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MOTHER'S HELPER Make slathering the sunscreen on the little ones easier. Babysilk Babysafe Sunscreen towelettes are saturated with a gentle, sweatproof, broad- spectrum SPF 30+ and enriched with vitamins. Each wipe contains enough sunscreen to cover baby from head to toe. The towelettes are from MD Moms, a line developed by pediatrician-mothers. $26 for a pack of 15 at mdmoms.com. What the doctor says: "Sprays and towelettes offer a thinner layer of protection, and there's a risk of missing something," says Dr. Jennifer Stalkup, a dermatologist at Texas Health Plano. With the towelettes, she says, you just have to make sure you've got every part covered. |
SPF, or sunburn protection factor, measures how much UV radiation is required to produce sunburn on protected skin relative to the amount required to produce sunburn on unprotected skin.
SPF is not directly related to time of solar exposure but to amount of exposure. If you normally get a sunburn in one hour, an SPF 15 does not allow you to stay in the sun 15 hours. SPF 15 actually blocks only about 93 percent of the UVB (ultraviolet B) rays that cause sunburns. SPF 30 absorbs nearly 97 percent and SPF 50, 98 percent.