10 Things You Need To Know About Protecting Your Baby’s Skin Against The Sun

A baby’s skin is super sensitive not only to the products that you use to wash and moisturize your baby with but also when it comes to the sun. It is important to protect your children against the harmful effects of the sun as they grow, with special attention given to when they are babies.

It may seem like it is only important to protect your baby’s skin in summer, but it is also essential to protect your baby’s skin in winter too. The sun can be damaging to your baby in all seasons and very often we are caught unawares during winter months when it seems like the sun is too weak to be a concern.

Keep Your Baby Out Of The Sun

Up until the age of 6 months old it is best to keep your baby out of direct sun as far as possible, even if the weather appears overcast and cool. Your baby can get a sunburn easily when it is overcast and the sun can damage your baby’s skin even when it is cool. Before the age of 6 months your baby’s skin is not yet protected by melanin.

Avoid Being Outdoors Between 10h00 and 14h00

The sun is at its harshest between 10h00 and 14h00 so if possible make sure your baby is indoors during that time. If you do have to be outside make sure that your baby is a well shaded area and ensure your baby is covered from head to toe.

Use A Sun Protective Blanket

It is so important to take note that while you may think your baby is well protected because he is covered by a blanket or clothing this is not always the case. The sun can easily penetrate most fabrics leaving your baby at risk from UV exposure from the sun.

It is highly recommended to use a UPF50 baby sun blanket to protect your newborn baby from the sun. These blankets are made from special fabric that is light and breathable as well as providing UPF50+ protection from the sun.

Use Sun Protective Clothing

You can also buy special sun protection clothing for your baby. As mentioned above the sun can penetrate fabric so while you may think your baby is safe from the sun your baby may actually be at risk. Buying clothing that offers UV protection will give your baby that extra layer of protection.

Always Use A Baby Hat

It is important to get into the good habit of putting a sun hat on your baby every time you are outdoors right from the start. The best hats will be tightly woven, wide-brimmed hats. You don’t want to leave any part of your baby’s face or neck exposed to the sun.

Babies are notorious for pulling off their hats so try and find one that has a chin strap to keep it secured. You may need to try a number of different hats to see which one works best for your baby.

Strollers With Shade Cover

There are many different types of strollers and most of them have a shade cover for your baby, however some shade covers are better than others. Make sure to read plenty of stroller reviews and pay special attention to the shade cover since this is a big safety aspect that many parents overlook. A lot of emphasis is placed on how maneuverable a stroller is and how easy it is to fold up and store, as well as the storage space. These are factors that do make a parent’s life easier but safety should always come first.

You will probably be making a lot of use of your baby stroller in the first few months of your baby’s life – going for walks as well as for carrying out daily errands, so it is essential to make sure that your baby is well protected from the sun while in the stroller.

Car Window Shades

Your baby is at great risk of harm from the sun while you are driving and your baby will be in the back seat, often rear facing which means you won’t always be able to keep a close eye on how the sun is affecting your baby.

Making use of car window shades is an absolute must when you have babies and children in the car. You can buy the ones that have suckers on that stick to the windows, or even better you can buy the car window socks which slide over the entire door frame which provides better sun protection as well as being more convenient since you can still open and close the windows.

Make sure to place the emphasis on quality over price and buy car window shades that are offer good UV protection.

Baby Car Seat Cover

You may think that having car window shades will do that job, but the sun can come into the car from any angle and you may find that the sun shines directly on your baby through the rear window without you realizing it. For this reason you should cover your baby’s car seat with a blanket too.

There are some lovely fitted baby car seat covers that have multiple uses such as also being a breastfeeding cover. It is best to have a fitted car seat cover rather than drape a baby blanket over the car seat. Your baby will inevitably start pulling a loose blanket off at some stage.

Use A Sun Umbrella Or Gazebo

If it is unavoidable that you need to be outside in the sun with your baby and there is no shade available make sure to bring your own. You can use a sun umbrella or perhaps even a gazebo.

Sunscreen

Putting sunscreen on your baby every day will be very helpful and a last line of protection for your baby. It is absolutely essential that you find the right sunscreen for your baby under 6 months old since his skin will be so sensitive. Ensure that the sunscreen you buy is safe for babies under 6 months old.

Ensure that any skin that is not covered by clothing is protected with sunscreen.