Why you need to check your sunscreen immediately
As the weather heats up, many of us grab the sunscreen with the highest SPF. The higher, the better, right?
Not necessarily.
A Brisbane mother has warned others as she recently obtained some vital information from her dermatologist.
Stay-at-home mum Connie-Lee Swadling explained:
“I've recently had a mole checked, everything is fine but he asked what sunscreen I used. I replied with the Banana Boat SPF 50+ spray on for myself and Banana Boat Sensitive SPF 50+ roll on for my kids,”
Apparently, this was not what her dermatologist wanted to hear.
“He replied with shaking his head! He then proceeded to tell me to ignore the ‘30, 40, 50 +’ on the front cos it's irrelevant. My mouth dropped as this is what we are all taught to look for!” explained Swadling.
Her dermatologist advised her to take a look at the ingredients in the sunscreen instead, as that’s where you’ll find how effective your sunscreen will be against the elements.
“The doctor told my husband and I that SPF is not the important thing to be looking for, he said what you need to do is turn the product over and make sure it had the titanium and zinc (ingredients). They are the products that protect you,” she says.
“Also they are the ingredients that don't get put into the aerosol can as they are a form of metal and can not be turned into aerosol form to leave the can and protect the body.”
As her Facebook post went viral with 4,000 shares and 2,000 comments of other parents documenting their experiences with sunscreen, Swadling then elaborated as to what the best sunscreen is for little ones, according to her dermatologist.
“SunSense 50+ for sensitive skin. He said [it] is the best one on the market and is sensitive for little ones skin! It's very thick to use but at least you know it's doing the job of protecting your family!”
However, others have warned that it’s still important to apply sunscreen regularly to avoid being burnt. Kidspot’s resident GP, Dr Sam Hay explains:
“It still needs to be applied regularly (every two hours or after swimming/towelling), and used with other sun protection measures such as hats, sunglasses, clothes, and staying in the shade,” he says.
Does your sunscreen have key ingredients titanium and zinc? Let us know in the comments.