Your Guide to Sun Protection
sun safety for kidscanada
(May.18.11)
Sun Safety: Terms to Know
The sun is a scary thing (let's get real, it's a big ball of fire) and the damage it can do to our skin is overwhelming. Most importantly, the most severe, (and irreversible) harm is caused before the age of 18. Below you'll find all the terms you need to know and the different ways to protect your kid's sensitive skin.
UVA: UVA rays are the rays that penetrate deepest into our skin. These rays are most associated with aging, but if the exposure level is high, can still cause types of skin cancer and change skin's appearance.
UVB: UVB rays are the strongest rays that reach earth (and that can harm us). These are the rays that are responsible for sunburns and skin cancers. When you look at a sunscreen's SPF rating, it's referring to that sunscreen's ability to block UVB rays.
UVC: These rays have the most energy, but the shortest wavelength. Lucky for us, they do not penetrate the atmosphere.
PABA: PABA was one of the first active ingredients to be used in sunscreen because of its UV filter. It has now fallen out of favour because of allergies.
Zinc Oxide: A mineral that prevents complete UVA and UVB protection. It's widely considered to be extremely safe for children and babies, but only in it's opaque form. Questions have been raised about what it takes to make Zinc Oxide transparent.
There are three different ways to protect against the sun's harmful rays: chemical protection (traditional sunscreens), physical protection (clothing) and natural protection (the eco-type sunscreen options). Click through the thumbnails below to understand the differences, and pros and cons of each option.