Safe Fun in the Sun This Summer

It’s that time of year! The sun is out and the air is warm. It’s time to get swimming! Many people LOVE to play in the water. There are some things we all should keep in mind when around water, especially with children. Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related death in children, specifically  those younger than 4 and teens. Children younger than 4 can easily drown in less than 2 inches of water. Scary right?! As parents or guardians, we can educate ourselves in order to take the necessary precautions to keep our children safe. Knowledge is power and we must educate ourselves. There is a website that I found very helpful, it is https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/water-safety.html. This website discusses basic water safety and even breaks it down on how to be safe in different kinds of water, such as: bathtubs, pools or natural bodies of water. I will briefly discuss some of these tips. Click link for more information.

When it comes to water safety, supervision is a MUST. Whether our kids are in the bathtub, pool, or lake, kids must be watched closely. It is important to keep in mind that even children who can swim are at risk, they could slip and fall and possibly lose consciousness. This of course could lead to serious injury or even death.  That is why keeping  a close eye on our children at all times is a must.

As a mother of two boys, one of which is very adventurous, I have had a couple of scares. This motivated me to come up with a very effective routine that works for our family when swimming. Here is what I like to do:

• I like to bring another family member or friend to come with us. There are many benefits to doing this. It’s nice to have an extra set of hands, and eyes to help keep the kids safe.
• We always pack a swimming bag. As I mentioned earlier, I have two boys, one is four and the other is almost 2. So for us I bring flotation devices, towels,dry clothes, diapers, wipes, bottles of water, a couple small snacks, sunscreen and bug spray. 
• Before leaving my home I like to get the boys in their swim suits and put their sunscreen on. I do this because once my boys see the pool or lake they want to get in! So if I do this step at home they are calmer and it’s easier to do a thorough job.
• Finally, once at the swimming area I put the flotation devices on the boys. That way if for any reason one gets away from me they at least have that on until I can catch up with them.

Let’s discuss another very important thing to have when we are in the sun, SUNSCREEN! Did you know that 47% of U.S. adults never wear sunscreen?? Crazy right! Make the right choice and protect your skin. Children have such sensitive skin, it’s important we chose both safe and sensitive products. That is why I love our sunscreen! We have an all natural sunscreen for both babies and adults. We have convenient roll-on containers and also a powdered form. Our sunscreen stick is SPF 25 Broad Spectrum Protection from UVA & UVB rays. It is water & sweat resistant for 40 minutes of swimming or activity. Our sunscreen is not only great for sun protection, but it is also great to soothe skin after sun exposure. Our powder sunscreen is water resistant, and our powdered formula is great for scalps, oily skin, and whenever perspiration will occur. Our products are hypoallergenic and we never use harsh chemicals. Another neat feature of our sunscreen is that it is biodegradable and safe for coral reefs and other ecosystems. 

Some experts say that 56% of chemicals put on your skin will enter your bloodstream. That is important to know when deciding what to put on your skin. Our sunscreen is made with all natural Zinc Oxide which is considered one of the safest active sunscreens available. Zinc Oxide is considered a sunblock and filters UVA and UV rays. Many healthcare practitioners believe that a Sun Protection Factor of 15 (SPF 15) is all that is needed for overall protection from the sun. A SPF 15 blocks 93.3% of the sun’s UVB rays, while an SPF 30 blocks 96.7 %. Therefore, our SPF 25 provides a level of maximal screening of the sun’s rays, and SPF values above this point give less and less added protection.

If you would like to try our sunscreen visit our website dayspabodybasics.com. We hope you have a wonderful and safe summer!