Sunscreen Facts You Must Know for Your Life's Sake

Sun Protection is a fact of life™

Sunscreen facts are must-know information for everybody with sun exposure in their plans. Unless you intend to live in a cave, a bomb shelter and other enclosed areas, these facts must be learned, understood and adopted for your own safety.

Who Must Use

One of the most important sunscreen facts that you must know is that sunscreen must be used by everybody. Since every person has skin on their bodies, every individual is at risk for Skin Cancer with many at higher risks than others.

The most controllable of these risk factors is to adopt sun protection at all times regardless of the season. Many surfaces in nature and man made structures are highly reflective, thus, bouncing off the sun's UV rays into the skin.

Sunburns, which are one of the causes of skin cancer, are always a possibility under the sun so slather on the sunscreen.


What to Use

The second of the important sunscreen facts that you must know is that not all sunscreens are created equal to the task of ultraviolet protection.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a sunscreen with protection against the ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays is the best for this purpose.

These two types of ultraviolet rays are known to cause skin cancer that, in turn, can spread to other areas of the body when left untreated. Less serious but still disturbing skin damage wrought by the sun includes premature ageing, age spots and leathery skin.

The sunscreen must also be SPF 30 for maximum protection. If you think that slathering on an SPF 15 sunscreen at two times the recommended amount makes it SPF 30, think again. It will still remain SPF 15 even when you pour the entire bottle on your skin.


When to Use

As previously mentioned, you must use sunscreen every day especially when going outdoors in any condition and in any place.

Clouds, sand, snow, water, glass, and concrete are highly reflective surfaces for UVA and UVB rays, which mean that your skin can still suffer from sunburn even when the sun is not shining.

Even in indoor spaces, it is still recommended to apply sunscreen because UVA rays can penetrate glass. If you can install a home window tint, you will have lesser sun exposure indoors.


How Much to Use

You would do well to remember the following safe sun guidelines in the application of sunscreen:

• Apply on dry skin at least 15-30 minutes before direct sun exposure outdoors. This way, your skin will have time to absorb the ingredients.

• Slather on all exposed areas especially the hands, arms, ears, neck and face as well as the legs and feet. We recommend an amount approximately equal to a shot glass for the whole body and face just to be on the safe side.

• Apply a lip balm with SPF 30 to protect the lips.

You must also remember to reapply the sunscreen. If you are engaging in normal activities, two-hour intervals are sufficient. If you are sweating or swimming, apply within an hour as the sunscreen gets washed away by the water.

Of course, we will recommend natural sunscreen as this is a safer alternative to commercial sunscreens. With these sunscreen facts in your hand, you are now well-equipped to protect yourself and your life.

Join in and share your experience or story. How?
Simply click here to go to Organic Sunscreen Reviews and Stories.