Many of us use the terms “sunscreen” and “sunblock” interchangeably. We didn’t think much of it until we came across a recent article on TheMomsBuzz.com about the differences between these two terms and what it means for those of us starting to spend time in the sun this season.

With Memorial Day weekend finally here, we wanted to share some important information about how to protect yourself and the children you may be caring for now that summer has arrived.

The Difference Between Sunscreen & Sunblock

Sunscreen reduces the amount of radiation that penetrates the skin. (So, it does allow UV rays to penetrate, just in lesser amounts and strength.)

Sunblock physically blocks or reflects UVA and UVB radiation from the skin.

UVA is often called the “aging ray” which weakens the immune system of the skin cell, while UVB is called the “burn ray” which causes changes to DNA that can cause abnormal growths in skin cells.

Important Note About “Sunblock” Products

Many products carry the misleading name “sunblock,” but if their active ingredients must be titanium and/or zinc oxide in order to be true sunblocks. Without that, they’re just sunscreens.

Difference Between Water-Resistant & Waterproof

Water-resistant means that a product maintains its SPF rating for at least 40 minutes of water exposure.

Waterproof means that a product maintains its SPF rating for more than 80 minutes of exposure.

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) numbers indicate how much longer a product will delay sunburn from occurring. EXAMPLE: If you typically burn in 10 minutes without protection, an SPF of 15 will delay a sunburn by 15x that — 150 minutes (2 and a half hours).

Sittercity’s Tips for Caregivers

• When applying sunscreen/sunblock on children, only use the product that a parent provides you with. (If the child has sensitive skin or allergies, your personal sunscreen/sunblock might not be good for him.)
• Apply sunscreen or sunblock to children 30 minutes before sun exposure.
• Don’t forget about areas such as the ears, tops of the feet and backs of the knees.
• Apply SPF lip balm to the lips.
• Reapply sunscreen or sunblock after swimming, sweating or drying off with a towel. If you’re going to be outside for long periods of time, reapply every two hours.
• Give children hats to wear to protect their scalps.
• Make sure to pack plenty of water for the children and keep them hydrated. (It can help improve the protection of the sunscreen/sunblock.)

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 21st, 2009 at 1:53 pm and is filed under Child Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.