Sunlight is a double-edged sword. On the one hand too much UV exposure ages and burns the skin, with children having very sensitive skin. This is especially true in the first six months as the skin’s barrier function isn’t fully formed which is why babies should not be exposed to UV from strong sunlight in the first six months. Their vitamin D is designed to come from breast-feeding so, if not breast-feeding vitamin D drops are essential.
On the other hand, sunlight stimulates vitamin D production, as well as serotonin, the brain’s neurotransmitter associated with happiness and connectivity.
Why does it matter:
✔ In order to make Vitamin D ideally children need to get sun exposure without any sun protection for 15 to 20 minutes at least two or three times a week. This could be their arms, legs, trunk or back and most likely not in the heat of the middle of day in the summer. However, if their shadow is longer than body length (from October to late March in the UK for example, even at midday) there is insufficient sun intensity to make vitamin D anyway.
✔ The free app dminder.info works out for you, depending on where you live and the time of year, how much time your child needs outdoor with sun exposure and to prevent sunburn at different times in the year.
Is there a way to get the best of both worlds? The benefit of the sun without the harm? The answer is yes.
What You Need to Know:
✔ A form of vitamin A that is absorbed in the skin, retinyl palmitate, protects against the harmful effects of both UVA and B but without inhibiting vitamin D production – which total sun blocks do. It does this by acting as a local antioxidant absorbing the UV rays in an attempt to protect the skin, which would give the equivalent protection of a SPF20. Too much vitamin A can be irritating but children seem to tolerate it very well. For this reason, retinyl palmitate is used in some skin creams.
✔ There are other sunscreens, such as Environ’s RAD, which doesn’t contain any Vitamin A but does have a great mix of antioxidants, Vitamin C (fat soluble form), vitamin E and beta carotene, the precursor of vitamin A so there is no risk of irritation. (Visit https://environskincare.co.uk/ who offer Friends of Food for the Brain a 10% discount and match it with a donation to our research, by using the coupon code FFB10 at check out.)
✔ RAD sunscreen has the benefit of containing both organic (chemical) as well as inorganic (titanium dioxide) together with a powerful mix of antioxidants. This makes for a great sunscreen for kids (as well as adults). It is safer to use than high chemical SPF’s and is likely to be more effective (due to the mix of different ways of protecting skin) even though it is an SPF 15.
As parents, we naturally want the best sun protection for our children—and many of us have been led to believe that the higher the SPF, the better. But it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Here’s what the science says:
• SPF 15 blocks about 93% of UVB rays
• SPF 30 blocks about 97%
• SPF 50 blocks around 98%
That’s only a 5% difference between SPF 15 and SPF 50—but going higher often means a much higher load of chemicals.
Some of the chemical ingredients used in high-SPF sunscreens—like octocrylene, benzophenone-3, and octylmethoxycinnamate—have been shown to turn into free radicals themselves which isn’t great for health when are aim is to protect our kids in the sun.
How to Implement Change
Today’s Challenge: Plan some safe sun time (when the weather is sunny enough!) Take a short walk or play outdoors during the late morning or early afternoon.
• Let your child enjoy 10–20 minutes of sun before applying sunscreen.
• Combine this with a vitamin D supplement to top up levels year-round.
💬 Encouragement for Parents: Sunshine and smiles go hand in hand! You’re teaching your child how to balance nature’s gifts with smart self-care. Keep guiding them to a healthier, brighter path.
📌 Next email: Exploring Fat-Fuelled Focus and Energy
Wishing you and your child the best of health and happiness,
The COGNITION for Smart Kids & Teens Team
Reference: Hanson KM, Gratton E, Bardeen CJ. Sunscreen enhancement of UV-induced reactive oxygen species in the skin. Free Radic Biol Med. 2006 Oct 15;41(8):1205-12. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2006.06.011