Sun Safety for Me

May is skin cancer awareness month, and I wanted to put together a post on sun safety for adults and babies. I’ve written a few posts about sunscreen (a few times) and UPF swimwear before, and I wanted to update my recommendations. Melanoma is a scary diagnosis to receive and I have seen firsthand how a seemingly innocuous looking brown spot can actually turn out to be melanoma. If you are in doubt about a spot on your skin, have it checked out by a dermatologist. We have many tools at our disposal including a dermatoscope which helps us identify magnified surface structures and patterns more likely to be associated with melanoma versus harmless moles and sun spots.

I want to take a moment to share how I personally practice sun safety to decrease exposure to UV radiation that causes melanoma, and the advice I give to patients about realistic sun protection while still living their lives and enjoying the outdoors.

I wear #sunscreen every single day, rain or shine. If I step outside without sunscreen on, I feel incomplete, like the feeling you get when you leave home without your phone. I use a tinted, broad spectrum, SPF 30-50 mineral sunscreen daily (these days it’s Alastin hydratint, Bareminerals complexion rescue gel creme, or Colorescience sunforgettable face shield) and I reapply with Colorescience powder sunscreen throughout my day.

I wear UPF50 clothing and hats to cover up if I’m outdoors for a long period of time, like when I’m at the beach . My favorite UPF cover ups are from Cabana Life which I wore through many trips and even my pregnancy. I also wear the SolWearMD black wrap as a cape around my shoulders and arms during my daily walks around the neighborhood.

for a sunny beach vacation when I’m outdoors most of the day, I consider taking Heliocare supplements which I learned about in residency. This is a fern extract rich in antioxidants that helps decrease generation of reactive oxidative species and UV-induced DNA damage.

I try to avoid going under direct sun during peak sun hours 10 am to 2 pm. You can find me under an umbrella or in some other shady spot until it’s not quite so sunny out.

Sunsafety in babies

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Dotori loves his walks but I am constantly fussing about #sunprotection! Here’s what I do to keep his skin safe from UV rays:
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Sunscreen: now that he’s six months old I am going to start using mineral based (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) #sunscreen. These ingredients are less likely than chemical sunscreens to cause irritation on baby’s sensitive skin. I bought @thinkbabythinksport sunscreen based off friends’ recommendations (SPF 50, 20% zinc oxide, water resistant) but I’m curious to know what other moms are using?
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Side note: we do not recommend large scale sunscreen use in babies < 6 months, though usage on body parts like hands and face are okay. Because of higher surface area to body weight ratio (3x greater than adults according to CDC), babies are exposed to a larger dose per unit of body weight compared to what adults absorb. So for large scale sun protection in babies less than 6 months…
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UPF Clothing, hats, sunglasses: I purchased this UPF 50 hat off of Amazon because I loved the little flaps that protect the sides and back of his head and neck. Dotori hasn’t gotten quite used to it though and tries to tear it off I’ve also heard great things about the @coolibar infant and toddler UPF clothing though I haven’t tried it personally. Moms out there: any recommendations?
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UPF protection on the go: I’m talking about a UPF sun shade in the stroller and sun shield in the car window. Our @uppababy stroller comes with an extendable UPF50 sun shade so that keeps him covered on our walks. For car windows: UVA rays can still come through glass, so if your car seat doesn’t come with an extendable UPF shade, you may want to look into getting a sun shield for your window.
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Shade: as much as possible I try to seek shade and play with him in the shade outdoors. We also try to avoid going out during peak sun hours from 10 am to 2 pm.
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Would love to hear from my fellow moms out there: favorite baby sunscreen and sun protective clothing brand?