Elementary school children do not have to deal with acne as of yet, but that does not mean that they will not have to have the proper skin care. Think, for a moment, about a child's average daily schedule. Almost always it involves a lot of running around. This is where the skin care comes in.

Especially during the summer months, children have a tendency to sweat a lot. They do not have to be going through puberty to have body odor, it can accumulate during a day of sweating and playing at a playground that is bound to have some dirt with it.

So, the most important thing a parent should do as part of a proper skin care regimen is to make sure that, each night before bed, the child is given a shower. Obviously, the parent will have to be there to make sure that the child properly washes his or herself, and that the child does not slip.

For the skin care to be at its most effective, a bath should not be the first choice. Why? Because the moment a child gets into the water, excess sweat and dirt accumulated from a day at school and playing goes into the water, and the child is just repeatedly washed with that dirty water. Thus, the child emerges from the bath only slightly cleaner than before.

No matter what the skin type of the child, it is important to use only the gentlest of shampoos and soaps. Lye soap (most commonly found in the regular bar form) is too harsh for a child's skin. Instead, it is best to use natural child-safe bath products.

Then, of course, there is the issue of protecting a child against the sun. Children are always at risk for too much sun exposure. Did you know that you should even put an SPF of at least 15 on a child's face when he or she is playing outside on a snowy day? You should, because the snow acts as a reflector for the sun, and actually intensifies the sun's rays!

People who suffer from skin cancer got the majority of their skin damage by the time they were in their teens! Thus, it is extremely important for you as a parent to make sure that the child avoids sunburns whenever an excursion at the beach is planned. In such cases, an SPF of 45 is preferable. If a child still ends up with a sunburn, it is important to treat it with aloe as soon as possible.

Additionally, whenever a child gets a cut it is extremely important to take care of it quickly to prevent infection. First, wash the cut with warm water. Next, apply an ointment to it. Finally, place an air-tight band aid over it. So, bottom line, when it comes to taking care of your child's skin, be responsible.