OT - sunscreen, what is best for...

[ima062002]

... a day in the water and under the blazing sun?

I bought a sunblock, 50 which was water resistant and put it on dh and me and the kids every 90 min. Dh and I got burned; the kids didn't but they wore their suits and only had arms, legs and face exposed which are a bit tanned. The adults got burned in areas that are usually covered (cleavage, back etc.).

Can anyone recommend something that works?

[_MrsC_]

Wow, I wouldn't think that you would get burnt appling every 90 minutes. Are you sure you put enough on? I think I heard somewhere that you should use enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass.

[whitnessforhim]

I hate sunscreen!! I have very fair skin and nothing has ever worked for me. I always get sunburned if I am out in the sun too long. DD has the same type of skin. I don't know what I am going to do when she gets older. I'm interested to see others responses.

I also hate putting all those chemicals on...

[Peanut1207]

I'm not sure what you used but I am very fair and my baby is too and we use Water Babies #50 and have never had an issue. My Dad is a red head and swears by Bullfrog products...not sure if they have a baby one. Was it expired? You need to buy new sunscreen every year (I never knew that). Other than that I don't know what to tell you...that sucks that you got burned though! I used No Ad for myself and never get burned (unless I miss a patch).

[blessedbythree]

You can buy sunscreen w/o chemicals at natural health food stores. Unfortunately most do not come higher than SPF 30. Use lots and apply often is my motto.

[ima062002]

I usually use Neutrogena for sensitive skin because it only has titanium oxide in it. I hate chemical sunscreen but the physical one doesn't come in waterproof as far as I know and we'll be in the water a lot (water park) this coming weekend. So I figured I'd go with a chemical, waterproof one for those few days during the summer we are out in the sun/water most of the day and use the physical blocker for our regular summer days - if at all (which are spent in the shade with sporadic exposure to the sun).

[jessiehannan]

Maybe try the NO AD brand? Sunscreen usually makes me burn worse, and that doesn't and it is fragrance free.

[vickikreiner]

Was it the spray on kind?

[ima062002]

No it wasn't spray on. Just a sunblock I bought at the water park. I didn't think that my physical blocker would do much good since it's not water proof/resistant. So I got your average chemical one, SPF 50, water resistant.

[Stephanie]

I've had luck with the spray on kind. We usually use the Neutrogena ,too, but I didn't think it would cut it at the beach while kiddos were running in and out of the water. We haven't run into any problems with it not working.

Check the expiration date, maybe?

[Jmom1010]

Did you also make sure to apply it 15 minutes to half an hour before even going outside? It needs time to soak in and bond with the skin. And make sure to shower after use of the chemical kind.

[dewoman81]

If you are in the water or sweating heavily, it is recommended to reapply every 2 hours or sooner. I have been told as often as 30 minutes and like Jmom said, you have to apply at least 30 minutes before going into the sun.

[cheryln]

I do a lot of research on sunscreen. My top picks are Bullfrog, Blue/Baby lizard and Badger. None of them use harsh chemicals and neither of my kids have gotten burnt OR rashes from them.

[sweetkisses]

After I saw your post I opened my email and saw this from www.ewg.org

Most Sunscreens Don't Work - Does Yours?

You might have seen our sunscreen report on CNN or in The New York Times. We found that 4 out of 5 sunscreens don't give the protection you need - they block too little of the sun's harmful UV radiation or contain unsafe ingredients.

Brands like Coppertone, Neutrogena, and Banana Boat are among the worst offenders. How'd your sunscreen do? Find out in our updated database of 1,000 sunscreens.

Here are our top picks:


Keys Soap Solar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock
Trukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum
California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance
Badger Sunscreen
Marie Veronique Skin Therapy Sun Serum

Get the rest of the Top 10 List.

[Jmom1010]

Where do you buy the badger brand?

[sweetkisses]

Where do you buy the badger brand?

I've never seen that brand before.

http://www.badgerbalm.com/pc-372-6-spf-30-for-face-body.aspx

http://www.vivawoman.net/2008/04/21/physical-sunscreens-burts-bees-vs-badger/