With summer well underway, one of the most important tools you can have in your skincare arsenal is sunscreen. You may be ready to hit the beach and soak up the sun, but planning your skin care in light of UV rays is essential to your skin’s health. If you don’t protect yourself, prolonged exposure to the sun can put your skin at risk of harmful radiation hazards. While you may have been out shopping for a tube of sunscreen, there’s actually more to understanding how to properly use this vital skincare product than most people realize. If you want to treat your skin as gloriously as it deserves this summer, check out these sunscreen facts most people don’t know about.
Broad Spectrum is the best option.
There are two different types of UV rays, ultraviolet A (UVA) rays and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. UVA rays cause premature aging and are the most common, but UVB rays are the most dangerous type and usually cause sunburn. Any type of UV rays can cause skin cancer, but the broad spectrum protects against both.
Look for sunscreen with at least 30 SPF.
SPF is the sun protection factor of a sunscreen product and tells you how much the sunscreen can protect against UV radiation. You can block 97 percent of the sun’s UV rays with a sunscreen of at least 30 SPF.
Sunscreen can no longer be advertised as waterproof.
In the past, sunscreen manufacturers could advertise that their products were waterproof. That is no longer allowed and must now be advertised as the following: waterproof, which is effective for approximately 40 minutes in water; and very waterproof, which is effective for about 80 minutes in the water. This means that after being in the water or sweating, the AAD suggests reapplying sunscreen every two hours.
Babies under six months should not use sunscreen.
For the most part, babies should not use sunscreen as their skin is much more sensitive than adults. The best way to protect children under six months of age from the sun is to dress them in protective gear, such as long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed hats. Also, making sure they are hydrated is essential.
Are you still using that old tube of sunscreen from the past decade? You may want to check the expiration date and throw it away. Despite popular belief, sunscreen actually does expire, and using an expired product is not a good idea. Most sunscreens will retain their original strength for up to three years. Most products will change in smell and consistency when they begin to expire.
Spray sunscreens are not as effective.
A spray on sunscreen can be convenient and less work, but they’re not as effective as products you have to rub into your skin. This is partly because FDA regulations do not apply to spray products and therefore do not require the same standards and testing as rub-on sunscreens. So if you’re using a spray on sunscreen, make sure you use a sufficient amount and rub it well into your skin.
You need as much sunscreen as a full shot glass.
To really protect your skin, you should use the shot glass size ruler. This means that for a full application, you should use about the same amount of sunscreen that would fit inside a full glass. This is a good way to remember how much sunscreen to use and that you need to use this amount for each application.
There are two types of sunscreen.
Chemical and physical are the two types of sunscreen, which have different ingredients and uses. The chemical sunscreen contains ingredients like avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octinoxate. This type works like a sponge and soaks up the sun’s rays and is easier to apply. The physical sunscreen contains ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide: it is a true shield that reflects UV rays and is ideal for more sensitive skin.
