As the temperatures rise, parents often turn their attention to safe summer skincare for kids.
While enjoying outdoor activities is important for kids’ development, it’s also important to make sure their delicate skin remains safe and healthy.
Which products should you use? That’s not always an easy question. Years ago, parents just grabbed whatever was on the shelf. But today, we know that some ingredients in skincare products aren’t good for young skin.
Below, we help guide you toward finding a skincare routine for your little ones that you can feel confident about.
Safe Summer Skincare for Kids: Watch Out for Sun Damage!
Though it’s not good for anyone to get a sunburn, as it damages the skin, it’s even worse for kids to suffer from one.
That’s because sunburns during childhood can increase the risk of melanoma—the most aggressive form of skin cancer—later in life. The MD Anderson Center notes that just one or two blistering sunburns double your child’s lifetime risk for melanoma. Kids with pale skin, freckles, and moles are at greater risk.
In general, children have less melanin (skin pigment) in their skin. Melanin protects from sun damage, so with less of it, children are more vulnerable. The outer layer of their skin is also thinner than that of adults. This makes them more susceptible to UV radiation damage.
Dr. Gregory Walker of U.S. Dermatology Partners in Waco, Texas, notes that skin damage is cumulative. “That means the more sunburns a child or adolescent has, the greater the risk for serious health concerns later in life.”
He adds that research from the Skin Cancer Foundation indicates that five or more blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 can increase the risk for melanoma by 80 percent and nonmelanoma skin cancers by 68 percent.
Sun protection for kids is critical. But which sunscreen is safe?
Safe Summer Skincare for Kids: Recommendations for Sunscreen and Sunburn
Childrens Health recommends that parents choose sunscreens with gentler, hypoallergenic ingredients that don’t have harsh chemicals or fragrances that may irritate their skin. They also recommend against spray-on sunscreen, as it puts kids at risk of inhaling harmful chemicals. Lotions and creams are best.
It’s also important to note that many sunscreens have been recalled because they contain benzene—a chemical widely used in industrial products, but that may cause cancer with extended exposure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a list of those sunscreens that were recalled.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also warns that some chemicals used in sunscreens and other personal care products can have a greater impact on children’s health than adults because children’s bodies are still developing and don’t yet have the defenses that adults have.
Both the EWG and CV Skinlabs recommend only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sunscreen ingredients for kids. These are mineral sunscreens that are safe and effective. Try to avoid formulas with chemical sunscreens like oxybenzone. If you lack access to a mineral sunscreen, use one with avobenzone. Avoid those with fragrance, retinyl palmitate, or retinol.
The EWG provides a handy list of top-rated baby & kids sunscreens you can access here.
What If the Kids Get Burned?
Even when you do your best to protect your kids and babies from too much sun, at some point they might still end up with sunburn.
Sunburned skin can be sensitive to the touch, and may feel painful and itchy. It’s also likely to look red and inflamed.
If your child does get burned, apply a cool tap water compress for a few minutes. Then use our Rescue & Relief Spray formulated with aloe, oats, cucumber and water lily to soothe the burn and stop the itch. This cooling spray helps repair and relieve inflamed skin when skin is too sensitive to touch.
Follow with our gentle hypoallergenic moisturizers—Calming Moisture and Body Repair Lotion—to calm the redness, moisturize, help prevent peeling, and regenerate the skin.
Safe Summer Skincare for Kids: Other Skincare Concerns
Sunburn isn’t the only concern in the summer, however. Kids may also suffer from scrapes, wounds, bug bites, redness, heat rash, and eczema flare-ups. How is a parent to manage all these?
We’ve got some tips for you below! Most importantly, we want you to know that you can use any of our CV Skinlabs products on your kids with complete peace of mind. Our products are specifically formulated to be safe and effective for young skin—even for newborns!
