My son is now 4 and has an allergic reaction to almost all OTC sunblocks I have tried. Of course he is very fair skinned, and I always keep shirts on him to block the sun. I have tried the Coppertone Baby kind most recently, and a whole heap of others in the past but he breaks out in a red bumpy rash where ever the sunblock was applied. It looks worse than if he had gotten sunburned. My pediatrician said make sure it is PBA free which all I have tried are. Can anyone give me a suggestion who has had this same issue? Thanks
My daughter had a terrible reaction to Coppertone Baby. I have always had allergic reactions to skin products that contain baby oil and other oils, and I guess she got it too. I'm able to use the Neutrogena sunblocks and my daughter doesn't have a problem with them either.
I second Tammy with the vanicream. I wish someone had told me about this sooner. I have suffered from severe eczema and allergies my whole life and my young daughter now has my issues. They carry it in the pharmacy and if its not in stock they should order it for you. I was using aquaphor as our lotion until I tried this and we have really seen improvements. There is nothing irritating about it, it has no odor at all. I just went to the pharmacy at my CVS and the pharmacist happily ordered a big jar of the lotion and a tube of suncreen. Its SPF 30 sport. It came the next day. Doesn't make you all greasy which is great. Plus the vanicream is very reasonable when compared with the other brands, even cheap I would say which is a bonus! Try it. I definitely can't use the neutrogena, aveeno, or any of the whole foods stuff. They always use "natural" products like lavender in them that tear my skin up.
http://vanicream.com/products/vani_sunscreen.cfm
I swear by Vanicream... I do not sell it although I sure wish I did! lol My daughter who is very fair skinned and also allergic to all kinds of things has no problems with this one- no allergic reaction and NO sunburn!
She has a rare disease called Mastocytosis. Other parents of children with this in our support group told me about it in the lotion and how to make a special med for our kids skin with it. Then I seen that Vanicream also has a sunscreen! I have tried tons of them and this is the only one my daughter has not had a reaction to. If you go to the site it will show you that it is free of the common skin irritants and it is also PABA Free!
I buy the sunscreen online- just cuz I did it last minute before a trip. But you may be able to get it at your local pharmacy also. I get the regular Vanicream lotion there behind the pharmacy counter.
Another thing that you may want to consider for the pool is a swimsuit with sunscreen built in. They may be called rash guards?!?! It is a lightweight swimsuit that has long sleeves and longer shorts. I think they are adorable on the boys- they look like little surfers! I just got my daughter a version of it at Kmart for cheap but not as much skin coverage as I would like. I believe Lands End also has them but are a bit on the pricier side!
Good luck and many blessings to you to have a fun and safe summer!
Like your previous post, Neutrogena is a good one. My family and I just finished our round of check-ups with the dermatologist - we're all fair skinned too. The Dr. recommended the Neutrogena brand for us with helioplex. There is also a kid's sunblock mist that seems to be easy to apply. I purchased some at Target and was pleased that they weren't outrageously priced.
http://www.neutrogena.com/econsumer/ntg/productslistpage....
Good luck.
Try Neutrogena for sensitive skin. My daughter was prone to rashes from other sun blocks but we had good luck with this one.
Great to know about the vanicream - I will be bookmarking this one!
My son and I both have the same reaction (the little bumps, and they sting too!) to some sunscreens, specifically Water Babies and the generic version in the pink bottle, but I've reacted to others, too.
I have had good luck just avoiding anything scented, and I also like the Neutrogena for Sensitive Skin. Banana Boat seems OK. I don't buy anything like sports sticks, mist sprays, or anything else fancy - just stick to the most basic. We have to have a lot of sunscreen on hand with 2 kids going to daycare and camp, plus we keep it in the car and at home.
my youngest has had crazy reactions to sun screen too! he ended up in the emeregacy room one time, horrible. we have had good luck with california baby sunscreen, although it is very pricey. he is almost 5 and he seems to have "outgrown" his crazy reactions to sunscreen, good luck!
***i just recently heard a blurrb some where about making sure the sunscreen is not old, something about something breakig down, so maybe that could be it? i don't know good luck!
We use Neutrogena Pure & Free baby SPF60. Good Luck.
