Our QV Test Drivers have reviewed the product QVCream.

This rich, protective cream replenishes the skin and helps repair dry areas. It contains squalene, a natural component found in the skin’s oil. Areas prone to dryness like the elbows, knees and hands will just love what QV Cream can do to help.

BENEFITS

• Recommended for moisturising dry skin.
• Helps to seal in natural moisture by acting as a protective barrier.
• Helps protect against dryness.
• pH 6, low-irritant formulation, free from fragrance, colour, lanolin and propylene glycol.
• Suitable for skin conditions such as dry, scaly skin, winter itch, ichthyosis, xerosis, dermatitis. For the relief of symptoms of atopic eczema and psoriasis.
• Suitable for sensitive skin.
• Suitable for infants and the elderly.

INGREDIENTS
Aqua (water), paraffinum liquidum, glycerin, petrolatum, cetearyl alcohol, squalane, dimethicone, ceteth-20, glyceryl stearate SE, stearic acid, laureth-3, glyceryl stearate, methylparaben, dichlorobenzyl alcohol.

SIZES AVAILABLE
100g tube
250g tub
500g tub

Click here to go to the QV Skincare Website

Click here to read our blog, product reviews or join the QV Test Drive

Click here to follow us on Twitter

If you like us click here and join us on Facebook

Here are some great tips to keep your wardrobe fresh! 
Do you have any suggestions?

Cleaning out your wardrobe is liberating and should be done at every season’s end. By sorting out the clutter, you might find you actually have more to wear.

For each garment, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer ‘no’ more than once for any item, seriously consider getting rid of it.

1. Does it look good on me?
2. Do I wear it?
3.  Do I love it?
Start three piles: ‘Yes’, ‘No‘, and ‘Maybe’.

If you have answered honestly, the ‘Yes’ pile will be items you wear every day, cherished pieces, and special-occasion frocks. Throw out the tatty clothes in your ‘No’ pile and give clean clothes to charity or sell online. Finally, ask yourself the three key questions for each item in the ‘Maybe’ pile… but try the garments on this time for a new perspective.

WARDROBE TIPS

• Don’t keep garments in the hope you will drop three sizes one day;
  spoil yourself with new clothes if you reach that goal.
• Do keep family heirlooms and designer pieces (your daughters will love you for it). Just pack them away.
• To save space, hang identical items together. For example, put all your white singlets on the one hanger.
• Winter woollies are bulky; pack them away into vacuum bags, lay them
  flat in your drawers, or a use a spare bedroom closet.
• Turn all your coathangers in the same direction, with the hook facing the back. It looks neat and makes browsing easier. Using the same type of coathanger throughout looks streamlined. See the recyclable hangers at www.greenhanger.com.au for a great eco choice.

http://www.homelife.com.au/home+ideas/home+help/spring+clean+your+wardrobe,3559

Image: www.4freephotos.com/

Our Ego Everyday Test Drivers have reviewed Hairscience Purifying Shampoo.

BENEFITS

• Ideal for fine or oily hair.
• Mild enough for the whole family to use every day.
• Soap-free and pH-balanced, so it’s suitable for even the most sensitive skin.
• Contains a light conditioning agent to improve manageability and softness without weighing hair down. 

SIZES AVAILABLE
250ml bottle.

Click here to follow us on Twitter

If you like us click here and join us on Facebook

Do you spring clean your garden? We’ve found this Notebook article with 10 great tips for you!

Make the most of your spring gardening urges by whipping your garden back into shape after winter and preparing it for what’s probably a hot, dry summer ahead.

This is a great time to start a vegetable garden, establish new garden beds, plant just about anything, renovate your lawn, spruce up neglected areas and to give the garden its once-a-year feed of fertiliser.

One of the most rewarding jobs to do right now is to get rid of the weeds before they start growing with renewed vigour. Hand weed or hoe out new and emerging weeds. Target persistent weeds such as oxalis and onion weed with spot herbicide treatments, particularly while plants are in flower.

