Blue Lizard Sunscreen For Kids Is My Go-To As A Mum Of Under-Fives

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When your kids have sensitive skin and are prone to allergies, finding the right sunscreen can feel like an absolute minefield.

I know because I’ve been there. I’ve tried many over the years – from brands such as Childs Farm, Nivea and Ambre Solaire (among others!) – but while they might’ve worked for one of my kids at any given point, unfortunately they never seemed to work for both.

After my youngest had a reaction to a popular children’s sun cream earlier this year, I swiftly realised I needed to do a bit more research into the best sunscreens for sensitive, young skin.

Thankfully, around the same time, HuffPost UK spoke to Dr Bisola Laguda, paediatric dermatologist and spokesperson for the Skin Health Alliance, about what exactly makes a good children’s sunscreen.

Some of these factors include:

• A SPF of 50 or over,
• ‘Broad spectrum’ protection,
• Water resistant,
• Fragrance-free,
• Opting for mineral sunscreen if they have sensitive skin.

On that last note, Dr Laguda said: “The mineral contents – often zinc oxide or titanium dioxide – sit on top of the skin and reflect the UV rays. This is often a more preferable option over chemical sunscreens, which penetrate the skin and absorb the rays, leading to potential irritation.”

After looking into sunscreens with zinc oxide in them (and realising very few UK drug stores stock them), I came across Blue Lizard, an Aussie brand whose offering is a little more expensive than your usual drug store sunscreen – but, in my opinion, is worth every penny.

At £21 a tube, it’s not cheap. But the five-star reviews swayed me. “Best suncream I’ve ever bought. Kids’ skin is protected and it doesn’t seem to interfere with eczema and dry skin. My go-to,” said one Amazon shopper.

“Our little one does not mind having this put on and there seems to be no irritation to skin or eyes,” added another, marvelling at the ‘smart cap technology’ which turns the bottle cap blue in harmful UV light – a handy reminder you need to top up your skin protection.

I bought a bottle off Amazon a few months back and am about to make my second purchase (we went abroad and have tackled multiple heatwaves with it so it’s been used non-stop).

I’m pleased to report that in those few months, neither of my children have experienced itchy rashes or skin sensitivity as a result of wearing it. Nor have they had sunburn (despite spending a fair bit of time in the pool and on the beach when we went to Italy).

The cream is easy to apply and isn’t too greasy. It changes my kids’ skin colour ever-so-slightly – but, for the sun protection offered, it’s a fair trade-off.

With extreme heat and sunshine forecast this week, I’d definitely recommend this sunscreen if you’re in the market for something for sensitive skin.

In fact, I’m going to go and buy some right now (before I forget).