Wear Your Sunscreen

By George K. Verghese, MD

Mid-Atlantic Skin Surgery Institute

. https://midatlanticskinsurgery.com/

More Beauty Skin Care & Gorgeous Smiles Articles

Wear Your Sunscreen

With outdoor activities soon to be in full swing for the summer, it's important to remember to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.

Unfortunately, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the large number of sunscreen products available. Which is why it is important to make smart choices when it comes to sun protection reducing your risk for skin cancer as well as keeping your skin looking healthy and youthful.

When looking for a sunscreen, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you carefully read the label on sunscreen products. It stresses that you should seek sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum coverage against UVA and UVB rays, has a SPF 30 or higher, and has water resistance.

They also recommend that sunscreen be applied 15 minutes prior to going in the sun and re-applied approximately every two hours when outdoors. One full ounce or enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass should be used each time.

To make it easier for you to make informed decisions about choosing sunscreens, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires sunscreen makers to follow new labeling rules. Manufacturers are required to follow stricter testing and labeling rules. Specifically, labels must detail whether the sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVB and UVA rays); reduces the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging in addition to helping prevent sunburn, or just protects against sunburn alone; and is water-resistant up to 40 or 80 minutes.

By following the American Academy of Dermatology's suggestions, you will greatly reduce your chances of being one of the two million people diagnosed annually with skin cancer.