Spring garden checklist
Here are my 10 top tips for ways to direct your spring gardening urges to get the most from your garden. Make a start this weekend and follow the rest of the action plan over the weeks ahead!

1. Feed.

Gardeners love to nurture their gardens. Early spring is the best time of the year
to give everything in the garden a good dose of fertiliser. After the next fall of rain, scatter slow-release or pelletised fertiliser over your garden. As it breaks down and filters into the soil, it is absorbed by growing roots and used to fuel growth and flowering.

2. Lawn update.

Apply a slow-release complete lawn food to all grass areas. Use a metal rake
to remove any build up of thatch (dead growth giving lawns a spongy feel underfoot). If the lawn is looking sparse, reseed or returf bare areas. Before replanting, dig in organic matter and water over the area with a soil wetting agent. Keep everyone off areas that are being renovated until the new grass is growing vigorously.

3. Plant vegetables.

Early spring is a rewarding time to plant vegetables, whether you’re starting a new garden or popping some herbs in a sunny window box. Vegies and herbs to plant now (or after the last frosts in frost-prone areas) include summer salad vegies such as tomato, snowpeas, capsicum or chilli, lettuce, cucumber, basil, rocket
and parsley.

4. Quick colour.

Flowering spring annuals can be planted now to give your garden a quick lift. Add instant colour with pots of cineraria, pansy, polyanthus or flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Also plan ahead for flowers later in the year. Buy punnets of late spring and summer flowers including petunia, phlox and impatiens (a good choice for shade). Seedlings can be planted in garden beds or popped into large pots for strategic bursts of colour.

5. Plant just about anything.

Early spring is a rewarding time to plant trees, shrubs and annuals. Remove plants that have died or are past their best, or extend your garden to accommodate new plantings. Prepare for new plantings by clearing grass and weeds, then digging organic matter into the soil. When working out where to place a new plant take into account the amount of space that’s needed as it grows both across and up (see plant labels for information on plant size).

6. Clean and mend.

Warmer weather means more time spent outside eating, relaxing and entertaining. Check outdoor furniture and outdoor sitting areas in preparation for convivial times ahead. Wooden furniture may need to be repainted or re-oiled. Nuts and bolts should be checked and tightened. Canvas chairs may need to be cleaned or
re-covered. Also, clean the barbecue and replenish gas bottles. Paving and other hard surfaces benefit from a vigorous sweep to remove accumulated leaves and dirt. Mossy or slippery paths can be cleaned and treated with a once-a-year product.
 
7. Re-pot.

All container-grown plants, including indoor plants, which have been in the same pot for several years, or that have outgrown their current pot, can be re-potted now. Place plants into slightly larger pots with fresh potting mix or trim roots and replant into the old pot but with fresh potting mix. If you only have a few pots, buy a bag or two of potting mix. If you have a large number of pots, buy a load of premium potting mix from a landscape supplier to save time and money
 
8. Prune.

Plants that have already bloomed or have frost damage can be pruned to encourage new growth. Also remove old canes from perennials and grasses
to make way for fresh spring growth. To keep shrubs, perennials and annuals
in bloom over the months ahead, remove spent flowers regularly.
 
9. Top up mulch.

A quick way to spruce up the garden, cut weeds and save water at the same time is with a load of organic mulch. Remove weeds and encroaching grass from under trees and throughout garden beds and then spread mulch over exposed soil to a depth of about 5cm thick (for more advice on how to mulch, see ‘What to do this week’).
 
10. Water features.

Top up water features and clean out ponds by removing accumulated leaves and rubbish that’s blown in over winter. Remove dead stalks from pond plants and scoop out algae. Re-pot water plants such as waterlilies before returning them
to ponds.

http://www.homelife.com.au/garden/grow/spring+clean+your+garden,5435

As it’s National Body Awareness Week, we’ve found this article with some tips for parents on how to foster positive body awareness and good self esteem in children. 

