We Explore our Favourite Children’s Sun Creams So You Don’t Have To
21 June 2017
That pale lemony ball in the sky is hinting at great things, but hasn’t quite broken through the clouds (yet!). We can almost smell the summery scent of coconut and feel the warm glow of bright sunshine but, as we sat here typing with the central heating still on, we must admit it feels like it’s taking a long time to arrive. Hrumph!
Children’s skin is more delicate than that of an adult and so when considering which sun creams to use for children one must carefully consider several things; UV protection, SPF protection and level of water resistance. British summertime is renowned for its unpredictability, but thin cloud cover is perhaps most dangerous as it disguises the powerful sun rays which can cause your child to burn and damage their skin. With the arrival of the sunshine of course comes the need for sun protection. From sun hats to rash vests, sunglasses to parasols, children should be protected from the harmful rays of the sun as much as possible and never allowed to play out in direct sunshine between the hours of 11am and 3pm. With climate change making you and your family more at risk of burning, skin damage and skin cancer, sun protection for children has never been more important.
Remember to pack sun cream, hats and water bottles when sending your little ones off to nursery and school this summer to ensure that they are as protected against the dangers of the sun as they can be. And to avoid losing these items, don’t forget to label them all using our stick on name labels!
With ease-of-application, suitability for protection in water and nasties-free being top of our criteria, we explore five popular children’s sun creams below so that you can make the correct choice for you and your family…
Five Favourite Children's Sun Creams
Name Garnier Ambre Solaire Kids Anti-Sand Spray
Protection SPF 50
Price £7 (Boots)
We love the sun. We love the beach. We do not however love sand in our sun cream! The way sand sticks to traditional sun cream creating a concrete-like paste leaves us (and our offspring) itchy and scratchy, so this anti-sand spray from Garnier solves all our sandy sun cream woes. It is clear and the fine spray works at an angle which makes applying to wriggly children a breeze. This SPF 50 waterproof sun cream dries so quickly that when our little one’s inevitably wrestled free and ran off to play in the sand, not a grain stuck to them- bravo!
Name Child’s Farm Sun Cream
Protection SPF 50
Price £8.24 (Waitrose)
This sun cream is perhaps the most gentle and natural that we’ve come across. Child’s Farm Sun Cream’s crucial ingredient is titanium dioxide which acts as a physical block (like a mirror), reflecting away damaging UVA and UVB rays. Because of this, the sun cream will appear white on application (making it easy to see which bits you’ve missed) so be sure you work it in well for full coverage. With no parabens, no irritants, mineral oils or artificial colourings, we love this sun cream for children prone to eczema or skin allergies.
Name Green People Organic Children’s Sun Cream
Protection SPF 30
Price £18.50 (Green People)
This scent-free organic sun cream for children by Green People is one of the best organic sun creams on the market for application and results. Easy-to-apply and gentle on the skin, Green People sun cream rubs in without being greasy or heavy; an unfortunate flaw in many other organic sun creams out there. This is an excellent high protection sun lotion for children who have sensitive or allergy-prone skin, and offers great protection without using harsh chemicals. Strong but gentle, we loved Green People’s sun cream as it felt luxurious and nourishing.
Name Nivea Sun Kids Moisturising Sun Trigger Spray
Protection SPF 50
Price £7.99 (Superdrug)
Especially formulated for children’s skin, this sun cream by skincare favourites Nivea wins the ‘fun application’ award thanks to its trigger-action spray. Easily absorbed with no stickiness or greasy feel, Nivea sun spray for kids achieved excellent coverage and is water resistant too. It feels really lightweight despite its high SPF and was a definite favourite among our children who wanted to use it again and again – result! (We weren’t worried about running out thanks to the large family-size bottle!). This popular children’s sun cream also contains highly effective UVA/UVB filters for immediate protection.
Name Soltan Once Kids 3 Hour Water Play Sun Care Lotion
Protection SPF 50
Price £10 (Boots)
They say that just one application of this children’s sun lotion gives up to six hours of sun protection and three hours’ water resistance. This is amazing for children which are averse to having sun cream constantly reapplied throughout the day when they’re trying to play. However, we advise that you’d reapply after wrapping in a towel or taking clothes on and off as you never know how much sun lotion has been rubbed off. This sun cream has been awarded a maximum five-star rating against deep down skin damage cause by UVA rays, and is hypoallergenic meaning its gentle too.
*My Name Label Verdict - Our Favourite Sun Cream for Children!*
We loved the organic kind-to-skin children’s sun cream from Green People but think that for overall value and ease-of-application we would have to award the Nivea Trigger Spray Sun Cream this summer’s winner!
Do let us know on Facebook which your favourite sun cream for children is, or get in touch to order your children’s sun cream name labels so you’re all set for summer (whenever it decides to appear…!)