Allergy to Sunscreen on Cheeks Only - Any Suggestions?

Hi B.,
Just a quick suggestion-- I use SOLBAR sunscreen on the whole family. It's very plain-- no fragrance, no unnecessary chemicals. I buy it at Kaiser's pharmacy (I'm certain anyone can go there and buy otc products) and it's very reasonable. I buy the "physical" one-- i.e. zinc and titanium dioxide are the active ingredients as opposed to chemicals and it has an spf of 38.
I have really sensitive skin too and this one causes NO problems whatsoever.
A.

Try "Blue Lizard" sunscreen. My son has a reaction to all sunsreen chemicals, but Blue Lizard does not contain them, so works great for him.

We use California Baby Sensitive Sunblock. My son has extremely sensitive skin. It's the only stuff that works for us.

I had really sensitive skin as a child, and my cheeks broke out with colored soaps or stickers or anything weird. The skin there is extra sensitive.
Many sunscreens have skin irritants and harmful ingredients in them. Check out this website, since she has sensitive skin it should really help: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/f...
It rates skin care products based upon the potential harm of their ingredients, and offers suggestions for better ones than you are using.
All moms should check out this website, it can be very addicting.

She could be getting an early form of rosacea. My 6 yr old daughter has it. Sunlight perpetuates it. I have read that some rosacea is caused by the demodex mite. There is a doctor online who says she has successfully treated it with 3 months of (Perimethrin?) (the same stuff in RID for lice)or also a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and borax in water and sprayed on the face 2 times a day and let dry.

Most sunscreen has parabens in them which are estrogenic, maybe a pretty harsh chemical?

We use sunscreen from Mercola.com. Check it out- it doesnt have any chemicals- it works by reflecting the sun off the talc (titanium dioxide?) particles in it.

Rosacea can start as mild redness in childhood, progressing to more bright redness in the teen years, especially when exposed to sunlight, and then to broken capillaries in adulthood. So if it is rosacea you should have it checked. Modern doctors control it with antibacterials I think like metrogel. For some reason it tends to stay on the face, sometimes it moves to the chest.

Many people are allergic to the harsh chemicals in regular sunscreen. My husband is very allergic - it causes red bumps over anywhere he applies it. I simply do not use a chemical based sunscreen anymore for anyone in my family. Use a sunscreen with only the physical blockers titanium dioxide or zinc oxide in it - you can find these at Whole Foods. DHC also has a good sunscreen for the face that is based on titanium dioxide called 'White' Sunscreen. If your daughter shows a sensitivity now, if you continue to use it, she may develop an all out allergy to it. I prefer to clothe myself and my kids in loose airy long sleeves if we are going to be outside and everyone wears a hat - for the face or hands or for swimming I use the titanium dioxide based sunscreens. I think the chemicals in regular sunscreens will eventually be shown to be extremely harmful.

Try an old fashioned zinc oxide dream. I get the same rash on my face - the only thing I can use is AVeeno Daily Calming lotion SPF 15. It's in an orange & cream colored bottle with the beauty creams in your drug store.

The skin on the face just just super sensitive - my daughter tends to be rashy on her cheeks too, especially during the summer months when shes got sunscreen on most of the time. I, too, have used a variety of sunblocks - and have come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter what I put on her (from top of the line, baby boutique all natural sunblocks to the sensitive skin one's sold at Target), her cheeks will get rashy from it - which, frankly, is better than leaving it off altogether and causing sunburn!

After she's had sunscreen on, I ALWAYS give her a bath (or wipe her face with a warm washcloth) with gentle soap and make sure to not let her go to bed with anything on her face. After the bath, I lotion her from head to toe with Eucerine lotion (the type in the tub, not the bottle - its creamier) - and once that has soaked in, I I put over the counter hydrocortisone cream (not the ointment, it never soaks in and attracts fuzz, hairs, etc) on the rashy parts of her cheeks. It does the trick! I will also often use vaseline on her cheeks after the hydrocortisone if she seems excessively red, dry, or irritated.

I too have been prone to rashes my entire life. From prescribed steroid creams to home remedies, I have found that often the most simple, over the counter treatments do the best!

UV natural is the only sunscreen Dr. Neustaedter recommends, he is a well known holistic doctor. I have only seen it at Whole Foods and it is $22, I plan on getting it but it is pricey!

K.

Have you heard of Melaleuca, The Wellness Company? I have been shopping from their catalog for our home as they have excellent environmentally friendly products. They have sunscreen products that I think may help with your daughter's break outs.

I also work with them to expand their customer memberships. I would love to share them with you, if you would like. If interested let me know what a good time is to contact you.

A little about me:
I have a loving husband, 2 step-children (18 & 14 years old) and a 19 month old son of my own.

Hi B.,
Our son just had a horrible reaction to a hypoallergenic sunscreen. He had the same thing, although his was very visable and looked like poison ivy. Now we are using "pure baby" from neutrogena and it works great; a little greasy going on but no rash. Good luck!

