Banish Burned Skin

If you've ever seen me in person, you know I'm quite pale. It should come as no surprise that I burn easily when out in the sunshine. Not quite spontaneous combustion, but without sunscreen it only takes ten minutes before I start to turn pink.

Now, if you've seen Cordy, you know she has my coloring, and is actually more pale than me. Sunscreen is a must for her, but trying to put something gooey or oily on a child who has sensory issues with anything like that touching her skin is not easy. I'd like to go play outside without going through a meltdown first.

So I was a little nervous when Parent Bloggers sent me samples of KINeSYS sunscreen. We were sent bottles of the spray-on sunscreen for adults and kids, a face stick, and a bottle of the lotion for kids. I knew the lotion wouldn't work for Cordy, so I tried the spray-on sunscreen.

Thank goodness the spray-on isn't aerosol. Cordy is afraid of aerosol cans, but only slightly perturbed by pump sprays. While she still whined while I applied it, she didn't freak out. The bottle said you didn't need to rub in the sunscreen, but I admit I did it anyway. Trying to spray an unwilling child means you probably miss a few spots, so rubbing just covered my bases. It dried in about three or four minutes - a little longer than they claim, but still acceptable.

I sprayed the adult sunscreen on myself, and didn't rub it in. Again, it took about three or four minutes to dry. It felt a little strange on my skin - silky or powdery is the best way I can describe it. That's still a huge improvement over the oily shell feel from most spray on sunscreens. The scent was light and pleasant.

Our first test was a cookout at a friend's house, out in the country. His backyard is full of toys, but not one tree, and it was a bright, sunny day. Amazingly, Cordy and I were burn-free after a full day of fun, with only one reapplication. Another test was our backyard on an oppressively hot day. I didn't sweat off the sunscreen, and Cordy's splashing in her pool didn't wash it off (sweat and water resistant). The result: no burn.

Probably the best part of the KINeSYS sunscreen is that it works for sensitive skin. It's free of any preservatives, PABA-free, oil-free, alcohol-free, and hypoallergenic. The kids sunscreen is also fragrance-free. Cordy and I both have sensitive skin, and this didn't bother our skin at all for regular use. Other sunscreens often cause Cordy's eczema to flare-up. The backs of her arms did get a little bumpy the one day I left the sunscreen on overnight, so if your child has sensitive skin, I'd recommend an early bath-time that night so it's not left on too long.

I also like the travel-size spray bottle, which is perfect to throw in the diaper bag so you're never without sunscreen.

So, to sum up the KINeSYS sunscreen: good sun protection, no greasy feel, easy application, good for sensitive skin, and doesn't freak out the kid with sensory issues. The only downside is the price: it's a little more expensive than your average sunscreen, but if you have sensitive skin and don't like oily sprays, I think it's worth it.

I have a feeling we'll be going outside more often now. Thanks to the Parent Bloggers Network for giving us the chance to try KINeSYS!