Sunscreen for the Family

{This post is sponsored by Crown Laboratories and Blue Lizard Sunscreen. All thoughts, opinions and ideas are mine. I want to add that I started using this product long before they approached me and asked to collaborate. It’s important to me that you know I really believe in these products.}

I scream, you scream,
we all scream… for Sunscreen!

When I entered the world of adoption and raising kids that weren’t biologically mine I expected to encounter some issues as they grew. I did not expect one of those issues to be the level of difficulty in finding a sunscreen that worked for everyone.

In our family we have one child with Italian heritage and tans, one who is African American and Caucasian and tans and one who is fair and burns. Everyone in our family reacts to the sun differently. Everyone in our family needs sunscreen. Daily!

Our Difficulties.

Paxton (5) has struggled with eczema since he was a baby. We have finally been able to get it under control the last few years but one thing that will aggravate it is sunscreen. I quickly realized when he was a baby that I couldn’t use anything that was a spray. As soon as it was on him I would see the little eczema patches start to form on his arms and by his knees. Lotion sunscreen in a bottle was our only option and then we were limited by the ingredients. Anything with fragrance or oxybenzone seem to be the things that irritated his skin the most.

Last year I was introduced to Blue Lizard Sunscreen by my esthetician. I was explaining to her how difficult it was to find the right sunscreen for Paxton that worked for him and the rest of the family. She sent me home with some samples and I tried it on everyone that weekend. Magic! No eczema breakout and the coverage lasted for hours.

Myth Busters.

African American’s still need to wear sunscreen. This is a large misconception for people. Their dark skin is still susceptible to burning, premature aging and skin cancer. This is what made it even more important to have a sunscreen that worked for everyone in our family.

Being an Outdoor Family.

We find ourselves outdoors often. From soccer games to Mardi Gras to festivals and the pool we spend a large amount of time outside in the sun. The boys find this wonderful but for our skin it’s not going to be good long term unless we are all protecting our skin.

I personally have seen the difference that sun protection makes with my own skin. I am now making it more of a priority to apply sunscreen on my face and neck daily. We have also started to apply it daily to Justin’s head and the kids faces. Paxton also has a shaved head and when we are outside for any length of time I cover his head with a hat or apply sunscreen.

Choosing the right sunscreen for your family.

Since we all agree that everyone needs to use sunscreen, how do you know what to look for in purchasing the right sunscreen? First, know that many sunscreens on the market are full of ingredients they don’t need. Things to make them smell good, apply easier or feel lightweight. These ingredients don’t make you safer from the sun.

Mineral based sunscreens like Blue Lizard have zinc oxide as the active ingredient. Unlike a chemical based sunscreen that protects you once the UV rays have entered your skin mineral based sunscreen acts like a mirror and reflects the UV rays away from you. This makes the product safer and more effective.

Don’t believe me? Check them out on EWG.org. I use this website to check out all the products I use on the kids but especially sunscreen.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and whatever you put on it is going to be absorbed. You need to protect your skin from the sun but you also need to protect your organs from chemicals via skin absorption. That’s why the choice we make in sunscreen is so important for us and our kids.