Age-by-age sun protection guidance based on AAP and AAD recommendations — including when sunscreen is and isn't appropriate.
Roughly 23% of lifetime UV exposure happens before age 18 (Godar et al., 2003). Childhood blistering sunburns roughly double melanoma risk in adulthood — making early habits one of the highest-leverage prevention steps available.
Under 6 months
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping infants out of direct sun, using shade, hats, and lightweight long sleeves. Sunscreen is generally not recommended on infants under 6 months — minimize need by avoiding peak sun.
6 months to 2 years
Mineral (zinc oxide / titanium dioxide) sunscreens are preferred — less risk of irritation. Apply about 1 tsp for face + neck and 1 tsp per limb. Reapply every 2 hours and after water.
Kids and teens
Build a habit: SPF in the morning routine, hats, UPF swim shirts. Teens often resist sunscreen — fragrance-free gel or stick formats improve compliance.
How to read this Sun Safety for Kids: Babies, Toddlers, and Teens page
The UV index is a measure of erythemal (skin-reddening) irradiance, where each whole point equals 25 mW/m² of UV energy reaching the surface. That is why burn-time estimates fall roughly by half when the index doubles.
UV strength on this page follows solar elevation, ozone thickness, cloud cover, altitude, and surface reflection. Snow can bounce back most of the UV that hits it, water and sand far less, but all of them add to the dose skin receives.
Plan outdoor blocks around the peak UV window, usually between 10am and 4pm local time. Shade, UPF fabric, a wide-brim hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses reduce dose more reliably than sunscreen alone.
Cloud cover is not protection. Thin or broken cloud can still pass most incoming UV, and light cloud edges can briefly scatter more UV toward the ground than a clear sky.
Cumulative dose drives photoaging and long-term skin damage more than any single day. Small daily exposures on commutes, walks, and driving add up across a season.
UV scale reference
The WHO scale groups UV 1-2 as low, 3-5 as moderate, 6-7 as high, 8-10 as very high, and 11 or above as extreme. Protection is recommended from UV 3 upward, and shade during the middle of the day becomes the priority from UV 8 upward.
A practical routine at moderate-to-high UV is roughly one ounce of broad-spectrum sunscreen for full-body coverage, applied 15 minutes before going out, then reapplied on schedule. Clothing, hats, and shade carry the rest of the load, especially for children and anyone with a history of easy burning.
Keep exploring DermUV
These pages give more depth around sun safety for kids: babies, toddlers, and teens, from UV-scale reference material to calculators and city forecasts.