Children love enjoying the seaside and outdoor pools whilst on holiday and could easily spend hours playing under the glaring rays of the sun. As parents however, it is our job to ensure that they are not exposed to harmful UV rays that could cause long term damage to their skin. Research has shown that most of the UV damage to skin is done in childhood with 80% of damage caused before age 21.

Some of the best ways to keep children safe in the sun are listed below.

• UV Rash Vests. Made with UV blocking fabric, rash vests and shorts are a brilliant way of protecting your children whilst they are outdoors. The Highway Bandit Long Sleeve Rash vest and classic trunk set has an ultraviolet protection factor of 50+, ensuring your child will be well protected.
• Caps and sun hats. When out in the sun, whether on the beach or not, you should always ensure that your child is wearing a protective sun hat. Without this children are easily over exposed to UV rays causing sun stroke and damage to the skin on their face.
• Beach shoes. Beach shoes are a brilliant way of protecting little feet from harmful rays as well as hot sand, shingle, small rocks and hidden hazards buried under the sand. A must have for any beach trip!
• UV Tents- UV tents are a great beach accessory and effectively block out harmful UV rays to protect those sitting under them.
• Sunglasses. Your children should be encouraged to wear sunglasses as soon as they can safely wear them to protect their eyesight from damage caused by the sun.
• Sunscreen. Children should wear sunscreen whenever they are exposed to the sun’s rays. Cancer Research UK has recommended SPF 15 as the best balance between effectiveness and price. SPF 15 sun lotions provide around 93% effectiveness against UV rays whilst factor 30 provides only a marginally higher amount of protection at 96%. As expected, higher factors do provide a slightly better percentage of protection but can cost a considerable amount more and are often thicker and more difficult to apply.

How do you protect your children from the sun? Tweet us @DolphinSwimware!

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