Sun Safety & Sunscreen Application Tips

With summer on the horizon, you are probably starting to spend more time outdoors. It is essential to wear sunscreen to protect your body from the harmful effects of the sun. Sunlight consists of ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays, both of which are harmful to humans. UVA rays cause suppression of the immune system, which has a negative impact on the body’s ability to protect against the development and spread of skin cancer. UVB rays cause a sunburn to occur, which can also lead to the development of skin cancer. There are more than 1 million cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the United States each year. To minimize your risk, wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun — even on non-sunny days. Sunscreen should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before going outside and should be reapplied every two hours or after swimming. Even if you do not typically burn from the sun, your skin is still at risk from the harmful UV rays. I wanted to give my readers a reminder to make sure to apply and reapply your sun screen whenever you go outside.

Tips for Staying Safe in the Sun

Slip, Slop, Slap!  The American Cancer Society uses this as a fun reminder to Slip on a Shirt, Slop on some Sunscreen, Slap on a Hat.

It is highly recommended to use Broad-Spectrum UV radiation blockers with SPF of 30 or greater whenever you are going to be in the sun.

Traditional (chemical filters based) sun-screens (based on chemical filters) should be applied approximately 30 minutes before exposure to the sun. Mineral based sunscreens however are effective right after application.

Periodically reapply sunscreen to ensure continuous protection.  A good rule of thumb is to reapply lotion every 2 hours, taking care to rub the cream into all exposed areas of the body (don’t forget lips and ears!). Each sunscreen has its own instructions regarding how to apply and reapply, so remember to read the label.

Even if labeled as “Water Resistant”, sunscreens can wash off when you swim or sweat and then use a towel to dry off. So, remember to reapply after exposure to water.

Avoid being outdoors during the middle of the day. UV radiation tends to be strongest around midday, so if possible, try to avoid exposure to the sun during the hours before and after. If however you do intend to be outdoors during the middle of the day, remember to follow all of the other precautions listed here, and try to find as much shade as possible.

Cover up skin with clothing and hats whenever possible.  The more of your skin that is covered, the more protected you will be.  Different pieces of clothing however provide differing levels of protection. As a rule, darker colors protect more than lighter ones, and tightly woven fabric protects more than loosely woven.

Wear Sunglasses!  Your eyes, and the skin around them are delicate and prone to sun damage if not protected. Wear sunglasses that protect as much area around the eyes as possible, taking care to ensure that the lenses are certified as offering UV protection.

Keep your kids safe! The FDA recommends that you should keep infants under the age of 6 months out of the sun completely.  For children older than 6 months, limiting exposure to sun is a good idea, but if they are exposed to direct sunlight, take care to use a sunscreen that is suitable for their tender young skins.

3 Sunscreen Application Tips

Some ingredients used in certain lotions can inhibit the way sunscreen ingredients deposit/spread on the skin. Based on this fact, I recommend applying sunscreen first to make sure that nothing interferes with the deposition of the active ingredient.

If you are applying a product on top of the sunscreen, it’s best to wait a little while before applying the second product. Try applying the sunscreen as the first step in your post-cleaning routine, then do the rest of your beauty routine. Finally, come back and apply your facial moisturizer. This will give the sunscreen time to soak in and minimize the change for negative interaction.

To save time and effort, you could solve your problem by using a moisturizer with sunscreen in it. That’s probably the best approach because the sunscreen active has been tested with the rest of the ingredients in the formula.

Difference between Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide

Zinc Oxide
An inorganic compound that provides the full protection against UVA/UVB range. Our zinc oxide is naturally sourced mineral that forms a physical barrier on the skin that blocks and deflects the sun’s harmful UV rays away from the skin.

Titanium Dioxide
Titanium Dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral that provides additional coverage to block UVA and UVB rays to further reduce UV damage to the skin.