There are many ways that parents can foster positive body image and strong self-esteem in their children. If you are at all concerned about your
child’s body image, self-esteem or eating behaviours, consult with your doctor
for information and referral.

Your body image is how you think and feel about your body, and what you imagine it looks like. This may have nothing to do with your actual appearance. Poor body image can have a range of negative effects, including disordered eating, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Relationships and career choices can be seriously affected by low self-esteem. Feeling embarrassed about physical appearance can cause some people to stop exercising, because they don’t want other people to see their bodies. A sedentary lifestyle leads to a host of health problems including increased risk of obesity and heart disease.

Be a good role model
The most influential role model in your child’s life is you. Parents can encourage their children to feel good about themselves by showing them how it’s done.
For example:

• Children learn eating behaviours from their parents, so make sure you include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low fat dairy products and cereals in the family’s diet. Go easy on takeaway, fried foods and sugary snacks.
• Don’t crash diet. Don’t encourage your child to crash diet either. Studies show that many young people think that crash dieting is a harmless and effective way to lose weight. Talk to your child about the dangers of crash dieting. Browse through the Better Health Channel articles for
  more information on this.
• Accept your own body size and shape. Don’t complain about ‘ugly’ body parts or, at least, don’t share your opinions with your child.
• Accept other people’s body sizes and shapes. Don’t put a lot of emphasis on physical appearances or your child will too. Instead, try to talk to your child about all the different aspects that make up a person, such as personality, skills and outlook on life.
• Exercise regularly. Have at least one family activity per week that involves some kind of exercise; for example, bushwalking, dancing, playing backyard cricket, going for a walk or swimming.
• Be critical of media messages and images that promote thinness.
• Encourage your child to question and challenge Western society’s narrow ‘beauty ideal’.
• Get them into the exercise habit

Studies show that a person who appreciates what their body can do, rather
than what it looks like, feels good about their body and tends to have higher
self-esteem. Suggestions include:

• Make your family an active one. Exercise yourself and encourage your child from an early age to exercise right along with you. For example, take little ones for strolls in the pram. Once they’re old enough, encourage them to walk part of the way.
• Emphasise fitness, health and enjoyment as the motivations for exercise rather than weight loss or weight management.
• Try to find a team sport they enjoy. Team sports encourage camaraderie, teamwork, competition and mastery of physical skills. A child who feels passionate about their sport is more likely to continue playing into adulthood.
• Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy body weight. A known trigger of poor body image is being overweight.
• Be cautious of sports that have a strong emphasis on thinness – for example, gymnastics and ballet. Vulnerable children may feel pressured
  to lose weight.
• Help them feel confident about themselves

A strong sense of identity and self-worth are crucial to your child’s self-esteem. Suggestions include:

• Encourage problem solving, expression of opinions and individuality.
• Teach your child various coping strategies to help them deal with life’s challenges.
• Allow them to say ‘no’. Encourage them to be assertive if they feel they have been mistreated.
• Listen to their concerns about body shape and appearance. Puberty,
  in particular, can be a worrying time. Reassure your child that their physical changes are normal and that everyone develops at different times and rates.
• Don’t tease them about their weight, body shape or looks. Even seemingly friendly nicknames can be hurtful if they focus on some aspect of the child’s appearance.
• Place value on their achievements, such as talents, skills and school grades.
• Make your child feel they have an important role in the family; for example, give them age-appropriate household tasks. Tell them what a valuable contribution they make to the running of the house.
• Talk to your school

Your child’s school can be a positive environment that fosters healthy body image and self-esteem. Talk to your principal about any concerns you may have. Issues may include:

• Teasing about physical appearance is a known risk factor for poor body image. Make sure your school has an effective anti-bullying policy. If your child is being teased, contact the principal immediately.
• Peer pressure can contribute to poor body image if the peer group is concerned with physical appearance and thinness. Talk to the school about their body image programs.
• If you think your child is hanging out with a ‘thin is in’ crowd, try to arrange opportunities for them to mix with other children. Once again, team sports could be a valuable avenue, since the emphasis is on how the person plays, not what they look like.
• Self-conscious students may shy away from school sports because of the uniforms. If necessary, consult with your school on possible changes to make the sports uniforms less revealing or figure-hugging.

