My 11 yr. old is very fair and burns easily. I always glob (and I mean glob) on the sunscreen at least 20 minutes prior to him being exposed. I've always used Coppertone kids, the lotion that is supposingly 6 hr. waterproof. The lotions that are applied, not sprayed on, I feel work the best.

since he's never been exposed to this type of sun (we live in NY) does anyone know of a better sunscreen for kids. I've heard Bullfrog is good, but never tried it and am nervous if it doesn't work well, then he'll burn.

I use the same sunscreen with my boys (Coppertone) and it does work very well. They are redheads and will burn if not protected. The key is to reapply OFTEN! My dermatologist has told me to reapply every two hours - even for the 6 hour waterproof.

When I was getting ready for a trip to Hawaii last year, I found these were rated best (in order):

Rite Aid Sunblock SPF 30
Walgreens Ultra Sunblock
Banana Boat Sport Sunblock
Coppertone water babies

And for sunburn, Banana Boat's Sooth-A-Caine® Gel

Just make sure you don't just rely on sunscreen. Take several tee shirts he can wear in the water and a long brimmed or billed cap. If he spends time on a raft in the water, the raft rubs off the suncreen quickly and then burns come very soon.

From what I have read , any sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide is the best . The names SOUND scary but they are actually non chemical sunscreens . They are supposedly not absorbed into skin like regular chemical sunscreen , but sit on the surface and reflect the sun . Not as hard to rub in like days of old with the white strip on a skiers nose !! Bain de soleil and also Neutrogena put it out and you can buy it at walmart etc. I am fair and I think it works the best , I am also more comfortable using it on my kids .

Just a note. I've heard from many people that the non name brands DO NOT work as good as the brand names when it comes to sunscreen. They tend to wear off sooner.

Unfortunately, my son is a very difficult child and getting him to wear a hat or many times a t-shirt in the water is next to impossible. Some of you may think, it's a parenting thing, but if anyone has a special needs child of any sort, they'll know what I mean.

Unfortunately, we need to rely on sunscreen and just being able to reapply can be a battle in itself.

The only sunblock i'll use has titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. They are the only ingrediants proven to block out most rays. My favorite and the only one i'll use is called Jason's Sunbrellas, it is all natural. They have a kid's formula that is 45 spf. You can get this at most health food stores and online, just do a google search. Really, try it. You won't trust anything else.

Meta , reading your second post I really think you should try the titanium dioxide sunscreen as I mentioned previously , and as the new poster mentioned . It does not rub off as easily , and supposedly lasts longer when compared to chemical sunscreens . The ones from health stores are great , and also the 2 I mentioned previously . No huge long list of ingredients , medicinal ingredient will just say zinc oxide or titanium dioxide . Faith

Just make sure that whatever you buy contains Parasol 1789. It's the best protection you can get from UVA and UVB rays.

Hi Meta,
I too have fair and active children. I bought my girls(one is 11) surf shirts.The kids think they are very cool. They are supposedly sunproof(like a 50 sunblock) It will post it on the shirt. I also use coppertone kids and adults. They all work well if reapplied often. The surf shirts can probably be purchased on the internet. We bought them at a beach surf shop. Also, we bought them last summer(alot cheaper) at Price club/costco. They should be in soon if they are going to have them this year. I plan to look this week.

I firmly believe in Hawaiian Tropics Ozone Sunblock. In my house we call it liquid t-shirt. It's SPF 70 and I've never seen anything work as well as this does, and believe me I've tried many. If you're up north and cannot find sunblock at this time of year you can order it from their website (as I did in November). Here's a link to their site http://www.hawaiiantropic.com/ht2003...on_ozone.shtml incase you want to check it out.

Good luck!

Everyone, thank you so much for all your replies. I am going to check everything out.

At the drug store by us, I found a product called DuraScreen and it says the once a day, all day sunscreen. (I'd reapply, of course)The active ingredients are : Octyl Methoxcinnamate, Octyl Salocylate, Benzophenone-3, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid and Titanium Dioxide.

