In the United States we are behind the times when it comes to skin cancer prevention in our kids. Knowing that up to 80% of sun damage in a person’s entire life happens BEFORE the age of 18 we need to be proactive! With back to school on the brain it’s important to make Daily skin cancer prevention part of our kids’ normal life.
When it comes to Sunscreen most people would imagine it being viewed as a cosmetic like make-up, foundation for example but it is NOT. Sunscreen is considered an over-the-counter drug (OTC for short) by the FDA. Why? Because it prevents disease (skin cancer). This means there are some interesting regulations surrounding sunscreen. First, putting a new sunscreen on the market is just the same as introducing a new drug on the market. Picture coming up with a new version of a pain medication (like Tylenol for example) the same regulations apply for sunscreen. Isn’t that CRAZY?! I mean ignorance is bliss as they say because I had no idea starting Daily Shade Sunscreen would take 4.5 years to come to fruition.
Let’s talk about back to school! Because sunscreen is a drug not every state in the country allows kids to carry it in their backpacks and reapply it without a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner note. Shocking huh?! Listed above is the table with the states that allow kids to carry and reapply their own sunscreen and states that still do not. Check your state!
Here are 5 tips for helping our kids reapply Daily sunscreen through the day:
- Pack Sunscreen in Their School Bag. Each child should have their own sunscreen available in their backpack that lives there. Having sunscreen readily available increases the chances of them using it. Look for products with a broad-spectrum of SPF 30 or higher and water-resistant properties. Encourage them to apply it during lunch or between classes.
- Teach the “Two-Finger Rule: Educate kids on using the "two-finger rule" for proper sunscreen application. This involves squeezing out a line of sunscreen along two fingers (the index and middle fingers) to ensure they're using enough product (but not to much). Practice this at home so they can visualize the amount needed for areas like the face, neck, and arms.
- Incorporate Sunscreen into Their Daily Routine: Encourage kids to make sunscreen a part of their daily grooming routine, just like brushing their teeth, doing their hair and putting on deodorant (at the appropriate age). Building a habit ensures they remember to apply sunscreen even when you're not around to remind them.
- Set a reminder on your phone now during the Summer to help everyone start getting in the habit or include sunscreen application in their morning checklist.
- Choose a fun, easy-to-use all Zinc sunscreen, like Daily Shade Sunscreen that is designed with safety in mind for Daily use. This means using a product that does not hide chemical sunscreen filters in their ingredient list like Butyloctyl Salicylate, one that is free of: PEGs, parabens, phthalates, BPS, Fragrance and chemical UV filters which are endocrine disruptors.
You can also encourage hats to worn at school! Here are hat wearing policies for Elementary Schools listed by state:
Yes (Allows Hat Wearing Without Restrictions):
-
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
-
No (Does Not Allow Hat Wearing Without Restrictions):
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Oklahoma
Love,
Bree