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Your child’s school principal
• Your local community health centre
• An accredited practising dietitian, contact the Dietitians Association
  of Australia
• Psychologist

Things to remember
You are the most influential role model in your child’s life, so lead by example.

Give your child opportunities to appreciate their body for what it can do, rather than what it looks like.

If you are at all concerned about your child’s body image, self-esteem or eating behaviours, consult with your doctor for information and referral.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Body_image_tips_for_parents?open

Our Ego Everyday Test Drivers have reviewed SunSense Bronze Shield.

SunSense Bronze Shield is a light milk sunscreen, easily applied and readily absorbed, with no greasy residue.  The non permanent tint provides instant natural colour for a flawless finish.

BENEFITS

• Helps protect against sunburn and skin ageing
• Instant colour on application
• Dermatologically tested
• Suitable for all skin types

SIZE
200ml bottle

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Shake well.  Use at least 30mL per adult application.  Apply to clear, dry skin at least 15 minutes prior to sun exposure.  Reapply every two hours and after swimming, exercise and towelling dry.

ACTIVES (w/):
Bemotrizinol 2.0%, methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetamethybutylphenol 2.5%, octyl methoxycinnamate 6.0%, titanium dioxide 3.7%.
PRESERVATIVES
Hydroxbenzoates, phenoxyethanol.

Click here to follow us on Twitter

If you like us click here and join us on Facebook

This article offers some suggestions for parents and children to help combat this online abuse.

It’s unpleasant but true — kids can be nasty, and the advent of new technologies has seen schoolyard taunting go cyber and become potentially even more damaging.

Cyberbullying can take the form of abusive e-mails or SMS threats, spreading rumours online, nasty comments in Internet chat rooms or on blogs, or degrading photos (often doctored) and mobile-phone videos posted on the Internet or sent
by phone or e-mail.

For the victim there may seem no escape. The abuse never switches off —
it follows them home on their phone and when they go online. And unlike offensive scrawls on loo walls, cyber insults can be difficult to erase.

For 12-year-old New Zealand schoolgirl Alex Teka, the effects of cyberbullying were appalling. In 2006 the child took her own life after suffering months of relentless abusive e-mails and phone messages from a group of older girls threatening to beat her up.

Any bullying can cause its victim low self-esteem, depression, anger, and poor academic performance. Cyberbullying can be even more unsettling, as the target may not have any idea who their tormentor is.

The perceived anonymity of the Internet adds to the problem. A 2006 survey by the Child Health Promotion Research Centre at Edith Cowan University found that 59 percent of schoolkids pretend to be someone else when they’re online, and 17 percent did so “to act mean to people and get away with it”.

Because they can’t see the effect of their words, children doing the bullying have little empathy for their victim.

“Young people say that they feel they can be nastier if they are bullying this way as they don’t have to look at the person’s face,” says Erin Erceg, the co-director
of the Child Health Promotion Research Centre. As one schoolkid responded in the survey, “Over the Internet … you don’t have to look into their eyes and see they’re hurt.”

Often cyberbullying is just another weapon for kids who bully face to face, but it’s also being used by the victims of bullies as a way to retaliate. And because the Internet and mobile phones are now so much a part of a kid’s social life, many children won’t tell their parents about cyberbullying for fear that this technology will be taken away from them.

The best approach for parents is to keep the lines of communication open.
Let your child know that you can solve the problem together, and you won’t ‘punish’ them for being a victim by taking away their phone.

