5 Quick Sun Safety Tips
Being sun safe is quick and easy with these great tips. It’s never too late to start caring for your skin! Here are five very easy ways to avoid sun exposure and sun damage, rain or shine, all year long.
Tip #1 Wear a Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide Every Day
One of the best ways to protect your skin from sun damage is by wearing a SPF broad-spectrum sunscreen with zinc oxide. Broad spectrum sunscreens, in addition to preventing sunburns, offer protection against both UVA and UVB rays (Skin Cancer Foundation). We formulated PREP SPF 30 Face+Body Lotion for all skin types, including sensitive skin. We use zinc oxide, the safest and most effective sunscreen agent to defend your skin from both UVA and UVB rays, without using any harsh chemicals. BONUS: It won’t sting your eyes! PREP TIP: Avoid sunscreens that contain these chemicals as they are known to irritate our eyes, skin and hurt our environment
Tip #2 Avoid the Sun from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
The sun’s rays are at their strongest from about 10:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon. While these may seem like peak hours to lounge by the pool or play a game of beach volleyball, this is also the riskiest time to expose your skin to the elements, even if you wear sunscreen and sun-protective clothing. Some dermatologists may recommend avoiding the sun from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, but the point is that from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, you should avoid unnecessary sun exposure. (American Academy of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic).
Tip #3 Reapply Your Sunscreen
When you’re going to be outside all day, reapply your sunscreen. Regardless of being well-formulated or containing broad-spectrum ingredients, if you’re on the beach or on the ski slopes, sunscreens should be reapplied every two hours and should also be reapplied whenever you sweat profusely or are in the water as your sunscreen will come off. Each time you reapply your sunscreen to the body when wearing a swimsuit, make sure to apply about one ounce of sunscreen – this is the equivalent of about two tablespoons of liquid. When wearing normal clothing and applying sunscreen to the face, neck, and arms, then you will need to use less sunscreen. People are notorious for applying only a fraction of that amount of sunscreen, which may in turn be a contributing factor to the thousands of cases of skin cancer each year. Don’t be another statistic; make sure to apply a sufficient amount of sunscreen, and reapply regularly (American Melanoma Foundation, Skin Cancer Foundation).
Tip #4 Wear Sun Protective Clothing
We love that swim shirts and rash guards have become very fashionable are now readily available! If you don’t have a rash guard, remember that darker colors are better able to absorb UV rays than lighter colors, and can prevent more rays from penetrating the skin. Thicker and reflective fabrics, like denim, silk, and corduroy, have tight weaves that also prevent a good deal of UV radiation from reaching the skin, whereas cotton and linen provide very little protection. A white cotton T-shirt can offer an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of about 7, whereas a long-sleeved denim shirt or jacket has about UPF 1,700 – in other words the denim shirt offers near-complete sun protection, whereas the white T-shirt will allow your skin to become burned and sun-damaged. So when shopping for this summer’s beachwear, make sure to look for outfits in darker colors like black, navy, emerald green, and a rich parrot-red (Skin Cancer Foundation, Skin Cancer Foundation).
Tip #5 Wear Sunglasses and Hats
When selecting sunglasses, look for those that protect against 99% - 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Rays with big lenses that wraparound the entire face can help keep additional rays from penetrating the eyes and surrounding skin. When selecting glasses keep in mind those with dark lenses won’t necessarily protect your skin; selecting sunglasses that offer broad-spectrum protection is much more important (Mayo Clinic, American Academy of Ophthalmology). Choosing large, wide-brimmed hats in darker colors can also offer sun protection to those areas of the face and head which are hard to apply sunscreen to, such as close to the hair line and the back of the neck (Skin Cancer Foundation).
Beauty Scoop
Protecting your skin from sun damage is easy. The quick tips we shared above can do wonders to protect you from sun exposure and help reduce your risk of skin cancer. Using PREP SPF 30 Face+Body Lotion every day is your first sun safety tip since the zinc oxide will protect your from both UVA and UVB rays. Remember to wear sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats and limit your sun exposure during the peak hours of 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Wear darker colors and thicker fabrics whenever possible. All of these sun safety tips can prevent sun damage and help you have a lifetime of healthy, beautiful skin! Download and print our PREP Sun Guide for on-the-go reminders.