Beyond Sunscreen: Best products to protect Your Family from the Sun

May 20, 2020 Aida Garcia-Toledo

If you have an infant under 6 months old- sunscreen is not recommended and so you have to depend on other methods of protecting your baby’s sensitive skin

But these methods aren’t only for the under 6 month set! Protection from the sun should never just stop with sunscreen for older kids and adults! (for sunscreen check out my last post for a guide on non toxic sunscreen for the whole family)

Please note: the best source of Vitamin D comes from the sun- however sun exposure for Vit D should be limited to early morning and late afternoon hours when the sun rays are not as strong. The rest of the day we should protect ourselves.

UPF clothing

- we can all benefit from using clothing and swimsuits with added UPF protection.

UPF is a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB measure for fabric, and it rates the amount of UV radiation that penetrates a fabric and reaches the skin.
UPF ratings between 15-20 are good, 20-40 is very good, and 40+ is excellent. If possible, always opt for a higher UPF rating.
Clothing brands that cite SPF are not full spectrum protection: look for UPF
BUT avoid clothing that gets its sun protection by being chemically treated with chemicals that can wash off (ask if it is not clear. Also ask if it has a “DWR finish” as this can mean PFAS chemicals) Instead look for clothing that achieves the sun protection through tight weaves of the fabric.
hand wash- sadly all rash guards and UPF clothing is made of synthetic fabrics and when they are washed in our dryers micro plastics make their way into the ocean. So buy a smaller number but better quality rash guards that will last. My boys usually use 1 or 2 a season.

Coolibar: This company has produced an innovative fabric that offers UPF 50+ protection by having a very tight weave, and titanium dioxide and zinc oxide infused at the fiber level. They test their products and can confirm the sun protection never washes off

@happyhannahs (Hanna Anderrson ) I love getting their UPF 50+ t-shirts for everyday play outdoor play
@amisolcalifornia: a small mom owned company that makes UPF 50+ certified clothing free of added chemical treatments and Made of pure super soft organic cotton and a touch of spandex. Sizes 12month - size 8
@solartexsungear
@stingray_australia:
BABY and kids models
@swimzip :

BABY

GIRLS

BOYS:

@UVSKINZ: Founder is a mother of three boys who lost her 32 year old husband to skin cancer. Commited to " bring products to the market that can help families live sun safe, she founded UV SKinz. " UV Skinz are sun shirts that are not made with any chemicals or lotions. The UV protection is in the tight weave of the fabric.
UV SKINZ UPF50+ Boys Long Sleeve Sun & Swim Shirts-Orange/Navy-5

Hats

Hats are another must have for every summer activity, especially those long days building sandcastles by the shore! Lucky for us moms, hats are super in style right now - you can take your pick from what style you like best - but not all offer the same type of protection (read more below)

For the littlest munchkins, I love hats with flaps on the back.... my main tip? get them used to using them early on. I like:

For older kids, there are plenty of stylish and cool options, but keep this in mind when choosing their hat:

Straw hats: will not give you adequate sun protection unless it has tightly woven cloth fabric lining the inside
Baseball hats: do well protecting your face and nose, but offer no protection the back of the neck and ears. Make sure you use plenty of sunscreen in these two areas if you opt for this type of hat.

Sunglasses

So much more than a cool look- sunglasses are actually really important to protect our eyes from the sun. UV light from the sun can damage cells in the eye and even cause cancer (or other eye diseases) later in life. These can be used after 6 months of age

Look for:

Full UV spectrum protection that blocks 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. A new designation, “UV 400” also meets this standard, because it blocks all wavelengths of the sun’s rays up to 400 nanometers.
High-quality frames and lenses from a credible source rather than a discount shop- cheaper glasses usually don’t adequately protect their eyes!
Prioritize comfort and fit: Kids won’t wear them if they’re not comfortable,
Impact resistant frames are a great choice.

Babiators: made of rubber great for kids

RIVBOS silicone rubber sunglasses

Beach Tents

Most camping tents on the market today are coated with chemicals and made with additives that can have potentially negative effects on human health and the environment. .. if it doesn’t have flame retardants it probably has PFAS DWR

The Tent Lab Moonlight tents: these tents are the only ones that are both flame retardant free and PFAS free that i could find. While not specific for the beach the polyester tight knit fiber they use does provide UPF protection
Easy Setup Beach Tent by Pacific Breeze: please note I have not confirmed this company does not use PFAS. The do not use flame retardants though.

Please note that my opinion is based on publicly available information, including but not limited to the ingredients and/or contents listed by the manufacturer of the recommended products. I do not guarantee either the accuracy or completeness of any such information provided by the manufacturer, and I shall not under any circumstances be held liable if this information is inaccurate or incomplete. This email is also subject to copyright.