7 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Sunscreen Protection

After a long, gray winter, people in the Northeast love nothing more than getting outside and letting the sun touch their skin. While sun exposure can lead to some great benefits, such as a boost in vitamin D, there are darker sides to the sun, namely skin cancer and photoaging.

Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays is the leading driver of skin cancer, which affects 1 in 5 Americans by the age of 70. And if skin cancer weren't reason enough to protect yourself from the sun, consider this — sun exposure is responsible for 90% of the visible signs of aging in your skin.

Apart from avoiding the sun altogether, the most effective way to protect yourself from sun exposure is to use sunscreen. To make sure you’re getting the most out of this protection, the team of board-certified dermatologists at Dermatology Associates of Western Pennsylvania wants to review a few great rules of thumb for using sunscreen. 

1. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen

The sun can radiate ultraviolet (UV) energy onto your skin in different wavelengths — namely UVA and UVB. So, it’s important that you use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both types of harmful UV rays.

To avoid sun spots, you should use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that also contains iron oxide to deflect light.

2. Make sure you’re using SPF 30 or higher

We prefer an SPF of at least 30 to protect your skin properly.

3. Apply sunscreen before you head out

It takes about 15-20 minutes for sunscreen to settle on your skin and provide protection, so we advise applying it before you head outside. 

4. Reapply your sunscreen after two hours 

Once you’re outside, it’s important to keep the sunscreen protection going by reapplying at least every two hours. This timeline is shorter if you're sweating a lot or you’re in the water. In these cases, you should reapply sunscreen just as soon as you dry off.

5. Consider waterproof sunscreen

As we just discussed, you must reapply sunscreen frequently if you’re exercising outdoors or going in and out of the swimming pool or ocean. In these cases, it’s a very good idea to make sure that your sunscreen is waterproof.

6. Support your sunscreen use with other sun protection steps

Sunscreen is a great line of defense against exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, but it’s not perfect. To support your sunscreen efforts, it’s a good idea to also cover up whenever possible with a hat and long sleeves. Or, you might want to be in the shade between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is at its peak.

7. Remember to protect these areas

Most people concentrate their sunscreen usage on obvious areas, such as the face, arms, and legs. The body has plenty of other areas that can benefit from sun protection, such as your:

• Scalp
• Feet
• Behind your neck 
• Ears
• Around the eyes

If your back is exposed, enlist some help to make sure you’re well covered with sunscreen in this hard-to-reach spot.

Finally, patients commonly ask, “what sunscreen should I use?”  

Our providers agree that it is “the sunscreen you will wear and re-apply!”  Keep some options at home so you have a broad spectrum daily sunscreen that can be used for your face and hands when going to work or running errands, a high SPF option for outdoor exercise or gardening, and of course, a waterproof bottle of sunscreen for pool or beach days.  If you like the scent and texture of your sunscreen options, you’re more likely to use them consistently.  

With a little effort on your end and vigilant oversight on ours, through your annual skin check, we can go a long way toward protecting you against skin cancer and the premature signs of aging.

If you have more questions about using sunscreen properly or overall skin health, we’re happy to help. To get started, you can contact us at our office in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, by calling 412-262-1064.