Recommendations for hypoallergenic sun cream?

[newtoedf]

My children seem to be allergic to most sun cream even things that say they are suitable for sensitive skin. Both have very fair skin so it is essential. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thank you!

[Pam50]

Hi, my grandaughter has the same problem but she seems fine with Lavera from Dulwich Health Matters (Lordship Lane). Hope that helps!

[shen]

Hi,

My son seems to have problems with even hypoallergenic creams as well. We have found Swiss formula sun cream to be good. We get it at john Lewis. Also it works all day even if you go in water which I find a lifesaver.

[nunheadmum]

I've found that I react to the high factor creams - even the hypo-allergenic ones. It's almost as though they trap the sun and I get a real heat type rash. I get on better with lower factors and just covering up more & staying out the sun. Not as much fun but better in the long run.

[GinaG3]

Severe eczema runs in our family so know what its like with very sensitive skin. For years on all children the suncream to use for us has been low spf Clinique. My mum used it on all of us 20 years ago and its still a good contender on the market for sensitive skin. Maybe try getting a free sample/small size to trial online or from a department store as it is quite an expensive product to try.

[Saffron]

I react to some sunscreens as well, low or high factor, and sensitive skin creams. I've never been able to figure out which ingredient(s) it is, but some sunscreen formulations make my skin feel like it's burning even though there's nothing to see.

For about the last 20 years, I've consistently found that Olay sunscreen is ok for my skin. It's low factor, so I have to keep re-applying.

Covering up and sticking to shade between 11am-3pm is good. Also you might try a zinc-based sunscreen on areas prone to burn, like nose/cheeks. Zinc is a physical sunblock rather than a chemical sunscreen, so it's formulated completely differently.

[BB100]

Nivia suncream was recommended by my dermatology consultant and I have used it for many years even though I am very sensitive to most things. It also has a very high UVA rating.

[enjoy]

Ladival!

My daughter is highly allergic (really itchy rash usually) and very fair skin, so it is essential to have a high spf.

That one is the only cream she tolerates and that one is made for allergic skin. To us it is holiday saver.

It's a german brand but as far as I know you can get it on ebay.

Happy summer!

enjoy

[newtoedf]

Thanks for all the replies - very helpful suggestions. Will give these a try and see what works. I hope it isn't just low spf that's the answer though - we are pretty careful about covering up but I like the reassurance of a sunscreen for the bits you can't cover. I am a bit paranoid about the sun having grown up in the tropics and burned a lot as a child myself but also, my son had a bad burn to his chest 18mths ago and has very delicate skin there that we need to be super careful about.

[patt1980]

My 2 year old is allergic to most creams (rash, streaming nose and eyes) and I have tried quite a few of the above without too much success (Jason organic was the best for us). Last week though i thought i'd try the new formula ambre soleil sensitive advanced 50spf for kids as saw it was new with different ingredients and so far so good. Am pleased as my bank account was taking a massive hit spending a fortune on creams that she still reacted to!

[QZ]

Recently found that Sudocream do a factor 50 mousse and it is great.

Easy to apply and works well with v fair v sensitive skin.

There is also a moisturiser that we have been using too.

Haven't seen it in many places - boots online possibly best.

[JS33]

I'm also allergic to a lot of suncreams, including some of those for sensitive skin (get a bad, oozy rash) and now only use non-chemical sunblocks where the only active ingredient is titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide. It is easy to find formulations up to SPF 20/30, although I've also been able to find ones going up to 50 and 60 with some effort. One thing I've learned is that I need to make sure everyone I'm likely to come into contact with also uses that suncream, because I've gotten a rash even after touching someone else who was wearing normal suncream, so both my husband and daughter use it as well, even though they aren't themselves allergic. Good luck!

[QueenMab]

There's a very good pharmacy in Herne Hill called the Fourways or something (next to the Half Moon pub). I get the Green People organic kids' sun cream from there, which seems to have the lowest number of weird chemicals in it (I've examined a few!) . However, I've a feeling if you ask the pharmacist for help he may well be able to advise on other products they may have in stock.