What parents can do

• Get involved and teach kids a moral code
• Know what technologies your child is using and talk to them about how they’re using them.
• With your child, work out rules about using these tools responsibly and get them to understand that thoughtless actions can cause harm to unseen others.
• It’s not a game.

Be there to help
Let your child know you’re there to help if anybody says or does something that makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened.

If your child is being bullied online:
Signs your child is being bullied online could be a reluctance to use the computer or go to school. If the bullying is from a fellow student, ask the school for help to stop the situation.

It’s a criminal offence to use a mobile phone or any form of communication to menace, harass or offend another person. Most harassing messages can be traced. Report any online harassment and physical threats to your local police
and your Internet Service Provider (ISP). If the bullying is through a mobile phone, tell your phone service provider. If it’s persistent, change the phone number.

What kids can do
Guard your contact information
Kids should only give their mobile phone number, Instant Messaging name or e-mail address to trusted friends, and keep a note of who they have given it to.

Take a stand against cyberbullying
Kids should speak out whenever they see someone being mean to another person online.

What if they are being harassed?
They should tell an adult who can help them do something about it. Kids can block the sender’s messages if they are being bullied through e-mail or Instant Messaging. They should never reply to the messages.

They should keep a record by saving any harassing messages and recording the time and date they received them. They should also let their service provider know about the bullying.

Further links
www.bullyingnoway.com.au has a special section on cyberbullying.
www.cybersafekids.com.au has links to good resources on cyberbullying and advice for kids on safe Internet use.

http://www.womansday.ninemsn.com.au/lifestyle/family/995400/cyberbullying

Read this Better Health article for some great suggestions for keeping your children healthy & active! Do you have any suggestions?
Leave a comment!

Kids love to be active. Making physical activity a part of their daily routine is not only fun, but also healthy. Encouraging kids to be active when they are young establishes a routine that could stay with them throughout their life.

The benefits of physical activity
Some of the benefits of physical activity and exercise for children include:

• Improve cardiovascular fitness (heart and lungs)
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• Improve posture
• Better sleep
• Boost self-esteem and confidence
• Improve concentration
• Help relaxation
• Build strong bones and muscles
• Improve balance and develop skills
• Maintain and develop flexibility
• Opportunities to make friends and enhance social skills.

Recommended amount
Australia’s Physical Activity Recommendations for 5–12 Year Olds state that kids need to do a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. But remember, more is better – even up to several hours! This can be built up throughout the day with a combination of moderate to vigorous activities.

Set a good example
Children learn by example. Research shows that the involvement of parents
in physical activity can increase a child’s participation.

Set a good example for your child in the following ways:

• Regularly participate in physical activity yourself.
• Allow your child to choose the type of activity they are interested in.
• Promote acceptance of different body shapes and ability levels.
• Reinforce the social benefits as well as the physical.
• Help your child develop skills and strategies for coping with different physical activity environments.
• Involve your child in physical activities around the home such as gardening, washing the car or house cleaning.
• Walk short distances instead of taking the car. Encourage and support walking and cycling to school.
• Take your child for regular walks around the neighbourhood. Babies and young children can be pushed along in prams – once they get older, encourage them to walk part of the way.
• Restrict television watching, surfing the net and playing computer games to less than two hours per day. Limit viewing to programs that family members specifically want to watch. When the program is finished,
  turn the television off.

Start early
Good habits are best started early. A young child is naturally active, so build on their inclinations to use their body.

Suggestions include:

• Whenever possible, indulge your child’s interest in physical activity
  – for example, kick the ball with them when they ask.
• Show your child how to perform basic sporting skills, such as ball throwing, skipping and jumping. Research suggests that children whose basic skills are poor tend to avoid sports.
• Take them to the local playground and help them to use the equipment. Have a go yourself – slides and swings are fun, and you are likely to play for longer with your child if you are enjoying yourself too.
• Try out different sports in age-appropriate classes. Many activities have been adapted for toddlers, including gymnastics, football and dance.
• Make sure that some family outings are physically active. For example,
  you could go on bushwalks together.

