When it comes to summer skincare for children, there’s more to think about than just avoiding sunburn. The goal is to help your child stay comfortable and carefree all summer long. This is why we created this comprehensive list of summer skin tips for children, including sun safety tips (and more) to keep your child’s skin healthy, hydrated, and rash-free all season long.
Sun Protection Essentials for Children
The sun is starting to shine and the days are long, which means you’re probably spending more time outside. So, now is the perfect time to refresh your memory on important summer skin care tips to help protect your child from the sun.
Wear SPF
Whether it’s 70 degrees and cloudy or 90 degrees and sunny, wearing SPF is one of the most important summer skin tips for children. However, if you don’t apply sunscreen correctly on kids, it can’t do its job properly.
Start by applying SPF 30 or greater to your child’s skin at least 20 minutes before they go outside. This gives the sunscreen time to sink into their skin. Use about an ounce of sunscreen, enough to fill a medicine cup, and make sure to pay attention to areas that are sometimes forgotten, like the ears, hands, feet, and behind their neck.
Reapply sunscreen every two hours or right after a child has been swimming or sweating. Water-resistant sunscreen often lasts 40-80 minutes when in the water, so be sure to check your sunscreen to know how often you should be reapplying it for best results.
Protective Clothing
You can also protect your child’s skin from the sun by investing in sun-protective swimwear and clothing. There are many cute options, including tops, pants, and dresses, to help protect your child’s skin from the sun.
Sun-protective clothing is especially important for infants or children with sensitive skin. Sunscreen isn’t recommended for newborns and regular long sleeves and pants can be too heavy for the summer, and it can be a challenge to find sunscreen for children with sensitive skin.
Stay Hydrated
Sun protection tips for kids encompass more than just what products you can use to prevent sunburn, but also how you can protect your child’s skin from the inside out. Keeping your child hydrated is important during the hot summer months, but we know it can be a chore getting your kids to drink water.
Using fun containers, like bottles with cute prints or patterns, can encourage children to drink more water. Add flavor to water by infusing it with fresh fruits and vegetables, like lemon, berries, or cucumber. You can also increase your kid’s water intake by providing them with hydrating foods, like watermelon, strawberries, and oranges. Store-bought or homemade popsicles, when made with natural fruit juice or pureed fruits, are another fun way to keep your kids hydrated (in addition to water).
Keeping your child’s skin safe during the summer requires more than just SPF and sun-protective clothing. It’s also about knowing how the heat and humidity can affect their skin. Let’s take a look at some other skin protection tips for children that will help keep your child (and their skin) comfortable all summer long.
How to Prevent Heat-Related Skin Issues
Running, climbing, splashing–all that outdoor activity in the heat can take a toll on your child’s skin. Knowing how to prevent heat-related skin issues can make a big difference in your kid’s comfort. Luckily, a few simple tweaks to their skincare and wardrobe can go a long way.
Heat Rash
A heat rash consists of small red bumps on the skin that are itchy and sometimes burn or feel prickly. It occurs when sweat glands are blocked and can be triggered by excessive sweat that doesn’t evaporate quickly, skin rubbing against itself (like in the neck, armpits, or groin), or a lack of airflow around your child’s body.
You can help prevent heat rash by using a portable fan to prevent overheating in strollers or when your child will be sitting out in the heat for a long period of time. Wearing loose fitting clothing that is lightweight and made of cotton or moisture-wicking fabric can help sweat evaporate more quickly. It’s also important to have your kids take breaks when they’re playing in the heat. Preventing heat rash is all about staying ahead of the heat.
Chafing
Chafing occurs when your child’s skin rubs against itself or when it rubs against clothing, Chafing often develops around the inner thighs, armpits, and groin. Repeated friction is the main culprit, but moisture, like sweat, can make it worse.
To help reduce the risk of chafing, make sure your child’s clothes fit properly and are not too restrictive. Rough seams or tags can also cause chafing. Moisture-wicking fabrics and using baby powder in areas prone to chafing can help absorb excess moisture that can lead to chafing.
Breakouts
Although we love summer, you may find you have to change how you manage acne during the summer months. Because of excess sweat in the summer, you may need to bathe and wash your child’s face more frequently. It also may be helpful to make sure your child changes clothes after they get sweaty so that the moist fabrics don’t sit on their skin and cause breakouts or irritation.
It’s also important to reconsider what products you’re using on your child’s skin. Heavy creams and ointments can lead to heat rash and other skin bumps when it’s hot out. Oil-free lotions and creams can help prevent breakouts while also soothing eczema flare ups without irritating them. There are also many brands of sunscreen to choose from for acne prone and sensitive skin.
From preventing heat rash and chafing to managing summer breakouts, summer skincare takes a bit of planning. But the extra effort helps keep your child comfortable and healthy, especially as you head to the beach or pool. Up next, we’ll discuss child skin protection tips to prepare you for a day in the water.
