One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is protecting it from the sun. Excessive sun exposure can cause wrinkles and other skin issues such as increasing the risk of skin cancer. Most skin cancer can be prevented. Although people with darker skin don’t get sunburn as easily, they still can get skin cancer. It’s still important to use sun protection no matter the skin color you have.
Avoid sun exposure
The best way to prevent a sunburn is to avoid sun exposure.
Stay out of the sun when you can from 10 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon because it has the strongest sunlight. Find shade if you are be outdoors.
You can see how much UV ray exposure you are getting by using the shadow rule: A shadow that is longer than you are means UV exposure is low; a shadow that is shorter than you are means the UV exposure is high.
Sun protection
If you can’t avoid being in the sun, use a sunscreen to help protect your skin while you are in the sun.
Sunscreens come in lotions, gels, creams, and sprays. Use a sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 or higher, and says “broad-spectrum” that protects the skin from ultraviolet A and B (UVA and UVB) rays.
For extra protection, you can wear hats that cover your neck, ears, eyes, and scalp, and sunglasses with UV ray protection which helps prevent eye damage.
Choosing a sunscreen
Use lip balm or cream that has SPF of 30 or higher to protect your lips from getting sunburned as well
Sunscreens labeled “water-resistant” are made to protect people while they are swimming or sweating. Take extra care to protect your skin when you’re near the water, at high elevations, or in tropical climates.
Look at the label to see if the sunscreen protects you for 40minutes or 80 minutes. Be sure to read the information on the sunscreen label aout its SPF value and how much protection it gives your skin.
Follow the directions on the label for applying the sunscreen so it is most effective in protecting your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays
Applying the sunscreen
Apply sunscreen at least 15 to 30 minutes before going out into the sun.
Apply the sunscreen to all the skin that’s exposed to the sun, including your nose, ears, neck, scalp, and lips.
Sunscreen needs to be applied evenly over the skin and in the amount the label recommends. Most sunscreens are not completely effective because they are not applied correctly.
Apply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours while you’re in the sun, especially after swimming or sweating a lot. The SPF value will decrease because water on the skin reduces the amount of protection that the sunscreen provides
For Specific Skin Types
If your skin is sensitive to skin products or you’ve had an allergic reaction to a sunscreen, use sunscreen that doesn’t have any chemicals, para-aminobenzoic acid, preservatives, perfumes, or type of alcohol.
If you have high exposure to the sun, try using a physical sunscreen like zinc oxide, because it’ll stop most of the sunlight from reaching your skin.
Comments