It's Sunscreen Time! - Merit Educational Consultants
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It’s Sunscreen Time!

It’s that time of year again. Looking forward to sunny days – yes!

I definitely prefer long sunny days and taking walks on the beach to winter’s short days and long nights.  Part of enjoying the great outdoors means protecting our kids, and ourselves, from harmful UVA and UVB rays.  We all know that, right?  So we lather on SPF-60 – or higher! – and think we’re protected all day.

But, sunscreen should be your LAST RESORT, and here’s why:

Wearing sunscreen CORRECTLY requires several reapplications that, quite frankly, few people actually do.  After swimming or sweating, the sunscreen loses much of its protective value.  We need to THINK about the sun and how to best protect ourselves.  Here are 6 tips to consider when you go outdoors:

  1. Wear clothes that cover
    Besides wearing hats and visors, long sleeve shirts and long pants protect your skin from the sun and reduces risk by 27%.  My girls make fun of me for wearing my visor but I don’t want to look like a raisin!
  2. Find shade from the sun
    Sit under trees or canopies, and keep infants in the shade. It’s also much cooler in the shade.
  3. Wear sunglasses
    Protect your eyes and vision by wearing sunglasses.  It’s not just a fashion statement!
  4. Plan your outings
    Head out into the sun in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky.
  5. Don’t get sunburned
    Wear sunscreen on all exposed areas when you’re in direct sunlight. Sunburns that cause soreness and blisters can lead to skin cancer.
  6. Check the UV Index [https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/uv-index-scale-1]
    Before heading out for fun in the sun, check the UV levels for your area so you can plan accordingly.

When choosing your sunscreens, avoid any with Vitamin A because it can harm your skin.  Mineral-only sunscreens like the kind that have zinc oxide and titanium oxide are stable in sunlight and offer a great balance between protection from UVA and UVB radiation. And, they don’t contain harmful additives.

Don’t be misled by SPF values of over 50; they don’t offer more protection. What’s worse, they make people think that they have more protection than they’re actually getting, which may cause them to subject themselves to more UVA/UVB rays. Ouch!

So just think about your sun exposure as you head out to enjoy your summer vacations.  Protect yourself by wearing clothes that cover and try to avoid direct sunlight for extended periods of time. 

 If you’re confused by what SPF levels to buy, you’re not alone.  I even blogged about this last summer!