During this time of year, I always try to take an afternoon to go through all of my summer gear. I have to make sure that my swimsuit still fits me, double check that I have enough beach towels and find my summer tote.
One of the most important things that I do though is to check the expiration date on my sunscreen and buy some new stuff if necessary. When one of my friends asked me why I was tossing out perfectly good sunscreen, I realized that there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings regarding sun block. Did you know that sunscreen expires? When it does, its effectiveness is compromised.
So I’ve compiled a list of four common sunscreen misunderstandings. Hopefully this will clear up some questions you might have about this important summer staple!
Myth #1: I have water-resistant sunscreen, so I can apply it like normal sunscreen. While water-resistant or water-proof sunscreen does do a better job of protecting you from the sun’s harmful rays if you’re in the water, different application rules apply. Regular sunscreen requires reapplication every 2-3 hours to guarantee protection. If you’re in the water though, plan on reapplying every 40 minutes. I just program my cell phone to set off an alarm as a reminder.
Myth #2: I’m going to wear a t-shirt the whole day, so I just need sunscreen on my arms. If you’re going to be in the sun all day, wearing a t-shirt is a great idea. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that you are completely protected. A t-shirt typically carries about 4 SPF, meaning that the sun can still burn you through the clothing. Put sunscreen on before getting dressed – your skin will thank you!
Myth #3: My make-up all contains SPF, so my face is covered and protected. Make-up often provides you with some sun protection, but it’s usually not enough. For example, if you wore only powder, you would need to apply 14 times the amount typically used in order to get the protection you need. Also, the SPF values of each make-up do not add up to equal your total protection. Instead, you will only get the highest level of SPF among the products that you are using.
Myth #4: I’m wearing SPF 30 sunscreen, so I’m twice as protected as people wearing SPF 15. The numbers on bottles of sunscreen can be somewhat misleading. While SPF 30 sunscreen will provide you with more protection, the actual amount is somewhat limited (and definitely not doubled). An SPF of 15 will protect you from 94% of the harmful rays while SPF 30 will protect you from 97%. In fact, SPF 15 works just fine for most people. Those with fair skin or a history of skin cancer may want to bump up to SPF 30 or higher.
Have you heard of any other myths or do you have any questions about sunscreen? Leave me a comment and I’ll address them!
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