Sunscreen is one of those uncomfortable but necessary things to bring with you when you go outside. It is often greasy and unpleasant to apply-getting on everything apart from skin-and it can be washed off so easily that it is important to apply it regularly. However, even when people use sunblock every day, the truth is that they are still not doing it correctly and are making mistakes that could result in burns or risky exposure to UV rays. Arizona Sun explains to customers exactly what they should be doing to ensure that they are always safe when using sunscreen and how to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful sunlight.
Applying Spf Sunscreen Effectively
One of the most serious issues with the wide availability of different types of sunscreens is that people simply do not know how to apply it. The American Academy of Dermatology says that "Most people only apply 25-50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen". This means that the majority of us are just not using enough. They recommend that sunscreen should cover all areas of the skin that clothing does not, and that it takes about a shot glass's worth of sunscreen to cover an adult body.
People also forget to apply it to certain parts of the body, such as the neck and ears. All of these are locations where the UV light can burn the skin. In addition, the lips are often unprotected, and skin cancer can develop there too. A lip balm or sunscreen stick will protect the lips and avoid the risk of burns to the face.
Leaving It Too Long Between Sunblock Applications
The biggest mistake made when wearing sunscreen outside is to go for too long without applying a fresh layer. People often think that because they are using a high level of SPF sunscreen, they are fully protected, but this is incorrect. The AAD are quite clear that sunscreen will become ineffective after two hours, and that reapplication needs to be done consistently to avoid gaps where exposure to UV light becomes possible.
In addition, some types of sunscreens only protect for UVB rays, and are not resistant to UVA, which have recently been associated with ageing and with melanomas when associated with other types of UV light. So stronger, broad-spectrum sunscreens are needed to protect wearers, and it should always be reapplied after two hours.
Using A High Standard Of Sunscreen
The best that you can do is to ensure that you always use a sunscreen which has an SPF of 30 and more in order to keep yourself protected against UV rays. In general, SPF 30 sunblock will block about 97 percent of UV rays, so the higher the rating the more protection you receive. At Arizona Sun you can find high quality sunscreen that will block the majority of UV rays. To find out more about our products, check out our online store.