All of our products were thoroughly tested to make sure they don’t contain any potentially harmful ingredients or irritants. And they all include our proprietary Tri-Rescue Complex—an anti-inflammatory blend of skin-soothing and wound-healing ingredients to help skin healthy. Keep these essentials in your summer skin care arsenal for the whole family.
Insect Bites, Stings, Poison Ivy/Plant Rashes and Other Sources of Summer Itches
To protect your child’s skin from potential bug bites, avoid going outside at dawn or dusk, when mosquitoes are more active.
Ensure kids wear protective clothing and use insect repellant when necessary. The National Institutes of Health notes that DEET is safe for kids two months and older when used as directed. Do avoid products with sunscreen and DEET—apply these separately.
If your little one gets a bug bite, has a run-in with plants, or suffers some other type of summer itch, wash the area first, then apply a cold compress to help reduce swelling.
Trim your child’s fingernails and encourage your child not to scratch to avoid spreading a rash or infection. Then apply our Rescue & Relief Spray as it will instantly quell itching. It contains aloe, oat extract, and other soothing and healing ingredients that will help calm redness, stinging and swelling fast.
Finally, apply our Restorative Skin Balm to reduce inflammation, encourage healing, and help prevent scarring. This multi-tasking balm also helps soothe cuts, scrapes and abrasions. It contains a powerful blend of plant ingredients that encourage quick healing and protects the skin from contaminants, while regenerating the skin. It creates an occlusive but breathable barrier to help heal cuts, abrasions, chafed skin, burns, rashes, inflamed itchy areas, and any other area needing TLC.
If you notice any of the following, check with your child’s doctor:
signs of an allergic reaction
the bite doesn’t heal within a few days
your child is in significant pain
signs of infection, fever, or a bull’s eye rash from a tick bite
Heat Rash, Chafing, Diaper Rash
If your young child is sweating this summer, he or she may suffer a heat rash. You can help prevent this by keeping your child cool. Avoid long periods in the sun and encourage children to play in the shade. Dress them in loose-fitting, lightweight clothing made from breathable fabrics like cotton. Make sure they drink plenty of water throughout the day.
If a heat rash occurs, move your child to a cooler setting, remove any sweaty clothing, rinse the area with cool water, then apply our Rescue + Relief Spray. It will go to work cooling and calming the area, while reducing itch and helping to moisturize the skin.
Then apply our award-winning Restorative Skin Balm formulated with 100% natural ingredients. It provides a breathable skin barrier that protects skin, and will help reduce inflammation and redness while soothing and healing rashes, burns, and rough patches of skin.
After-Pool Care: Swimmer’s Itch & Eczema
The chlorine in swimming pools can cause dryness and irritation in your child’s skin. Overheating, sweating, and chlorine may also exacerbate conditions like eczema, leading to more itchiness and redness, and causing flare-ups of dry, scaly skin.
Have your kids shower immediately after swimming, then apply a good moisturizer to help replenish lost moisture and protect against dryness. We recommend our fragrance-free Body Repair Lotion and Calming Moisture, as both are safe for kids and will provide lasting moisture. Calming Moisture is often recommended by dermatologists for newborn baby’s face, neck, and scalp to soothe and help heal rashes and eczema.
Foot Care
Summer often means barefoot activities, which can lead to rough or dry feet. Help your child care for their feet by:
Keeping toenails trimmed to prevent ingrown nails and fungal infections.
Moisturizing feet regularly, particularly the heels and soles, to prevent cracking and dryness. Our Body Repair Lotion is great for this!
Encourage the use of shoes and sandals in public areas to reduce the risk of infections like athlete’s foot.
Skincare Routine
Though young kids have skin that is naturally moisturized and supple most of the time, even their skin can be challenged in the hot and sunny weather. Establish a simple skincare routine that includes gentle cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection. Teaching them the importance of caring for their skin at a young age will help them gain lifelong habits of skincare and sun safety.
Do you have other tips for safe summer skincare for kids?
Featured image by Xavier Mouton Photographie via Unsplash.
