It's Almost Summer Time, That Means Sunscreen!!

OK, the Australian’s beat us at another thing besides “football”, that’s soccer to us Americans. They are incredibly good at the prevention and identification of skin cancer. Did you know that one American dies from melanoma every hour? This is a  tragic rate since this cancer is curable when caught early. By now, you should know that you should use sunscreen every day both to help reduce your risk of skin cancer and to prevent pesky wrinkles, dark spots, and other signs of premature aging (This alone is reason enough to use sunscreen, I might be feeling older, but I don’t have to look it!). The good news is that there are many things you can do to protect against skin cancer. Here are some of the best ways to stay safe.

Don’t wait until you're outside to apply sunscreen
How many people have you seen get to the beach, spread out their blankets, strip down to their swimsuits, and then start slathering away?  You actually want to apply your sunscreen 30 minutes prior to exposure. That way, it has time to get absorbed and start working! Skin cancer can strike anywhere, especially since rays can still penetrate the fabric of a one-piece, particularly if it's an older suit that's wearing thin. So it's best to apply sunscreen when you're buck naked. Otherwise, if you already have a swimsuit or clothing on, you're likely to apply it sparingly so you don't get it on your clothes, which makes you likely to miss a spot or not apply liberally enough. Strip down in front of a full-length mirror,  this helps ensure you entirely cover tricky spots like the mid-back and backs of the legs. Have your partner or a friend do your back, from the tops of shoulders on down. The most commonly missed areas are toes and feet, including the bottoms of your feet; underarms; back of the neck under the hairline; ears, especially the tops and back of your ears; eyelids; and inner upper arms. Put that stuff everywhere!

Don’t forget to protect your lips
Just like the rest of your skin, lips are vulnerable to UV rays, so it's extremely important to use sunscreen on your lips. But don't use the same stuff you use on the rest of your body—it tastes weird and won't last that long on your lips anyway. So try a lip balm with SPF, which is thicker so it stays on longer. Then reapply even more frequently than you do body sunscreen, since talking, eating, and drinking removes the sunscreen on your lips faster.

Reapply, You can sweat or rinse it all off!
The small print on your sunscreen label matters, so make sure you're choosing the right sunscreen for your activity, especially if that activity involves sweat, a pool, or the ocean. Make sure you get a water-resistant formulation for swimming or activities where you'll perspire, because non-water-resistant formulas can slide right off. Plus, they tend to migrate into eyes and sting, whereas water-resistant ones won't. Manufacturers can’t make claims that sunscreens are water-proof or sweat-proof, but they can claim their product is “water-resistant” for up to 80 minutes in still (not moving) water. That’s the highest claim allowed in the United States. However,  Remember those Australian’s we talked about earlier? Their standards are for 240 minutes in whirlpool water. That’s four hours of continual coverage in 105 degree moving water. We rarely endorse a product, but we have been using Blue Lizard Australian® Sunscreen for years and it is awesome. It is hard to find in the stores but you can find it online or on our website. Yes it is more expensive, but it is definitely worth it. We have some free samples in the office if you would like to try it.

Don’t only use it when it's nice out
Danger! It may seem counter intuitive to slather on sunscreen on a gray or drizzly day, but you can get UV exposure without ever seeing the sun in the sky. Eighty percent of UV rays still come through on cloudy days, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, so don't let the weather affect your sunscreen use. Seeking solace under a beach umbrella or an awning near the pool doesn't mean you're getting adequate protection from the sun. Why? Sand and water both reflect damaging rays, and 34% of UV radiation gets through when you're under a beach umbrella, so you still have to apply sunscreen if you're sitting under cover. Even if you don't get a sunburn, you're still getting UV exposure. Also, unless you choose to spend your time in a windowless bunker, you're not protected from UV rays when you're inside. Driving can be a major source of incidental exposure. The windows and windshield block UVB rays so you don't see a sunburn, but UVA seeps right in, and that's the spectrum that causes most skin aging and skin cancer. Your best bet is to apply sunscreen every morning, then feel free to sit by a window or take a drive! At the very least, try a moisturizer with SPF so you're not adding a step to your daily routine.

Use a broad-spectrum formula with a 30 SPF
It used to be that many sunscreens only blocked UVB rays, the high-energy kind responsible for sunburns. But shielding against UVA rays is just as important because they penetrate the skin more deeply, are constant throughout the year, and cause premature aging. To be fully covered, look for sunscreens labeled "broad spectrum," which means they for both types of rays.
Yes, tanning oil with SPF 8 technically is sunscreen, but it's just not enough protection. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15. That’s great if you want to put it on every 20 minutes. But should you go higher? Some say the often, pricier, high-SPF sunscreens are a waste of money, since they don't provide much more protection—SPF 30 blocks 97% of rays, while SPF 50 blocks just 1% more. The super-high SPFs can provide a false sense of security, like you're protected for longer, but you need to reapply just as often as you would an SPF 30.

Don’t forget to protect your eyes
Sunglasses aren't just a fashion statement—they're critical to keeping your eyes safe from UV rays. Make sure your sunglasses offer UV protection, because some inexpensive styles don't have the protective coating. Without it, the dark lenses actually allow your pupils to dilate, allowing even more UV rays in, which can play a big role in cataract development. Finally, a health reason to buy a pair of nice shades!