Alternatives to structured exercise
Any physical activity, not just structured exercise classes, is beneficial to health and wellbeing.

Some fun activities for the family that don’t feel like exercise include:

• Fly a kite in the park or at the beach
• Dance to favourite music
• Ride bicycles along the river or use bike paths
• Play a family game of table tennis
• Swim and splash about at the local pool
• Walk the dog
• Throw a frisbee
• Rollerskate, rollerblade or skateboard (insist that everyone wears appropriate safety equipment)
• Jump on a trampoline.

Staying physically active in the colder months
Being active on sunny days is easy, but most of us tend to stay indoors over winter. Suggestions for staying active in colder months include:

• Rug up and explore the outdoors on cold, wet days.
• Give your child the opportunity to see what places look like when not bathed in sunshine. For example, the beach in winter is definitely worth seeing.
• Splashing through puddles is fun. Put on gumboots and raincoats, and go puddle-jumping with your child.
• Many activities can be performed indoors such as swimming, trampolining, table tennis and cricket. Explore different options in your neighbourhood.
• Some sports, such as Australian Rules football, are traditionally played during the winter months.

Where to get help

• ‘Go for your life’ Infoline service Tel. 1300 73 98 99
• Local council
• Local sporting associations

Things to remember
Set a good example for your children by being physically active yourself.

Incorporate fun physical activities into family outings, such as frisbee throwing, bushwalking or flying a kite.

Expose your child to as many different types of sports and physical activities
as you can.

 http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Children_getting_them_active?open

As we head closer to summer, this article is a timely reminder
to keep sun protection foremost in your mind and on your skin!

Protecting a child from sunburn and long-term overexposure
to the sun reduces their risk of developing skin cancer later in life. Encourage your child or teenager to be SunSmart and use a combination
of sun protection measures – slip, slop, slap, seek and slide.

Overexposure to UV during childhood and adolescence is known to be a major cause of skin cancer. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Two in three Australians will develop some form of skin cancer before they reach the age of 70.

A healthy UV balance is important
A healthy balance of exposure to the sun’s UV radiation is important for everyone’s health. Too much UV can cause sunburn, skin and eye damage and skin cancer. Too little UV from the sun can lead to low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in the blood. It is also necessary for the development and maintenance of healthy bones, muscles and teeth.

Getting the right amount of sun
The amount of time in the sun needed for most people to maintain healthy vitamin D levels depends on the UV Index:

• When UV levels are 3 and above – most people require a few minutes
  of sun exposure to the face, arms and hands on most days of the week.
• When UV levels are below 3 – most people require two to three hours
  of sun exposure (over a week) to their face, arms and hands.
• People with naturally very dark skin need three to six times these exposure levels.

Understanding UV levels and risks
We can see sunlight and feel heat (infrared radiation), but we cannot see or feel UV radiation. The UV Index can reach 3 and above even on cool, cloudy days.
UV radiation comes directly from the sun. It can also be scattered in the air and reflected by surfaces such as buildings, concrete, sand, snow and water.
UV radiation can also pass through light cloud.

To see what the forecast UV levels are for the day and when sun protection
is needed, look for the SunSmart UV Alert in the weather section of your daily newspaper or visit the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website or sunsmart.com.au There is a SunSmart UV Alert for over 200 cities across Australia.

Protecting young children from UV damage
Whenever the UV Index reaches 3 and above, remember to use a combination
of sun protection steps – slip, slop, slap, seek and slide.

Slip – on a shirt
Use cool, loose-fitting clothing to cover as much of your child’s skin as you can.
If possible, choose fabrics that contain full percentages or blends of heavyweight natural fibres like cotton, linen and hemp or lightweight synthetics such as polyester, nylon, lycra and polypropylene. The tighter the fabric structure, whether knitted or woven, the better the sun protection.

