Sunscreen: Protecting Your Skin From The Sun

Tuesday, May 12 2009

The warm months of summer bring humans out of hibernation, sending them flocking to places like the pool, the beach, the lake, or the park.  While towels, a cooler, and an iPod might be toted along with everyone on their outdoor summer adventures, only half of those doing activities outside are bothering to bring along sunscreen.

We all love the sun, but exposing your skin to too much sun can cause age spots and wrinkles, and even worse, cancer.  Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer, and an estimated 1 million new cases occur each year.  Most skin cancer can be prevented though.  Obviously, the best way is to avoid sun exposure, but who wants to stay out of the sun during the fun summer months?  That’s where sunscreen comes into play.  Sunscreen helps protect your skin while you are exposed to the sun’s harsh rays.   

Here are some tips for sunscreen use:

1. Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes prior to going out in the sun.
    
2. Use sunscreen with a 30 SPF (sun protection factor) or higher.
    
3. Make sure you’ve got everything covered.  It’s easy to forget places like your ears, scalp, nose, and lips.  For your lips, use a lip balm with an SPF of at least 30.
    
4. Follow the directions.  Sunscreens can have different application instructions, so it’s important to follow the directions for your particular sunscreen for the product to be effective.
    
5. Remember to reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours while in the sun, and even more frequently if you’ve been sweating or swimming.

If you think that there is no point in using sunscreen because your skin has already been damaged, think again.  By age 40, you’ve only soaked up half of your lifetime sun exposure.  Using sunscreen reduces damage caused by the sun, and allows the skin to repair itself.

May is national skin cancer awareness month, so do yourself a favor and learn more about skin cancer and skin care.  Have fun in the sun, but take the time to apply sunscreen first, and remember to bring it along with you.  Nobody likes cancer, age spots, or wrinkles.