This post was sponsored by La Roche-Posay as part of an blogger campaign and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
I have three active kids who love the outdoors, especially in the summertime. I get very nervous about sunburns, not only because the long-term damage causes premature aging, but because of hard facts: getting one or more blistering sunburns during childhood or adolescence more than doubles your chances of getting melanoma! This is truly scary and it’s why I’m a stickler for using sunscreen. Unless my kids will spend the entire day indoors, I slather sunblock and reapply. Always. High-quality suncare is extremely important simply because I need it to work well and have quality ingredients and La Roche-Posay is a brand that knows a thing or two about skincare.
A pioneer in skincare, La Roche-Posay is named after a French town known for its thermal spring water. While its thermal spring is dating all the way back to the 14th century, it wasn’t until 1975 that the company was created and produced skincare products that used antioxidant thermal water as the key ingredient in its formulas. Today La Roche-Posay offers products for entire family and is recommended by over 25,000 dermatologists all over the world.
La Roche-Posay recently came out with Anthelios 60 Dermo-Kids, a sunscreen lotion that’s made for kids by moms, dermatologists and pediatricians ($19.99-$29.99, depending on size). Asides from 80-minute water-resistant protection, it contains CELL-OX SHIELD® technology, which provides a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, as well as antioxidants. It is fragrance, paraben and oil-free and is also suitable for sensitive skin (a big plus in my book!). I tried it with my kids on a recent trip to the beach. I applied it at home at first, before we left and once we got to the beach we reapplied for extra protection. It absorbed pretty quickly and felt velvety and smooth.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 23% of lifetime sun exposure occurs by age 18. This means that a lot of damage can happen during childhood and adolescence. In fact, just 5 sunburns before the age of 20 can increase the risk of melanoma by a +80%. This is astounding – who doesn’t have a kid who came home from school with a sunburn after playing outside at gym class?! Each sunburn adds up and the fact that the risk becomes so much higher is simply scary. The damage is irreversible and increases both skin cancer and early skin aging.
But slathering your kids with the best quality sunscreen doesn’t mean that they will be 100% protected all of the time. You can only do your best but kids are kids and sunblock can get smeared and you may not always be able to reapply at the perfect time. This is where Cicaplast Baume B5 comes in. Gentle enough for babies, it works on people of all ages. It deeply moisturizes dry skin and soothes irritated area. You can use it on your body and pretty much everywhere on your face, including lips (just avoid the area around your eyes). I tried it after a long day at the beach and it felt a little greasy at first but after a few minutes it completely absorbed into my skin. I also tried it on my dried elbows and cracked feet and it worked beautifully. It’s paraben and fragrance-free.
To get an idea of the type of UV radiation you are actually getting while you’re outside in the sun, La Roche-Posay has a really cool patch called My UV Patch. It’s a patented heart-shaped patch that comes in individual packs and is given free when you buy the Anthelios-60 Dermo-Kids (you get two samples, while supplies last). The patch is a stretchable skin sensor in the form of a sticker that can be placed anywhere on the body and with an app that you download, it allows you to measure actual UV exposure in real time on your skin. The app is available on both iOS and Android.
La Roche-Posay products are available atAmazon. Click here for a store locator.
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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for fourteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 10, 8 and 4) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.
I love this brand! I have used it for a long time on my face but have never tried the children’s formula. I’m sure it’s amazing as well!