Slop – on SPF 30+ sunscreen
Some tips when using sunscreen with children:

• Apply sunscreen about 20 minutes before your child goes outside.
• Apply sunscreen on all parts of your child’s body not covered by
  hats or clothing.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours, as it can come off. Never use sunscreen as the only form of sun protection, as it does not offer complete protection.
• Never use sunscreen to prolong the amount of time you or your child spends out in the sun. You can still get sunburnt if you stay out in the sun for a considerable period of time, even when you are wearing sunscreen.
• You do not need to spend a lot of money on sunscreen – just make sure it is broad spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB), is labelled ‘AS/ NZS 2604:1998’, is rated SPF 30+ and is water resistant.
• The Australasian College of Dermatologists recommends the use of a sunscreen ‘at any age when there is unavoidable exposure to the sun’ and states sunscreen is safe to use on babies. Many brands have a gentler baby’s or toddler’s formula. Sunscreens with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide reflect the UV radiation away from the skin and are less likely
  to cause problems with sensitive skin.
• Store sunscreen in conditions under 30C and watch the expiry date.

Slap – on a broad-brimmed hat
To protect the neck, ears, temples, face and nose, children should wear a broad-brimmed, legionnaire or bucket hat.

Broad-brimmed hats should have a brim of at least 7.5cm. The brim width for children under ten should be proportional to the size of the child’s head and ensure that their face is well shaded.

A legionnaire hat should have the front peak and the long, back flap meet at the sides to protect the side of the face, neck and ears.

Bucket hats should have a deep crown and a brim of at least 6cm (5cm for young children).

Baseball caps and visors offer little protection to the cheeks, ears and neck and are not recommended.

Seek – shade
Try to use shade to protect your child whenever possible. However, even when your child is in the shade, UV can still reach them so it is important that children continue to wear a hat, appropriate clothing and sunscreen.

Slide – on some sunglasses
Where practical, children should wear close-fitting, wraparound sunglasses that cover as much of the eye area as possible. The sunglasses should meet Australian Standard AS1067 and preferably be marked EPF (eye protection factor) 10. There are also swimming goggles with EPF 10.

Be a SunSmart role model
Children copy other people. If you are SunSmart, it will be easier to encourage your children to do the same.

Convincing teenagers that sun protection is important
It is often difficult to convince adolescents of the dangers of too much sun, as they may be more concerned that using sun protection isn’t ‘cool’. Here are some tactics you can try:

• Focus on the health and beauty effects of sun exposure – such as premature ageing, wrinkles, blotches, freckles or burnt, peeling skin.
• Teenagers are very conscious of their appearance, so this may convince them to take precautions.
• Give them a choice – allow your teenager to choose clothing and sunglasses that they will be happy to wear and will provide protection from the sun. Some surf clothing companies produce excellent bucket hats and wraparound sunglasses that will offer good sun protection and pass the ‘cool’ test.
• Work with your child’s school – encourage your school to develop and implement a comprehensive sun protection policy that includes relevant curriculum programs. Cancer Council Victoria’s Schools Program can provide you and your school with the resources and support you need.

Where to get help

• The Cancer Council of Victoria Information and Support Line Tel. 13 11 20
• Multilingual Cancer Information Line, Victoria – see the Cancer Council Victoria website for contact details
• Your doctor
• Your local community health centre

Things to remember
Protecting your child from sunburn and long-term overexposure to the sun can reduce their risk of developing skin and eye damage and skin cancer later in life.

Whenever the UV Index is 3 and above, use a combination of sun protection methods – slip, slop, slap, seek and slide. Be especially careful during the middle
of the day when UV levels reach their peak.

Encourage your child, whatever their age, to be SunSmart and maintain a healthy balance of UV exposure.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Skin_cancer_children