KNOXVILLE — Choosing the right sunscreen can be overwhelming, but Dr. Ryan Redman of East Tennessee Children's Hospital says the decision should be easy.
“You don’t need to get the most expensive sunscreen out there because anything that’s broad spectrum and over SPF 30 is going to do well," he said.
According to Redman, the only reason for using a child's sunscreen is to help with sensitivity or irritation problems. He said that is most common in children under six months old, but they should be out of the sun anyway.
“Young kids are much more susceptible to getting sunburns in the fist place, their skin is a bit thinner, they’ve got more surface area, so it’s the kind of thing that really becomes vital," he said. “Obviously if you have sensitive skin you want to decrease the amount of extra fragrances and colors but the most important thing is you get something on you.”
East Tennessee Children's Hospital recommends using a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF and with broad spectrum coverage.
That means the sunscreen protects from both UVA and UVB.
Redman says some children's sunscreen have different ingredients, but sometimes they do not.
For instance, Coppertone Ultra Guard and Coppertone Kids sunscreen have the same active and inactive ingredients. They are also the same price. The only difference between the two is the label.
Redman says the whole family can use a 30 SPF sunscreen with broad spectrum coverage.
However, infants should be kept out of the sun. Some sunscreen can cause overheating in children too young.
“For infants, there are specially formulated barrier screens which use zinc titanium or zinc oxide which can be used very sparingly on the nose or the cheeks, but the biggest thing with six months and under is you just want to keep them out of the sun. You always gotta keep them covered, under a stroller canopy, umbrella, out of direct sunlight," he said.