but lead in popularity and are endorsed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for their effectiveness in repelling biting insects. Always follow product directions carefully when applying a DEET product to children, and use only the lowest effective dose, 10 percent DEET. DEET should not be used more than once a day. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that repellents with DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months old. DEET can be applied to clothing, but will ruin some materials including spandex, acetate and rayon.
The CDC also says picaridin, a chemical that blocks an insect’s ability to find you by scent, is an effective repellent, as is oil of lemon eucalyptus to a lesser degree. Find out more about picaridin at www.picaridin.com/science.htm.
New this year is a natural product to fend off biting insects, DEET-free BugBand. It comes in three versions – a spray lotion, towelettes and brightly colored, glow-in-the-dark bracelets. Its ingredients include extracts and oils from geranium, rosemary, soybean and mint. The display literature says the bracelets are water resistant and reusable up to 120 hours. www.bugband.net.
Other DEET-free products include:
• Cutter’s “Advanced” pump spray, whose main active ingredient is picaridin, recognized by CDC as a natural option to DEET. www.cutteradvanced.com. • Repel pump spray, containing oil of lemon eucalyptus and not recommended for kids younger than 3, according to its label. Available at REI. • Kids Herbal Armor from All Terrain, a lotion containing oils of citronella, soybean, lemongrass, peppermint, cedar and geranium. Available at Joe’s. www.allterrainco.com. • Teeny Towels Bug Repellent Wipes by Parents of Invention come in a small pack on a keychain that you can attach to a diaper bag or belt. The ingredients are oils of citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, lavender and cedar. Available at Babies R Us.
Also DEET-free, the Bug-a-Nator resembles a small tennis racquet with a wire grid. It is powered by AA-batteries, and presumably, by whoever wants to take a swing at electrocuting bugs on contact. Available at Joe’s.
What about Hybrids?
Combining insect repellent with sunscreen sounds efficient. But the American Academy of Dermatology points out a timing issue: Insect repellent may need application only every six hours, whereas sunscreen needs reapplication every two hours. AAD experts say more research is needed on the efficacy and safety of these combined products. There also is evidence that combining the two undermines the effectiveness of the sunscreen, reducing its SPF by about one-third.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is more specific in its warning: “DEET should not be used in a product that combines the repellent with a sunscreen. Sunscreens often are applied repeatedly because they can be washed off. DEET is not water-soluble and will last up to 8 hours. Repeated application may increase the potential toxic effects of DEET.”
Suzanne Pate is a Tulalip resident and writer who specializes in health topics.