My daughter had the same symptoms you have described- but on both of her arms. They almost looked like hives, the longer she stayed in the sun the worse they were. She is 2 years and 4 months, and this started happening just this summer.
Her doctor had a name for it, which I fail to recall. Essentially it is a sun allergy that affects parts of the body that see the sun the most. He suggested that we use a sunscreen with titanium dioxide in it, and give her childrens zyrtec (over-the-counter 24 hour allergy medication, but probably want to check with your doctor first) at night. Since we started doing this we have not seen the symptoms return.
A sunscreen with titanium dioxide is not too difficult to find, and does not cost any more than regular sunscreen. I have found two so far, "Baby Blanket" and "Blue Lizard", and both specified on the label "Titanium Dioxide" ingredient. My daughter's doctor said this type of sunblock is like a clear barrier on the skin rather then soaking in to the skin. I am switching my whole family to this type of sunblock, it just seems like it is better for everyone. Anyway, good luck with your daughter!

I have two kids with ultra-sensitive skin! Only Blue Lizard or California Baby sunscreens work without causing a rash. They are chemical free, providing a physical barrier instead.

My daughter is also allergic to most sunscreens, but her only visible symptom was red circles under her eyes. I thought she was getting sunburned, so I would make her put on more sunscreen! LOL! The only one she can use is the Banana Boat Baby Tear Free formula. Out of all the fancy samples from a dermatology office, it was the baby sunscreen that worked. She thinks its a little strange now at age 10, but at least she's still wearing it. Hope you find your magic formula too!

Hi,
My daughter is also allergic to sunscreen. We use lots of hats and swim shirts whenever possible. I have tried a lot of sunscreens and the two best that I have come up with are Alba facial sunscreen and Burt's Bees chemical free sunscreen. They can both be found at health food stores and I think Target sells the Burt's Bees. They are more expensive than others so she has her sunscreen and the rest of my family uses the cheap stuff. The other trick is to wash her face with soap and water as soon as you leave the sun. I have not figured out which ingredient is the culprit but even the sensitive skin ones make a rash on my daughter. My daughter is now 9 and we have escaped any sunburns even though she plays outside a lot. When she has gotten a rash from something, we wash her skin with Dove pure soap and put Corium 21 on her rash and is clears up quickly. Corium 21 can be found at some mall kiosks and online. It's pretty pricy but, boy does it work great.
God Bless,
M.

Try zinc oxide cream (that pure white sunblock). It completely covers vulnerable areas like cheeks and noses, and should be nonallergenic.

Have you tried California Baby sunscreen stick for the face, you can get it at target very good and natural

Hi, I am a consultant with Arbonne International and am happy to send you a sample of our baby sunscreen.
Arbonne is formulated in Switzerland and is 100% pure and safe. No dyes, fragrance, parabens, mineral oil, phylates etc.. Very minimal preservatives. I have yet to have anyone have any sort of reaction to arbonne products, they are great for sensitive skin. I got involved with this great company specifically because I was looking for safe and effective products for my family. I am not a big "sales-person" but rather just enjoy sharing what I have discovered, affordable all natural botanically based products. So much cancer in my family that I decided to try and reduce our risk where possible~! No more nasty chemicals for us :~)
Any~hoo...if you would like a sample, just send me your physical addy.
Cheers, T. ~

Hi B.,

You may want to try Arbonne Baby Care Sunscreen. The Arbonne products are botanically based and the sunscreen is made for delicate, sensitive skin. You can order on line http://www.egiammona.myarbonne.com/ or send me an e-mail via the website if you have any questions.
Good Luck!
E.

My daughter did the same thing, I switched to using the waterbabies sunscreen stick and it works great. Sometimes they get the bumps from just the heat my doctor tells me. Good Luck.

my daughter had exactly the same problem. i did some reading and found that she must be sensitive to the chemical sunscreens and the face is just the most sensitive area. try using sunscreens with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. they sit on the skin to protect rather than seeping in and doing something chemically. we've had no problems since switching. we're using the target brand...up and up? its in a squeeze tube with a blue cap. just check the ingredients to make sure its primarily those ingredients. i hope it works for you too!

Do some research on vitamin D and maybe reconsider using sunscreen? Most kids are vitamin D deficient, sunshine is the best source, and the body can't make it from sunshine through sunscreen. I won't use it on my kids.

Check out cosmeticsdatabase.com for some safe sunscreens. Hopefully you'll find something that won't irritate her skin.

Hi B.,

You have to be careful with some sunscreens as they have additives that are not good for the body because of the harmful chemicals. I use the Solbar PF liquid 30 sunscreen. They advise you to talk to a doctor if using it on a 6 month old.

Some sunscreens cause cancer as the ingredients turn to a carcegenic when it is exposed to the sun. I heard a health channel talk about suncreen.

Good luck.

N. Marie

That used to happen to my daughter. We tried EVERY type of sunscreen out there. It ended up being the SPF level that caused it. Once we lowered the SPF, she was fine. We use the Coppertone Sport with SPF 15 and limit the amount of sun.

She has been able to use SPF 30 now, but if she is having bad allergies we see more of the rash appearing.

Stephanie

How about a hat?

REI has great ones that can even get wet. My son has one with an OR on the band, so I guess that's the brand. We spend three weeks in Mexico without putting sunscreen on his face, and he did not get a lick of sunburn. The only thing I would be careful about would be sunlight reflected off the water. I think you can get a burn that way, even if the hat is blocking the direct rays.