Q. How can I tell if I have applied an adequate amount of sunscreen to protect my kids? They are so excited to get into the ocean that they squirm when I apply lotion. It’s hard to tell if I miss a spot.
A. One of the most effective sunscreen ingredients is zinc oxide. You may remember it as the white cream lifeguards used to smear on their noses.
Nowadays zinc oxide is available in micro formulations that are less ghostly but still have a whitish tint when first applied. That way you can tell whether you have covered the kids adequately and you will be encouraged to rub it in well.
Blue Lizard Sensitive (an underwriter for our radio show) contains both zinc and titanium but is fragrance and paraben free. As a result children are not exposed to estrogenic sunscreen compounds.