They also carry an under eye stick which is useful, because the other sticks I have tried I didn't like.

Is it DuraScreen that has the undereye stick? That is the one area where my boys almost always get burned, and they do use a stick. They go underwater, rub their eyes - and off comes the stick. I'll have to look for that brand.

Meta, my dermatologist advised me NOT to depend solely on sunblocks. I live in the very sunny, deep south, where very few people buy spf 15 - we rely on spf 30 and higher.

In living in the south and traveling to the Caribbean often, I have never burned and although I use sunblock, I really depend on spf clothing and hats. Sun Precautions makes very good clothing. Parsol 1789 is good, but it breaks down in the sun (acording my to derm and several articles I have read)

Here are some suggestions - definitely use sunblocks with titanium or zinc oxide, and try to use spray on blocks. I think there are a couple that you don't have to rub in. That way you can quickly spray your son down. I have used the Neutrogena spf 45 spray on a Caribbean cruise and didn't burn or tan.

The other very important thing is to REAPPLY OFTEN. My doctor says this is the reason why people burn - even the best sunblocks only last 2 hours. I am hoping that technology will create an all day cream.

You may want to start doing this with your son a few days before your vacation. Remind him of his last burn and how painful it was and that we are doing this to prevent that. Offer rewards for patient compliance. I teach and I know this age can be difficult, but getting him in a routine may help.

I can heartily agree with the reapply often. I am a fair skinned, frecked, redhead, hubby is a very blonde, fair haired man. We tanned at a tan booth to try to ward off the effects of a burn that would ruin our vacation before we went.

THEN

We used a 50 sunblock while there. We snorkel an awful lot, and learned one thing after the second day...and the beginnings of a good burning...REAPPLY OFTEN. Once we began doing that [still using the 50] we did wonderfully. When I see <b>'waterproof'</b> on the bottle, I now assume they mean the <i><b>bottle is waterproof,</b></i> not the lotion. Really, the lotion can be waterproof to some extent, but after some time in the water, there has to be some breakdown...

We now rest in the shade [not in the sun] and after a few hours in the sun, give ourselves a good couple hours out of the sun.

Leave the beach and get the gelatari [sp?]. There is a gelatto place in the same complex as the theatre, and I gotta tell you, it is the way to go to get out of the sun, cool down and try something tasty and new.

1scs1, it is the DuraScreen. My son also tends to burn under the eyes if he is involved in something whereby he's looking up a lot.

Snorkelcat, believe me, over the years, we have tried everything. When I discussed how we'd have to re-apply sunblock he carried on and on, how he doesn't want to go. He even refused to get his picture taken for a passport. Only after we went out to try on and purchase snorkels and masks, did he finally agree.

This is an ongoing problem, it's difficult just to get him to let me put it on initially. I need to put the bottle of lotion out in the sun prior to applying it for he doesn't like the feeling of when the lotion is cool. (sensory stuff) He hates the spray on, which I'm not keen on either.

That's one of the reasons I love getting a condo whenever we take vacation. He can always take a break and go inside for a while.

Regarding SPF's, please keep in mind that anything over approximately SPF 30 provides trivial improvement in sun protection. That is, SPF 30 allows 3.3% UV penetration and SPF 50 allows 2.0%.
If SPF 50 costs even pennies more, it's not a worthwhile investment.
Reapplication frequency and activity (water exposure, perspiration) are far more important when it comes to preventing sun burns than SPF factor beyond 30.

I have used Neutrogena's products for years and have never been disappointed. They come in spray on dry oils which are convenient, oil-free sunscreen, small sticks for faces, etc. and take care of your skin in general more than a heavy cream or oil.

Neutrogena makes a great product, actually I use their cleansing bar and moisturizers. Also, their facial sunblock. But compared to other brands, they just are not that waterproof.

I personally, would not use that brand on my son.

This is a great site for personal preferences and anecdotal experiences. But if you really want to know the facts, it would help to get an unbiased, comprehensive evaluation from a reputable organization. You might want to look at Comsumers Reports, June 2001, page 27.