Tips for Pool and Beach Days
A fun day at the beach or pool is one of the best parts of summer for many families, but sun, sand, and chlorine can quickly lead to irritated, dry, or sunburned skin. Whether your child has sensitive skin or just spends a lot of time in the water, knowing how to protect them from sun and chlorine exposure is key.
Sun Protection
Although it’s already been mentioned, we want to reiterate the importance of SPF and sun-protective clothing, especially at the pool or beach. By taking these measures, you are not only protecting your child’s skin from the sun overhead, but also from the sun reflecting off of the water and sand.
Chlorine
Chlorine can irritate your child’s skin even if they’ve never had a problem with chlorine before. So, it’s important to think about how to protect your child’s hair and skin from chlorine, especially if they have sensitive skin. A chlorine rash is characterized by skin discoloration, hives or small bumps, a rash or lesions, and scaling or crusting. The area will also be swollen and tender.
To help prevent a reaction to chlorine and protect your baby’s skin, rinse your child off before and after swimming, remove their wet bathing suit as soon as possible, and keep your child hydrated throughout the day. If your child’s skin is already irritated, apply petroleum jelly to the affected areas to help protect their skin from further chlorine exposure.
While water activities come with their own risks, you also need to know child skin protection tips for wooded areas, grassy fields, or hiking trails. Let’s take a look at how to keep your child’s skin safe from common outdoor irritants in the next section.
Skin Threats in the Great Outdoors
Fresh air and sunshine are great for your kid’s health, but if you’ve ever dealt with bug bites or a poison ivy rash, you know outdoor fun can come with some itchy consequences. Learn how to prevent and treat these common skin irritants to help keep your child safe and comfortable while they explore the outdoors.
Bug Bites
With warmer weather comes more bugs, and bug bites can be itchy and irritating. The best insect repellent for children will include DEET. Check how much DEET is in the repellent you choose, as this determines how long it will last. For example, 30% DEET protects your child’s skin for approximately five hours. Other ingredients to look for in insect repellants are picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Don’t apply insect repellent under your child’s clothes, as this can lead to skin irritation. Instead, apply it on their clothes and exposed skin. If your child is too young for insect repellent, use mosquito netting to protect them from insects.
It’s also important to avoid using products that combine sunscreen and insect repellent. Because of how often sunscreen should be reapplied, you may end up applying too much repellent to your child’s skin, which can lead to their skin becoming irritated. Make sure you have separate products on hand for each purpose.
If you’re not sure what to do for bug bites on kids, here is a quick guide. If your child gets a bug bite, start by cleaning the area with gentle soap and water. Apply a cold compress to help reduce itching and swelling, and consider using anti-itch creams to help alleviate itching. If the bug bite is painful, a child’s dose of acetaminophen may be needed. If your child is in extreme pain or you notice any signs of an allergic reaction or infection, seek medical care immediately.
Plant-Related Rashes
With the increased time outside or at summer camps, it’s more likely for children to develop a poison ivy rash or other plant-related rashes in the summer. Poison ivy can cause a rash through direct or indirect contact, and even airborne contact, which often occurs when the plant is burned while doing yardwork or spending time around a campfire. It’s always ideal to take a preventative approach to plant irritation; if you are hiking through the woods with your child, make sure they don’t wander off the paths, and take advantage of your time outdoors to help your child learn which plants they should not touch.
To deal with a poison ivy rash, you’ll want to wash your child’s skin and any clothing they were wearing as soon as possible. Poison ivy isn’t contagious, but the urushiol oil that causes skin irritation can linger on these materials and spread to other areas of your child’s body. Treat the affected area with a cool compress and calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to alleviate itching and swelling. Avoid giving your child hot baths or showers and try to help them refrain from scratching or picking at blisters.
Whether it’s a mosquito bite or a brush with poison ivy, outdoor skin threats can be a real inconvenience. But with the right preventative steps, your child can enjoy the outdoors without the itch. If your child does end up with skin irritation from summer fun, how do you know when it’s time to call a dermatologist? Let’s take a look.
When to Call a Dermatologist
Summer skin concerns are common, and most can be managed at home. But sometimes, your child’s skin needs more than an over-the-counter remedy. Call your dermatologist if your child experiences a severe sunburn, a rash won’t improve or keeps reappearing, or they have an allergic reaction to bug bites or plants. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include pain, redness, swelling, fever, nausea, or oozing.
Seek pediatric dermatology care from a dermatologist you trust to help determine if your child is dealing with a common summer skin concern or something more serious. Your dermatologist can also provide the proper treatment and prevent long-term irritation or scarring for persistent bug bites and recurring breakouts.
At Vujevich Dermatology Associates, our pediatric dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth J. Froelich specializes in caring for children’s skin. If you’re unsure if your child’s skin issues require medical attention, our experienced team is here to help you find answers. Call us at 412-429-2570 or visit our contact page to book your appointment in the greater Pittsburgh, PA area. You can also follow us on Facebook to see what’s new in the world of dermatology.