Sun Smarts for Baby
It’s normal to worry about the sun’s harsh rays, but you could go stir-crazy if you don’t get outside every day. Fortunately, it’s not hard to protect your baby’s skin.
Dress for success. This means breathable, loose-fitting, long-sleeve cotton pants and shirts. Don’t forget to cover her head with a wide-brimmed hat, too. It's important to keep the sun's ultraviolet radiation from harming her delicate baby skin.
Load up on lotion. Sunscreen used to be reserved for babies over 6 months of age, but this thinking has changed. Apply baby sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 to 30 liberally over all exposed body parts; reapply after swimming, sweating, or every two hours. It's better to err on the side of caution and overdo it a bit when it comes to preventing sunburn.
Go off peak. The best tip for baby skin care is to stay in during peak hours, which are between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in most parts of the U.S. That might seem like forever, but in reality, most babies are up and ready to go early (Hello, 6 a.m.!). Take a walk first thing, then let her play at home, have lunch and take a nap during peak sun hours. When she wakes up, the sun will be less severe and you can take her out for some fun without worrying about burning her sweet baby skin.
