My family loves our time in the sun. When we get away for a vacation, a nearby beach or an exceptional swimming pool (preferably both) are definite necessities. With all of that time poolside we know the importance of protecting the entire family from harmful UV rays. My children have beautiful skin and I would like it to stay that way. I haven’t always been diligent about my own sun protection but my father’s recent bout of skin cancer helped drive that message home and I always wear sunscreen now.
We recently came back from Hawaii where we were always soaking up the sunshine. I packed sunscreen, but when six family members it ran out quickly. That was poor planning on my part and as a result I had to pay the inflated resort prices to restock our supply. I wish I had known about the Banana Boat® quiz offered on Walmart’s website. The quiz lets you enter the information about your upcoming trip or outing and offers advice as to what type of sunscreen you need, and just how much of it you need. I took the quiz as an adult with fair skin who is going away for a week, and these are my results.
I really like that it told me how many bottles to bring as well as how often to apply it. The site also offers valuable information about sun damage and protecting your skin. I found the tips about protecting your children from sun damage especially important so I’m sharing them here too:
- Be sure your child wears a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. When outdoors for an extended time, they should use a water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
- Apply sunscreen over your child’s entire body before going outside. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating or towel drying.
- Water-resistant, spray-on sunscreens are perfect for toddlers who won’t sit still. Tear Free and Sting Free products designed for toddlers help keep sunscreen application and reapplication hassle-free.
- Keep newborns in the shade or sheltered beneath sun umbrellas or canopies; use sunscreen on all babies over six months old. For babies under 6 months, consult your doctor before using.
Since we have some more traveling to do this summer, I went out and picked up my first bottle of Banana Boat® Sun Comfort SPF 30. Banana Boat® has several great products to choose from, but I wanted this particular sunscreen lotion because it says that the sand easily brushes off of skin, even after application. Sand stuck on sunscreen soaked skin is not fun, and I love that there is a bran that took that into consideration. While I haven’t had a beach opportunity to test that theory yet, I have no doubt that it is true. This sunscreen is light and went on smooth without leaving my skin feeling greasy or wet. Just minutes after application my skin feels soft and dry.
Whether you are heading to the backyard to play with the kids for the afternoon or taking off for a week on the beach, be sure to take the Banana Boat® quiz first. Read the sun care tips too so you can pass along your sun care knowledge to others.
To help you stock up on sunscreen, one of my lucky readers will win a $100 gift card! Find full contest rules HERE.
Leave a Reply