Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : October 31, 2017 12:26 PM IST
Till about a decade back, we didn t think that kids needed sunscreen. They played in the hot sun, went their own ways, fell sick, got better and that was a natural process of growing up. Apart from lathering baby creams when they were little not many mothers thought about slathering sunscreen to protect their child from the scorching heat. Dehydration due to heat was more of a concern until the beauty industry gave them new parenting goals to buy sunscreen and that not protecting your child from the harmful UVA and UVB could cost you dearly. Read to know if sunscreens can protect you from tanning.
But the question is does your child really need a sunscreen? Well, come to think of it, your child might be at school most of the time. Baring just one to two hours, she hardly comes directly under the contact of the sunlight (except for the time of commute and playtime). If your child is into sports that is a different issue. If it is a holiday during the summers getting a tan is absolutely fine. But if global warming, pollution and the increasing heat are making you worried and you want to invest in a sunscreen, we don t think it would be a bad idea. But limit its usage. Read to know do sunscreens have side-effects?
We got talking to Dr Suresh Gowda, Consultant Neonatologist and Pediatrician, Motherhood Hospitals to know if it is necessary to invest in special sunscreens for kids. While he isn t totally in favour of buying specialised sunscreens for babies and kids, but he mentions that if you wish to buy be careful about the ingredients as they could be loaded with toxic chemicals. Many of these products are easily absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, babies and young children are at least ten times more vulnerable to the chemicals in these products than adults, he says.
If you are buying one sunscreen for your child, according to Dr Gowda, ensure that it is devoid of chemicals, like, octinoxate, oxybenzone, benzene and homosalate. While it s important to make sure that babies are protected from UVA/UVB rays, it s equally important to make sure that these sunscreens do not contain toxic chemicals, he advised. Here are six tips to keep your baby safe and comfortable during summers.
Image source: Shutterstock