[Knomester]

We have the same problem with suncreams and it has been suggested that the problem may be (as someone else has mentioned above) with the higher SPF creams. My toddler has inherited my fair skin so we do need a high SPF, but so long as he isn't outside all day in the hottest sun (eg on holiday) we manage fine with SPF 30. He has an SPF swimsuit and a very wide brimmed hat which goes some way to helping.

patt1980 - I bought a bottle of the Ambre Solaire cream you mention last week, on the basis that I am usually fine with their creams, but haven't tried it yet. I have high hopes! I also bought their childrens' SPF 30 to try because it's sand and water resistent - have you tried that one?

[Carrie]

My daughter has very sensitive skin - we use Ultrasun and she does not react to that one - added benefit that you only have to apply it once a day.

[Saffron]

My understanding is that it's not directly the higher SPF itself, but that higher SPFs have to be formulated differently. So if you've very sensitive skin, the formulation may be a limiting factor when trying higher SPFs.

Is Ultra sun a physical sunscreen (eg titanium dioxide)? Chemical sunscreens are broken down by the UV in the process of protecting your skin. So they have to be reapplied, whereas physical sunscreens (don't be fooled by the name, some of these are clear) block UV from the skin's surface. They only need to reapplied if they're rubbed away from the skin.

I've heard that SkinCeuticals does a factor 50 SPF, with titanium dioxide. Not tried it, but it sounds good. Might be worth investigating?

[patt1980]

Knomester - I have tried the kids 50spf one (didn't spot the 30 so went for the highest) which was fine on my LO so I'd have thought the 30 would be ok too if you find it works for you. She is at the stage of loving to spray it on so it has been well tested at our house and no reactions yet!

[dulwichhealthmatters]

Thank you for the recommendation.

[newtoedf]

Also worth mentioning - I've just had a mumsnet swears by email with a 5% discount code for Ultrasun.

[Undiscovered]

Just boycotting a bit. Been told I should worry about the star rating for UVA not just the SPF. I've always used Green People 25 on my girl, but now noticed this has no star rating. And I don't think Ultrasun has either. That's not to say they don't protect, I was just wondering if anyone out there knows more about star ratings?

[BB100]

I've had skin cancer and my consultant said it was very important to look at the UVA rating. She said Boots own brand Soltan has the highest 5 star rating.

[Undiscovered]

Interesting. Might give that a go and hope her skin can deal with it. Seems with suntan lotions you are between a rock (protection) and a hard place (young sensitive skin)

[Saffron]

A high star rating isn't necessarily an indication of high protection. I think it's the ratio of UVA/UVB protection, so a low SPF could still have a high star rating. So what you'd want for max protection is a high SPF with a high star rating. However the star rating system is proprietary to Boots it seems, so be aware of other rating systems if you're travelling internationally.

Also, a high factor/star sunscreen still has to be reapplied if it's been rubbed off, so don't be lulled into a false sense of protection. For very young children the advice is still to keep them out of direct sunlight during the highest UV hours of the day esp'y in summer, eg 11am-3pm; and to keep them covered in the sun by using lightweight clothing or UV suits.

Broad-spectrum (UVA/B) sunscreens came into the market a while back, so most reputable sunscreens now seem to have both UVA/B protection but always best to double check the label.

http://www.bad.org.uk/site/734/default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen#Sunscreen_protection

[BB100]

That was an interesting link Saffron - thanks. I was under the understanding that the SPF indicates how long you can stay in the sun before you need to apply some more. So if you apply a factor 50 it will last 40 times longer than a factor 10 so you have to reapply a lower SPF more often than a higher one.

[Saffron]

That's roughly true for SPF which refers to UVB coverage, but only so far as enough stays on the skin and doesn't get rubbed away during playtime! Yup, UVA is a whole different system and v confusing it seems. UV suits are great protection, plus you can alternate days in the sun to minimise exposure. Little Saff and I both have fair sensitive skin, so it's a struggle to get it right sometimes.