Summer time means increased sun exposure time and if you’re planning a sun holiday then sunscreen is top of the shopping list to keep the kids sun safe. We have been researching what’s new in the suncare and sun safety market, and there are some new suncare technologies to help families stay sun smart. 

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#1. Wolfram Sun Exposure Reference App

The Wolfram Sun Exposure Reference App is an app that you can download to your phone or tablet. It calculates how long your skin can be exposed to the Sun without burning based on your skin type, location, time, and the level of sun protection factor (SPF) you might be using. You can also compute a UV forecast for your location, along with a sun protection advisory. Bonus features include sunrise and sunset time, current sun position, and weather forecast.

The personalized results show you:

• How long you can stay in the Sun before you’re likely to burn based on the factors you reported
• The results are automatically computed for your current location along with an option to enter any location, worldwide
• A Sun protection advisory recommending an SPF level
• A UV forecast for your location
• Information on the UV levels for a five-day period that includes the past 24 hours
• A UV index forecast map that you can manipulate by date and time

The app is available on iStore for €1.09 / $0.99 / £0.99

#2. My UV Patch

Last year La Roche-Posay unveiled a world first, Irish designed (yay!), wearable UV monitor called ‘My UV Patch’. You can wear it for 3-5 days, it is water-resistant, ultra-thin and adapted to sensitive skin. The patch has a colour-changing sensor that monitors UVA and UVB exposure in real time when a photo is taken through the My UV Patch app.

It also sends notifications when the wearer hits peak hours of exposure, offering protection tips and product recommendations.

Here’s how you can get the UV Patch:

• You can get the My UV Patch free with a purchase of two La Roche-Posay products including one Anthelios while stocks last, subject to availability.
• 1,500 of these patches will be available FREE with Anthelios sample to those who register online at www.larocheposay.ie/myuvpatch from May 2017.

#3. QSun – Sun Safety & UV Index App

Like the Wolfram app, the QSun app also gives you personalized sun safety advice, and makes it easy to enjoy spending time in the sun, without worrying about ultraviolet (UV) exposure.

You can track your personal sun exposure history, including times when you were outside, inside, and in the shade. Based on the UV index, it lets you know when it’s time to seek sun protection. The app gives you

• Important sun safety information at a glance (UV index, temperature, daily sun exposure, Time To Burn, recommended sun protection, sunscreen calculator, sunrise time, and sunset time).
• In-app quiz determines skin type, which indicates sunburn and skin cancer risk.
• Monitor the time you can spend outdoors before getting sunburnt, based on UV index, skin type, environment, and SPF sunscreen applied. Watch this value change in real time with changing UV exposure.
• Find out how much sunscreen you need based on your size and clothes.
• Scan the barcode of any sunscreen to find out about SPF, broad-spectrum, water-resistance, photostability, whether the sunscreen is sport-friendly, kid-friendly, oil-free, anti-aging, and/or cruelty-free.
• Receive personalized sun safety tips to prevent sunburn, skin aging, and skin cancer, including reminders to reapply SPF sunscreen.
• Monitor time until sunset or sunrise to plan for sunscreen and other sun protection.

Available free for Android on the Google Play Store.

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More tips for keeping kids sun safe

Here are a few tips for keeping your children safe in the sun from the Irish Cancer Society:

• Keep babies under 6 months in the shade as much as possible; make use of shade that is around you and use extra shade for prams, strollers as needed. Make sure the shade casts a dark shadow.
• Dress babies in loose-fitting outfits with long sleeves and long shorts. Make sure they are made from close-woven material that does not allow sunlight through.
• If infants are kept in the shade and covered with clothes you will only need to use a small amount of sunscreen on the areas not covered with clothes. This can be reapplied every two hours.
• Take care whether you are in Ireland or abroad
• Take care on cloudy days too – up to 90% of UV rays can pass through light cloud
• Use Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and UVA protection.
• Choose a sunscreen that is made for children and babies. Make sure to patch test it on their skin first. If their skin reacts to the product stop using it straight away, and try a different brand.
• Find a hat they like to wear. Make sure it has a wide brim that gives shade to the face, neck, head and ears. A tie under the chin may stop them from taking it off.
• It is important that children, as soon as they can, wear wrap-around sunglasses that give UV protection.
• Only use sunscreen on those areas of the skin that cannot be protected by clothes or a hat.
• Choose a sunscreen (sprays, lotions, creams and mists) that the child likes using.
• Put plenty of it on dry skin 20 minutes before they go outside and reapply regularly, at least every two hours.

Over to you now. Have you tried any of these new suncare technologies? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.