Earnest Parenting.com logo

Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

I want kids with healthy skin for life, and that means starting when they are young. A lot of times you will find parents are super cautious about their babies getting sun burned, but as the kids grow into teens they seem to throw caution out the window. I don’t know why, but many parents seem to forget to teach their children the importance of skin care. As skin cancer, wrinkles and more can be postponed or prevented with a few simple steps there is no excuse to not teach your children these simple skin care tips:

  1. Use sunscreen – First on the list and most important is sunscreen use. Teach your children to apply sunscreen daily to all areas of their body. Even skin under clothes can be exposed to UV rays. Children should reapply the sun screen for activities such as sports or any outdoor adventures. Even driving in a poorly tinted car can mean tons of exposure.
  2. Body lotion – Summer, winter, spring and fall, body lotion is a must have for every skin type. During the cold months skin can become very dry and itchy due to the dry, hot temperatures indoors and the cold icy temperatures indoors. Applying lotion can help kids not feel so itchy. During the summer skin gets dried out from the heat and activities like swimming. Sweat can also cause itching and a good slathering of lotion after a cool shower can help calm the itch. Lotion from a young age also prevents stretch marks as children grow quickly and their skin stretches to keep up. Teens that are building muscles especially need to apply lotion around their bicep area as it is a common spot for stretch marks to appear.
  3. Face cream – Face cream is different than body lotion. It is formulated specifically for your face and will not cause clogged pores and blackheads. Windburn and chapped cheeks during winter are common and a hypoallergenic face cream is a must. For teens with acne, oil free face cream is a big asset. Some acne is caused by dry as well as oily skin. The more moisture you put into your skin the less oily it will be. Using face cream from childhood also means fewer wrinkles as an adult!
  4. Eye cream – The eyes are very delicate and many times require their own cream. These creams also have sunscreen built in so that you do not have to use harsh chemicals around your eyes. Teach kids to apply cream very gently around the eyes without pulling or it can create baggy, saggy eyes later in life. Properly taking care of your eyes means many more years of youthful appearance.
  5. Lip care – Last but not least is lip care. Chap Stick, lip balms and other lip protectants often come with sunscreen. This is a great way to protect your lips without a nasty flavor. Even boys should learn to apply a clear lip balm to prevent chapped and cracking lips. Not only is it painful to have cracking lips but it also takes a very long time for lips to heal due to their delicate nature and frequent use.

These basics of skin care should be taught by every parent to help protect their child for a lifetime. Your skin is the largest organ your body has. Take care of it and it will last you a lifetime!

Author Bio:

Jason Miner plays a vital role for www.blogcarnival.com.  He is an expert in writing topics of different categories.  He is helping the carnival team to grow and working on making this an even better place for bloggers.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want to protect their kids’ skin.

Image courtesy of sunshinecity via Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.