I know sun lotion is one of those things which are easy to bypass when packing your swimming suit, sun hat, child’s swimsuit, child’s hat, flip-flops, child’s flip-flops, nappies, nappies and more nappies… but sun lotion must be packed. Yes, it’s a pain, as quite often we are wanting to holiday as cheaply as possible, so have unfortunately purchased one of those slightly cheaper flights which means not only do you leave at a crazy, unhelpful time, but you are also left with minimal luggage to take with you.

So why would you squeeze a large bottle of sun lotion into your already overflowing pile of luggage, especially when you could possibly buy it when you arrive at your destination? Sun lotion isn’t always very easy to find. We had a wonderful guide in Morocco, so he was kind enough to take us to what looked like a chemist in a shed, with no inside lighting, and as it was behind a large iron door, I’m not sure we would have discovered it with the sometimes disconcerting directions of the locals. We were driven to a chemist on a back road by our helpful taxi driver during our stay in Rarotonga and discovered a small range of sunscreen in large malls in both Malaysia and Portugal. Yes, I have been that mum, locked in a desperate search for sun lotion so my babies won’t burn, instead of relaxing by the pool, sipping Pina Coladas.

The other reason to take sun lotion with you is so you have control of what you purchase. Quite often, especially when you just want the first thing you find, you end up with a product, which may not do a great job, or doesn’t do the job entirely. I, unfortunately, purchased a ‘banana boat’ brand during one of our holidays abroad. We were in the sea a lot, so we applied the sun lotion every hour, and very thoroughly, and didn’t rush straight back into the water, and yes it stated ‘waterproof’ on the bottle. My young son unfortunately burnt, his face was like a beetroot at the end of the day. I can’t tell you how disappointed in myself I felt. As a mum, you want to protect your children. It’s almost like a lioness grows inside of you once you give birth, and anything that threatens to hurt your child must be devoured (ok so not literally), but the emotions are unlike I had ever had previously. So when your child is in pain, burnt to a crisp because of something simple like a useless sunscreen, it does produce disappointment both about the product, and the failure of not being more aware. Fortunately, my beautiful boy seemed fine by the next day, other than a little sore, and I was able to quickly forgive myself.

Moral of the story; research your sunscreen before purchasing, and purchase before your travel so you have control over what you buy.

Recommendations:

Stream2Sea SPF 30 – I recently discovered this incredible brand of sunscreen, which is not only safe on all types of skin but environmentally friendly. You cannot purchase it everywhere yet, as it is fairly new, but it is easy to purchase online. https://www.facebook.com/pg/stream2sea/shop/?rid=1490468211209794&rt=9&ref=page_internal

Oasis Sun SPF 30 – sunscreen for sensitive skin and the family.
This is easy to apply, isn’t oily, and comes in a large bottle to go around the whole family. This sunscreen seems to be one of the most gentle I have found, even my son’s super sensitive skin doesn’t react to it.

Mustela SPF 50 – high protection sun lotion. I am a Mustela fan. I use their products on my children, and this sun lotion, like their other products, is great.