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FARMINGTON -- A brand new sunscreen product is piquing parents' interest for one key reason: It says it can be applied to wet skin.
We hear the sunscreen rule repeatedly: reapply, reapply, reapply. But trying to coax kids out of the water to get them dried off and ready for more sunscreen is a huge battle.
"If they get out of the pool and their sunscreen is off, they have to totally dry off, sit down in their chair, sun dry, towel dry -- it takes forever," said mom Risa Baker.
- Limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Use a sunblock with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide and an SPF of 30 or higher.
- Reapply sunblock every two hours.
- Protect your skin with clothing such as long sleeves and pants.
- Wear sunglasses with UV protection of at least 95 percent for both UVA and UVB rays.
- Don't use indoor tanning equipment.
Could this "Wet Skin" sunscreen be the solution to that summertime squabble?
KSL crashed a neighborhood water party in Farmington Thursday afternoon. We found moms with fingers on the trigger, quick to "pick their poison."
When it came to sunscreen, they all preferred different products for different reasons.
"I prefer the spray. I don't like to touch it," one mom told KSL.
"I like the stick for the face," another said. "It doesn't get in their eyes and they are so wiggly."
"I prefer lotion just so I can control how much is going on and where it's going," said a third.
But when we told them about a new "Wet Skin" sunscreen by Neutrogena, you could say it made a splash.
"This would be amazing to be able to use on wet kids," said Baker, who had just one such "wet kid" in need of some sunscreen reapplication.
The Neutrogena Wet Skin sunscreen seemed to absorb on his semi-damp arm.
The following risk factors increase melanoma risk:
- Age over 50
- Family or personal history of skin cancer
- Fair skin
- Freckles
- Light-colored eyes
- Many or unusual moles
- Use of tanning beds
- History of sunburn
"It's absorbing right in," she said. "I thought it would just sit on top of the skin like other sunblock does."
Not everyone is sold on the product. According to Dr. Glen Bowen of the University of Utah Melanoma Clinic, "The Food and Drug Administration is requesting more information, so they simply don't have data on how effective spray sunscreens are."
But the FDA is clear about one thing: Effective next year, manufacturers can no longer claim a product is water-proof or sweat-proof.
So until then, what to use?
For young kids, Bowen recommends a rash guard, a spandex or Lycra swimming shirt that covers the body, and protect from harmful rays.
"Most people think of the sunscreen as a seatbelt," Bowen said. "It's not. It's the airbag. The seatbelt is clothing."
In terms of product, he leans toward good old lotion, but apply it liberally. Bowen says most people don't use near enough. A golf ball-size amount is recommended for adults.
Email: bwalker@ksl.com
