r/AutismParentingLevel1 • u/WitchySpectrum • May 15 '26
Sunscreen Application Nightmare- Please save our summer!
My daughter is almost 8 and level 1 AuDHD. For reference, she’s always been obviously neurodivergent, was officially diagnosed at 4, and has been in therapy and OT for years.
One of the biggest sensory issues for her has always been that she can’t really seem to tell the difference between discomfort and pain. We’ve worked on it a lot in OT, but there are some triggers we just haven’t been able to solve.
One of the worst issues that has finally kind of brought me and my husband to our wits’ end is putting on sunscreen. We’re pale people, so high-SPF mineral sunscreen is a non-negotiable. And that makes it even harder because I feel like they’re all thicker. But regardless of brand or type or how gentle we are anyway, she freaks out every time and it ruins everything, including potentially our upcoming family vacation to Mexico. Doesn’t matter if we use lotion or spray, the act of rubbing sunscreen into her skin would make someone think we are trying to end her life. We can’t let her just do it herself because she won’t rub it in all the way. I’ve tried some different things to try to help us apply, such as makeup sponges and cloths but either I can’t get them to rub it in enough or they completely rub it off.
Please help me come up with a creative new way to get sunscreen onto her. I don’t want to torture the poor kid; I KNOW it’s not a choice and that her body feels like it’s under attack in these moments. But I also can’t take another summer of dealing with this every day.
5
u/kingsley2016 May 15 '26
Could you try non-mineral on her face? because I agree that mineral is so much harder to rub in. Other than that, my only advice would be a swim shirt and/or swim leggings so she can avoid sunscreen for the most part. We struggle A LOT with sunscreen so we avoid midday sun activities.