Summer is fast approaching (finally!) and with it comes the warm sun. Whether you are at the beach or in the mountains, in winter or summer, hiking or skiing, it is highly important to protect your baby from the sun.
Here are the essential tips to make sure your baby is well-protected outdoors.
Limited exposure to the sun
The best thing would be to walk in the shade. However, when we want to enjoy outdoor activities, it’s difficult to stay in the shade. The sun is at its strongest between midday and 4pm so even for a day of hiking, it is advisable to take a lunch break or nap at that time. If it is very hot, try to find cool places: 1 to 2 hours of the day in a cooler place allows the body to recover. The best protection from the sun is clothing.
Limited exposure
The best way to protect yourself from the sun is with your clothing. Choose light coloured clothes that cover as much of your body as possible, even better would be clothing with integrated anti-UV. If you are expecting to stay in the sun for a long time or to protect your baby in the water, anti-UV clothing is in fact necessary. From top to bottom, here are some ideas of the ideal clothing:
- a wide-brimmed hat,
- a breathable t-shirt, ideally anti-UV,
- light trousers, ideally anti-UV,
- high socks or leggings (in light wool or synthetic fibers) for carried babies;
- hiking shoes adapted for babies who are walking (go here to choose hiking shoes adapted for children).
- For any skin that is left exposed, it must be covered with sun cream.
Sun cream for everyone
When you see “for children” on cosmetics, this is for children over the age of 3. For younger children, you need to look for “for babies”. Here are 3 things to check before buing sun cream:
- “very high protection” or factor 50+;
- double protection UVA-UVB;
- mineral filters (avoid chemical filters).
With the clothing mentioned above, there isn’t a lot of skin that needs to be protected. Make sure you apply the sun cream at least every 2 hours and after bathing
Sunglasses aren’t there just to look pretty!
Children’s eyes are much more sensitive to UV rays than adult eyes: before the age of one, 90% of UVA and more than 50% of UVB rays reach the retina. Sunglasses are therefore not a gadget. They should be perfectly adapted to each child, with the appropriate protection index (at least 3), and respect CE standards. Our favourites are Cébé sunglasses, with an ergonomic design and very lightweight!
Optimal hydration
Offer your children liquids very often, cool water or at room temperature, or offer the breast for breastfed babies: at the beginning of a feed, breast milk is particularly good for hydration as it contains mineral salts and sugar (lactose), making it the perfect isotonic beverage!
Advice provided by
Marie & Fred from “Les Petits Baroudeurs”
lespetitsbaroudeurs.com
