Is Sunscreen on Your Back to School Supplies List?

For many of us, August is bittersweet, marking the end of summer vacation but offering exciting possibilities of a new school year. As parents and students embarked on the annual ritual of back-to-school supply shopping some may have been surprised to see a certain item included on the list: sunscreen.

In recent history there has been much debate over some school districts, and even some states, banning sunscreen from their schools. Most states require that parents sign a consent form to allow children to bring sunscreen to school, but only just recently the state of Oregon lifted its all-out ban on sunscreen.

Now we're starting to see a new trend. Yes, many school districts are asking children – particularly younger kids who play outside during the day – to come to class with their very own bottle of sun protectant. Some schools suggest that the student apply sunscreen prior to arriving at school in the morning.

No matter what your school’s policy may be, we encourage the daily use of sunscreen. This great habit will help prevent your child’s skin from unnecessary damage and skin cancer.

Here are a few helpful tips when choosing the right sunscreen for your little scholar:

Make sure it’s broad spectrum sunscreen

SPF just refers to UVB protection and doesn’t account for UVA protection. The UVB rays are what causes sunburn, and UVA rays cause a lot of the damage associated with skin cancer and aging.  Interestingly, your child may be exposed to UVA rays even while sitting in class, because UVA rays are able to penetrate windowpanes that haven’t been treated with a UVA blocking formula. For a full explanation of broad spectrum sunscreen, head here.

Find the best water resistant formula you can

SolRX’s patented WaterBlock® technology has been proven to stay on for up to 8 hours fully submerged in water. What this means is that when your child is sweating during recess the sun protection won’t wash away.  Make sure to do your research, because you don’t want to end up with a formula that will wipe off with a towel from sweat.

Choose convenient packaging

Between heavy books, and science projects, students don’t have much space in their backpacks for bulky sunscreen bottles. Consider stocking up on the smaller travel-sized versions. Some, like SolRX’s 1.5 oz options, come equipped with a carabiner and can be clipped onto a key ring for ultimate convenience.

Don’t forget that sunscreen is needed on cold cloudy days too.  Even though we’re bidding farewell to summer vacation we’re not saying goodbye to daily application of sunscreen!

Here’s to a happy and healthy new school year!