Sun Screen

With the warmer weather most of us are outside more doing different activities. So this is the time we need to wear sun screen to protect us from the uv rays that can damage our skin and increase our risk of skin cancer. But one thing some of us may for get is that we should becareful all year round of the sun and use sun screen all the time when we are doing activities outside.
Sun screen isn’t the only thing we should do to protect ourselves but it is one of the easiest things we can do to protect ourselves and is a good first line of defense. So how does it work? Sun screens work by either absorbing , reflecting or shattering the uv rays.
Sunscreens provide either physical or chemical protection from UV light.
• Physical sunscreens form an opaque film that reflects or scatters UV light before it can penetrate the skin. These sunscreens contain ingredients, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Original formulations of physical sunscreens remained white when applied to the skin. Newer formulations blend more with your skin tone and are less noticeable.
• Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays before they can cause any damage. They contain one or more ingredients, such as avobenzone or oxybenzone, which absorb UVA or UVB rays. For broad protection, chemical sunscreens often contain more than one ingredient to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. A newer over-the-counter sunscreen contains mexoryl (Anthelios SX) and offers protection against both UVA and UVB radiation.
All sunscreens products include an SPF, which stands for sun protection factor. The SPF number is a measurement of the amount of UVB protection — the higher the number, the greater the protection. Currently, there’s no standard rating system that measures UVA protection.
SPF is not an indication of how much time you can spend in the sun. For example, if you use a sunscreen with an SPF 30 rather than one with an SPF 15, it doesn’t mean you can stay in the sun twice as long. In reality, an SPF of 15 filters out about 93 percent of the UVB rays; SPF 30 filters about 97 percent of UVB rays. The beneficial effects of sunscreen decreases over time, so after a few hours the difference between the two may be even less.
Don’t rely on the SPF factor to decide how long you’re safe in the sun. And don’t count on your skin to tell you when you’ve had too much sun. It may take up to 24 hours for a sunburn to develop fully.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that, regardless of skin type, a broad-spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB rays), water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 should be used year-round.
Not all sunscreens are the same. Be sure to:
• Select a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Broad-spectrum products provide protection against both UVA and UVB radiation. Look on the ingredient labels for oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, avobenzone (Parsol 1789), ecamsule, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.
• Watch for added ingredients that may irritate your skin. Some sunscreens contain fragrances, preservatives and other ingredients that cause skin reactions in some people. If you have sensitive skin, look for sunscreen that doesn’t contain potential allergens, such as fragrances or dyes, and is specifically designed for your type of skin.
• Understand labels. Look for sunscreens labeled “water resistant,” which offers some protection against washing off in water or when perspiring heavily. Sunscreens can no longer be labeled “waterproof” because all sunscreens wash off to some extent. Other terms that can no longer be used on sunscreen product labels include “sun block” (no product actually blocks all UV rays) and “all-day” (no sunscreen lasts all day).
• Make sure any product you use actually contains sunscreen. Many tanning oils and lotions don’t. Products that don’t contain sunscreen are required by law to clearly indicate that on the label.
So how much does a person need to put on? Well most people use sunscreen too sparingly. A liberal application is 1 ounce — the amount in a shot glass — to cover all exposed parts of the body. If you have a 4-ounce bottle, you’ll be using about one-fourth of it for one application. Be sure to rub the sunscreen in well.
To maximize protection, apply sunscreen liberally 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, or sooner as needed.
Lets all remember to put on sun screen before we go out and do all those activities that we enjoy to do outside cause we all know that we hate it when we get sun burned. So enjoy the outdoors and make sure you take the right precautions to enjoy every minute of it.