I have been using sun screen and putting hats on my girls as part of our routine every morning. But my baby takes her hat (even the strappy one) off constantly- our game of on and off! And my four year old's skin is dry and I worry about sun damage. She also gets very tan from the sun.

How do you protect your children's skin? Do you worry about darker skin if it doesn't appear to be red.

Thank you in advance. My girl's have beautiful sensitive skin- I want to protect it. I do not share their skin tone and appreciate any helpful words of advice.

Hi kam,

I think there is quite a bit of variation among Asian skin. I tan easily and never burn, while my sister turns bright red and peels. I don't worry unless the skin looks red or is itchy or tender.

I look for sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which covers both UVA & UVB rays. We use a tent or umbrellas for shade when going to the beach. We try not to stay out in the sun for very long. I try to reapply the sunscreen frequently, and we wear sunglasses.

The hats with the velcro strap worked well for us, but they do make hats with longer ties that actually tie and are harder to undo. Try Hanna Anderssonor Coolibar.

Here's some more info from the American Academy of Pediatrics about sun safety.

For dry skin, our pediatrician recommended Vaseline or Aquaphor after bathtime, and we still use it. It's more of a problem in the winter time for us.