Sun's Out, Shades On!

It's summertime mamas, which means you are getting really familiar with applying SPF to your littles whenever you leave the house. Because heaven forbid we stop at anywhere that doesn't have some sort of water activity that the kids can take part in...at least that's logic according to my 3-year-old.

Even though we do our best to protect our babes' skin with sunscreen, rash guards, and hats, we might be forgetting one of their most important (and sensitive) areas--their eyes! Our little fam just spent an entire day at the beach for the 4th, and for the last couple of days our kids have had red, itchy and watery eyes caused by too much time out in the sun. The truth is if you spend a lot of time in the sun with no eye protection your eyes can actually get sunburnt! OUCH! So what can we do to make sure our littles are protected whenever they're soaking up rays this summer?

PREVENTION

Wearing hats is a great way to help keep the sun out your little ones' eyes this summer. Whether your little guy wants to wear a baseball cap, or you put your babe in a sun hat, just get them covered! This will not only protect their eyes, but can decrease the amount of sun to their ears, noses, and cheeks which are more likely to burn and a little harder to get full coverage when applying SPF. Don't neglect the eyes when you're applying your sunscreen, because getting sunburns on your eyelids will absolutely ruin a weekend. Using a physical sunscreen like titanium or zinx oxide will work right away, and is usually gentle on kids' skin. If you use a chemical sunscreens, which you can most often find in spray form which is awesome, make sure to apply it about 20 minutes before sun exposure. Always reapply SPF every 2 hours, and make sure you're purchasing broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Just like we want to avoid burning our bods in the sun, we want to do our best to make sure it doesn't happen to our eyes! A great way to do this is with a pair of sunglasses. Getting a pair of shades with 100% UVA/UVB protection is going to ensure that those harmful rays don't do any damage to the eyes. Investing in a couple of pairs, like Blue Gem's great line, will help protect your kid and make sure they're looking adorable all summer long! You can find Blue Gem sunglasses in our store!

TREATMENT

So how do you know if your eyes (or your babe's eyes) are sunburnt? And what do you do if they are? After a long day in the sun, you'll be able to tell if your eyes are burnt because they'll be:

• Red
• Itchy
• Watery
• Blurry vision
• Pain and irritation
• Swelling
• Sensitive to lights

Normally you won't notice the effects until the evening or even the next day, and if you notice that your little one is constantly rubbing her eyes, is complaining of pain or itchiness, or is squinting to avoid lights, she probably has sunburns. Treatments will depend on the severity of the pains and the age of the child, but here are a few things you can do to take the edge off the burn:

• A cold compress on the eyes will help relieve burning sensation
• Pain relief medicine
• Staying inside and avoiding harsh/bright lights
• Eye drops to keep the eyes moisturized
• Aloe vera can be applied to eyelids (if sunburnt), but can irritate the eyes if rubbed, so may be better for older kids

Protecting our kids from the sun can sometimes feel like a full-time job in the summer months, but it's so worth it for their overall health. Not to mention when the babes have a sunburn, it's the mamas who have to take care of it, so let's make life easier for everyone and take care of our bodies and our eyes this summer with a little SPF protection!

Featured Image PC: @caitlynneier