Have “The Talk”. Teach Your Kids To #MimicMommy And Keep Skin Safe With Neutrogena

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Neutrogena. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.
Have you ever gotten a really bad sunburn? I have, on a number of occasions. As a teenager I loved the sun. I spent a minimum of 8 hours per day basking in the sun almost every day of the week, either working as a lifeguard, practicing with the swim team, or just hanging out. There was never a thought of the damage the sun can to to your skin. There was never a thought of skin cancer. I never gave skin cancer much of a thought at all until my Mom was diagnosed with it several years ago. It was around that same time that we began to notice my youngest son has some serious sensitivity to the sun. If he goes out without protection he will turn splotchy and then pale and then get physically ill. He got one sunburn once and he was so ill, it was horrible to see.
As it turns out, just 2 painful sunburns during childhood can significantly raise the risk of developing melanoma. This fact really surprised me! There are a few other facts about sun safety that may surprise you.

Nowadays we do what we can to protect ourselves. My Mom always wears a hat now. Following her lead, I have my son wear a hat. Having alopecia areata his scalp is more exposed than that of a typical child because there are areas with little to no hair. We keep plenty of sunscreen on hand. I find it helpful to have a couple of different types of sunscreen. Neutrogena is the #1 dermatologist recommended sunscreen, and they offer products to fit every need.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer is lightweight and dry to the touch. It almost makes you feel like you’re applying a sheer lotion. The area around the eyes is the perfect place to use a Neutrogena sunscreen stick, leaving no worry about getting anything into your child’s eyes. During the summer when you’re near a pool or other body of water, the Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids line is perfect. These products can be applied directly to wet skin, removing the need to towel dry your child before applying protection.
We’ve already had some blistering heat here at the Jersey shore. With temperatures soaring across the nation – it’s even been hot enough to fry eggs on the street in Arizona – it’s more important than ever to stay protected in record-breaking summer heat. Knowing this, Neutrogena has launched its #MimicMommy campaign, designed to rally moms to use sunscreen in front of their kids to demonstrate the importance of daily sunscreen use. Neutrogena found that children best adopt sun-safe habits by watching their parents apply sunscreen on themselves. This game of “monkey see, monkey do” educates children early on to choose sun safe behaviors.
As part of the #MimicMommy campaign, Neutrogena teamed up with Brand Ambassador Kristen Bell who brings the whole concept to life in a funny yet relevant video that shows how parents can really have “The Talk” with their kids. The hope is that the video will help emphasize the importance of having this talk with kids, and that the talk will help kids understand how important it is to keep their skin safe.

In addition to the message it sends, this video can make an impact. Neutrogena will donate $1 for every video share (up to 15,000) to the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation (CMPF) – a non-profit organization committed to preventing skin cancer, one child at a time.
Join the Neutrogena #MimicMommy campaign and help keep both you and your kids safe this summer.

Have you had “the talk” with your child yet? How do you help protect yourself or your child from the sun?

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