Who hasn't experienced this? Little ones scream, run away, fidget – and don't want to be applied sunscreen. Dermatologists advise parents to be absolutely consistent with sunscreen, as it's an absolute must for children's sensitive skin. A bit of imagination can help, because with funny verses and little games, applying sunscreen can actually be fun! That's why Bübchen has developed an ABC of sunscreening with rhymes, finger games, and songs.
Sunscreen ends up in hair, on clothes, or on the floor – what parent hasn't experienced this? Applying sunscreen can be a real challenge. For many children, it's a tedious chore and takes away from playtime they'd much rather spend outside. But no matter how impatient or fidgety the kids are, sun protection is an absolute must for children's skin. This is because baby and toddler skin is particularly sensitive to UV rays. The melanin content in children's skin is lower than in adults. It also contains less moisture because the top layer of skin in toddlers is still relatively thin. This results in less light scattering, allowing UV rays to penetrate deeper. To prevent skin damage such as skin cancer from occurring later on, sunburn on baby and children's skin must be avoided at all costs.
SUN PROTECTION: LITTLE BOY'S ABC FOR MORE FUN WHILE APPLYING SUNSCREEN
How can parents make applying cream more creative and perhaps even develop it into a shared ritual?
Transform the creaming hand into a fictional character and awaken the imagination
Parents can transform the hand or fingers that spread sunscreen on the skin into a fictional character – similar to a hand puppet – and to further stimulate the little ones' imagination, give it a cute name: "Look, Paul, when you put sunscreen on your hand, it turns into Sunny, and when Sunny manages to cover your whole body, the sun shines even more beautifully."
Arouse interest with finger games and rhymes
Applying cream is much more relaxing with a fun finger game. Short verses like "Dot, dot, comma, dash – the moon face is ready!" are enough to apply the cream to the skin. For rubbing it in, a longer rhyme can be used, for example: "The tiny little mouse is now stroking your soft tummy. It's stroking until you laugh – look how much fun it is." Other body parts that need creaming, such as legs, feet, or noses, can also be used instead of the tummy.
Why do we need sun protection?
Parents can explain to children ages three and up why they need sunscreen and spray in the first place: The sun can hurt our skin if we don't protect our arms, legs, stomach, face, and back. That's why we apply plenty of sunscreen (e.g., Bübchen Sensitive Sun Lotion SPF 50+ ) and additionally protect ourselves from the sun's rays with parasols, caps, hats, and sunglasses.
Small rewards as motivation
When children are a little older, parents can introduce a reward system—for example, if they allow themselves to be covered in sunscreen, they'll receive an ice pop. Alternatively, a sun can be awarded for each part of their body covered in sunscreen, for example, in the form of stickers. When the sheet is full of sunscreens, they receive a small gift, such as a beach ball or an ice cream. A quick tip: If you need a distraction from applying sunscreen, it often helps to give little sun worshippers a sand toy.
Children like to participate
It's important that parents involve their children. Whether it's rhymes, songs, or even applying the cream themselves, children love to be active instead of waiting for something. They especially love it when they can apply the cream to their parents or other children.
The right sunscreen dosage
And how do parents explain the perfect amount of sunscreen to their little ones? The general rule is: more is better. Unfortunately, the advertised sun protection factor is difficult to achieve because it is determined under laboratory conditions: 2 milligrams are applied per square centimeter of skin. In practice, however, a layer thickness of only 0.5 to a maximum of 1 milligram is achieved. For this reason, it is advisable to reapply sunscreen after about ten minutes in order to then achieve the layer thickness necessary for the desired sun protection factor. Parents should pay particular attention to the so-called sun terraces. These are the parts of the body that are most exposed to the sun, such as the shoulders, the bridge of the nose, the back of the feet, and the lips. It's a good thing that children often use too much sunscreen when applying sunscreen themselves – especially when applying it is fun!
