Sunscreen is a wonder of technology.
Heres our primer on all your sunscreen basics.
When Do I Need to Wear Sunscreen?
Dermatologistswill tell you,all the dang time.
The dermatologists are right, though.
Sunburns happen when youre exposed to a lot of UVB rays from the sun.
They also contribute to your risk of skin cancer.
Ever seenthat photo of the truck driver with lumpy, wrinkly skin on one side of his face?
Who Needs Sunscreen?
Nobody gets off easy here, sorry.
Dark skin protects you a little, but not entirely.
The more melanin you have, the less likely you are to get sunburns or skin cancer.
But Is It Safe?
Sciencehas not found any serious threats to your healthfrom using sunscreen.
If you swim near coral reefs, avoid these ingredients.
Otherwise, any sunscreen is fine.
Going out without sunscreen poses more risk to your health than any of the ingredients in sunscreens.
There arent any effective alternatives to sunscreen, either (besides staying indoors; that works pretty well.)
This also means you dont have to worry about them sucking all the sunscreen off their hands.
How Much Do I Really Have to Use?
As much as you could.
(Spread it any thinner, and its hard to be consistent in your testing.)
But most people apply a quarter of that amount, or half if theyre really trying.
High SPF sunscreen helps to make up for what youre missing.
Yeah, in the lab, SPF 50 and SPF 100 are almost the same.
Applied the way people do in real life,theres a big difference.
Use sleeves, hats, and shade to stay out of the sun anyway.
Even the best sunscreen doesnt protect you 100 percent.
Are Sprays Okay?
Spray until theres a visible sheen, and in theory youre supposed to rub it in.
(I never do, and Im fine.
This is not medical advice though.)
You probably dont want to breathe it in, or get it in your eyes.
I use a lotion on my face (and my kids faces) and spray everywhere else.
Do not ever spray them near a fire.
Can an SPF Moisturizer Replace Sunscreen?
Personally, I use an SPF moisturizer every morning, and then reapply a sunscreen-only product as needed.
The important thing is just to ensure you wear it.
