Even if your senior parent doesn’t spend a lot of time outdoors, they should wear sunscreen daily. The sun’s UVA and UVB rays can damage senior skin even through windows. And if your senior parent does go outside to sit on the patio, go to a medical appointment, or go shopping, they need to have sunscreen on.
If you can’t be with your senior parent every day, it’s helpful if they have personal care at home services. In addition to ensuring that your mom or dad is wearing sunscreen daily, a personal care at home care provider can help your senior parent with things like showering, brushing their teeth, and getting dressed. Personal care at home includes a wide range of hygiene-related tasks that seniors often have trouble doing on their own.
Choosing the right sunscreen for your senior mom or dad is important because seniors tend to have very sensitive and thin skin that needs a lot of protection.
Use these tips to choose the best sunscreen for your senior parent:
Look For Broad-Spectrum Protection
Not all sunscreens are all about protection. Some offer bare minimum protection and are used more for tanning than protecting the skin. Choose a sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection to shield against both UVA and UVB rays, which can cause skin cancer and premature aging.
Make Sure It’s SPF 30 or Higher
Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Higher SPF can provide better protection, especially for prolonged outdoor activities. It used to be difficult to find sunscreen with an SPF of 30, but these days, you can find sunscreen with an SPF of 70 or higher. Higher is better, but never choose one that is lower than 30.
Look For A Moisturizing Formula
Look for sunscreens with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin, as older skin tends to be drier and can benefit from added hydration. Sunscreens can cause seniors to have dry skin, so choosing a moisturizing formula will help avoid that.
In addition to sunscreen, personal care at home workers can help seniors stay moisturized and hydrated through the day.
Make Sure It’s Hypoallergenic
Select a hypoallergenic sunscreen to minimize the risk of irritation or allergic reactions, especially for those with sensitive skin. If your mom or dad has skin irritations or acne breakouts from the sunscreen you choose, stop using that one and try a different one.
Look For A Fragrance-Free Sunscreen
Choose a fragrance-free formula to avoid potential skin irritation or allergic reactions from added scents. Seniors usually have very sensitive skin; chemical scents can cause redness or other skin problems. A great way to make sure that sunscreen is scent-free is to choose sunscreen for babies or children. They are usually chemical and scent-free, and they’re made to be gentle.
Look For Easy Application of Sunscreen
Choose sunscreens that are easy to apply, such as sprays, sticks, or lotions, depending on the conditions of your senior parents. For example, if your senior mom or dad has arthritis, a lotion-type sunscreen isn’t a great choice. A spray might work better for them.
Personal care at home providers can help your senior loved one apply sunscreen for accurate coverage and protection.
Check The Active Ingredients
To be effective, the sunscreen you choose should contain effective active ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which are physical blockers that provide excellent protection and are less likely to cause irritation than chemical sunscreens.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home in Carmel Valley, CA, please contact the caring staff at La Jolla Nurses Homecare today. Call (858) 454-9339
La Jolla Nurses Homecare is a top provider of home care services in San Diego, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carmel Valley, Point Loma, Bankers Hill, Mission Hills, Kensington, Coronado, University City, Pacific Beach, and all of San Diego County.
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