5 things to look for in your family sunscreen

When packing your beach bag for a family day out of sand and surf, make sure you have the right sunscreen for your little one’s skin.

There’s no denying it: Aussies love all things outdoors, especially the beach. Beyond Havianas, sunglasses, a towel and a big umbrella, the other sunny-day-on-the-sand essential is, of course, sunscreen. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, when used as directed, sunscreen is proven to decrease your risk of skin cancers and skin pre-cancers (regular daily use of SPF 15 sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40%, and lower your melanoma risk by 50%), and help prevent premature skin ageing caused by the sun, including wrinkles, sagging and age spots. Yet it can be easy to slather on sunscreen without thinking about what you are actually putting on your skin, and with so many choices out there, how do you pick a sunscreen that is right for your family?

Enter We Are Feel Good. Founded right here in the Land Down Under, the company has created a range of sunscreen products that are specifically tailored to Aussie summers full of sun, sand and surf. Here are just a few of the reasons you should opt for their Baby Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, which has just hit the shelves, when slip, slop, slapping your littles ones.

1. It is a broad-spectrum SPF 50+

First of all, let’s talk about what SPF actually means. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor – the number tells you how long the sun’s UVB rays would take to redden your skin if you apply the sunscreen exactly as directed compared with the amount of time without sunscreen. So, if you use an SPF 50 product, it would take you 50 times longer to burn than if you used no sunscreen. Additionally, there are two types of UV light that can harm your skin – UVA and UVB – and a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen protects you from both.

Despite these hard facts, there’s still a common misconception that you don’t need to use a good-quality, broad-spectrum SPF 50+ sunscreen in your everyday life. But why risk your health and the health of your child by not opting for a product that offers more protection? For example, UVA rays can still penetrate the skin behind glass, and The Melanoma Institute Australia states that overexposure to this type of light causes 95 per cent of melanoma. Therefore, it is particularly important to wear a broad-spectrum SPF 50+ sunscreen when driving, sitting by a window or working in an office or room with sunlight.

The Baby Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ provides broad-spectrum UVA + UVB protection, and is able to achieve its SPF 50+ rating due to new micronised zinc technology. It’s a lightweight, mineral zinc enriched with natural emollients for extra hydration.

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2. It is reef-friendly

Gentle and fragrance free, the Baby Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes and does not contain parabens, oxybenzone or octinoxate – meaning it is also reef-friendly. “Reef-friendly” is a term that is used to describe sunscreens that don’t contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, two common UV-blocking chemicals which scientific studies have shown cause coral bleaching.

Also, unlike other zinc-only sunscreens, the ultra-lightweight, non-greasy formula rubs on clear, so mums, dads and teens can still look cool-as-a-cucumber while protecting their skin. And yes, you read that right, although the Baby Mineral Sunscreen has ‘baby’ in the name, it’s designed for the whole family, is suitable for all skin types and can be used on both the face and body.

Of course, the only exception to this rule is babies aged six months and younger, as their skin is highly sensitive and should not be exposed to any sunscreen – instead, staying out of the sun, shade structures and sun protective clothing is recommended for safeguarding infants.

3. It contains skin-loving ingredients

On top of this, the team at We Are Feel Good wanted a product that nourished and supported the skin without compromising sun protection capabilities – so they added skin-loving ingredients to sweeten the deal. All their sunscreens are enriched with vitamin e and aloe vera, chosen for their antioxidant, hydration and nourishing properties.

4. It is TGA approved

The Australian Government has its very own rules for regulating the sunscreens on our market, which is great for keeping our skin safe but can be a bit confusing when shopping. Essentially, SPF-containing products are divided into therapeutic sunscreens and cosmetic sunscreens. Therapeutic sunscreens include primary sunscreens higher than SPF 4 and moisturisers with SPF higher than 15. In other words, these are the ‘serious’ sunscreens that you should rely on to protect you from the sun, and are regulated by and registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Cosmetic sunscreens are everything else, such as lip balms and foundations.

The main requirement for a therapeutic sunscreen is that the SPF factor has been tested according to the AS/NZS 2604:2012 standard, which requires testing on a minimum of 10 human subjects in accordance with the international ISO 24444:2010 standard. The results must also be consistent. So what does this all mean? Basically, if a product is TGA approved, you can trust that it is of the highest quality and standard.

5. It is part of a fabulous recycling program

Many people don’t realise that since sunscreen is classified as either a cosmetic or therapeutic good in Australia, all packaging must be glass, aluminium or ‘food-grade’ virgin plastic. Meaning that by law, We Are Feel Good cannot use recycled plastics for their products as these could hold contaminants. To date, the company has not found a suitable alternative to its food-grade plastic packaging, however, the bottles are 100% recyclable once used. Recently, We Are Feel Good has joined forces with Precious Plastic Margaret River, Precious Plastic Victoria and Precious Plastic Melbourne to recycle its bottles and lids. So, how do you participate in this awesome recycling program? The steps are simple: you wash and dry your empty bottles and lids, you drop them at one of the collection points, and you scan the QR code for your chance to win a year’s supply of sunscreen!

To find out more, order the Baby Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ or browse We Are Feel Good’s range of sunscreens, click here.

This article was produced with content supplied by We Are Feel Good Inc. and is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive. Be the first to see more exclusive online content by subscribing to the enewsletter here.

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