Summer is making its way and that means sun, pool days, cookouts and flip flops! The summer months can be filled with adventure and outdoor activities, which is can bring up a very important topic, sunscreen! I’m sure many of us have found ourselves standing in front of all the sunscreen options in the store wondering which one is best. We hope this article helps to make buying your next sunscreen a little quicker and easier!
When it comes to sunscreen, buy one that protects against UVA and UVB rays. On the bottle this is called broad spectrum. UVA rays cause wrinkles in our skin as we age, and who wants to speed that up!? UVB rays are the ones which cause sunburns. Protecting yourself against both of these rays is not only beneficial to you the day you are in the sun, but can help decrease the risk of skin cancers in the future.
Now, what about the SPF? It is recommended that everyone use between 30-50. No sunscreen can protect us 100% from the harmful rays, but this range does a pretty good job when applied properly. It is important to make sure you reapply every 2 hours and don’t forget! Sunscreens effectiveness lowers after 2 hours on the body and you can burn if not reapplied. Make sure to check and see if your sunscreen is water/sweat resistant, because this can also effect when you may need to reapply.
Sunscreen now comes in all different forms. We have creams, sprays, gels, balms, anything you can think of! All these types of sunscreen protect the same way. However, it has been found that when a spray sunscreen is used, enough isn’t applied to the body to fully protect against the rays.
It is very important not to rush through applying because you can also miss spots on your body which can them be susceptible to burning. With creams, it is easy to see where you applied, if you missed any spots and how much you applied. Don’t forget common missed spots, such as the tops of your feet, lips (with balm) and behind the ears!
Sunscreen should be worn by everyone who is exposed to the sun and your body will be thankful you used it!