During this year of adventure we have enjoyed mostly sunny, warm climates. This was by design, of course, and following the sun meant we didn’t have to burden ourselves or our bags with heavy, winter clothing. The slight downside was that we have spent a year toting around hats, sun shirts and sun cream, rarely going a day without thinking about sun protection. The sun can be very intense in many of the places we visited so protection is not an option – it is a must.
Many people have asked how we’ve dealt with sun protection. Here is a list of our tips and the products we’ve used and discovered this year:
- Sun shirts (AKA ‘rashies’ or ‘rash guards’): Our first priority with sun protection is to minimise the amount of suncream (sunscreen or sunblock) we use. With few exceptions, it’s just not good for our skin, our environment or our wallets. A great way around slathering suncream all over your kids’ bodies are sun shirts. With these on we only need to apply suncream to our kids’ faces and limbs. Add a good hat, and even their face needs very little. A few months ago we discovered the eco-friendly UPF50+ sun protection shirts from CANOPEA (featured above). The quality is the best I’ve ever tested — the kids have worn their shirts nearly every day for the past couple months and they still feel and look as good as new. It can be hard to find tastefully designed or logo free sun shirts, so the solid colours from CANOPEA are especially appreciated. I chose a different colour for each of my kids and my eyes have become trained to look for that certain colour when watching the kids in the water: Ivy in red, Marlow in green, etc. (I also just stumbled across this page on the CANOPEA website about sun protection and think it’s such a brilliant collection of sun facts & history trivia.)
- Hats: We’ve bought different hats from various places this year and all of them essentially do the trick of keeping sun off faces. I’m partial to our Tilley hats because they can be folded down and packed into suitcases, they have a drawstring to keep the hats in place and they offer excellent sun protection. My little brothers used to wear Tilley hats when they were little, so there’s a certain nostalgia for me too. We also love woven hats. From a farmers market in Australia I picked up a couple African handwoven straw hats (similar to these), which we also love. Michael and Quin have carried their coconut palm hats with them since visiting Brazil in October. These are not so easy to pack but we love that they are made entirely of natural materials.
- Suncreams (AKA Sunscreen or Sunblock): A big problem with sun creams and blocks is that they are often applied incorrectly and the majority of it washes straight into our oceans, lakes or rivers. This year we’ve watched people cover themselves from head to toe in the stuff and then jump straight into the sea. Even worse are the aerosols or sprays which when applied outdoors are better at coating the sand and sea than bodies. When you do put sun creams on your kids or yourself, it should be done well before leaving the house and before anyone is wet or sweaty. This gives the cream enough time to soak in/dry, making it more effective and preventing it from washing off in the ocean five minutes after application. Applying sunscreen to our faces has become a part of our morning routine this year. We prefer using a stick for faces–these tend to be a thicker, waxier substance that doesn’t drip into their eyes and is easy to apply. Lately we’ve been using this Neutrogena sunscreen stick on faces, which I like because it’s easy for the kids to use on their own. For the body, we use the Sunsense Junior SPF 50+ roll-on stick and it works really well and is also easy for the kids to use. We also like using the organic options when we can find them. Organic Children sun lotion is one we’ve also used and liked (though find it to be slightly less effective). All that said, if we are going on a hike or doing some activity where good clothing and a hat can be worn, we forego the suncream all together.
- Zinc: Now that we are a family of surfers, zinc has become a necessity. Easton and Michael can be out on the waves for several hours at a time and normal sunscreens don’t cut it; they need something strong that won’t wash off. We discovered the Surfyogis natural surfscreen zinc when we were in Sri Lanka and it is not only 100% natural but incredibly efficient.
- Sunscreen for adults: I’ve mentioned before how much I love the Protective Body Lotion from Aesop. (Michael uses this too, and we even use this on the children as well.) When I was in Sydney a few months ago I discovered the Sage and Zinc hydrating cream (SPF15) and this has become my go-to lotion for my face. What I like about it is that it’s lightweight and hydrating, but thick (somewhat chalky) enough that it doesn’t drip into eyes when your face gets wet. It contains mineral-based Zinc Oxide, which forms a barrier to reflect sunlight without clogging pores, but unlike most zinc solutions, it doesn’t leave a sign of anything on your face. I’ve never found a cream quite like it.
If you have other tips or products you love, please share in the comments section below.
Happy summer!
Courtney x