Home Sunscreens and Sunblocks How to Choose and Wear Sunscreens
How to Choose and Wear Sunscreens
Acne and Skin Care Product - Suncreens and Sunblocks
As you know, you should wear sunscreens every day, it’s important to your skin care. There are so many different sunscreens available.  How do you decide which one is right for you?  Sunscreen absorbs the ultraviolet rays sent down by the sun.  It is very important to wear sunscreen in the sun to help prevent getting burnt while could lead to skin cancer in the long term.  Here I will include some more tips of choosing the right sunscreen.

You should apply sunscreen about 15 to 30 minutes before heading out into the sun to go swimming, play volleyball, or to just enjoy the summer weather.  The average adult requires one ounce, two tablespoons’ worth, of sunscreen for full body coverage.  Use sunscreen even on a cloudy day because the sun’s UV rays can still penetrate through those clouds.  On a cloudy day, 80 percent of the suns rays can still pass through the clouds for potential danger to your skin.  Check the expiration date of sunscreen when buying it or pulling it out of your cabinet from the previous year.  Some ingredients in sunscreen can spoil over time, so it would be best to keep up to date sunscreen for use.  It’s also very important to remember to reapply your sunscreen every two hours.  Without reapplying, you are a target for the sun!

Choose a sunscreen that protects against both ultraviolet A and B sun rays.  These can damage the skin badly.  Next, you should choose a sunscreen with at least a SPF, which is sun protection factor, of 15.  This allows a blockage of about 93 percent of the UVB rays.  If you have light or fair skin, then you should definitely choose a sunscreen with a high SPF, higher than 15.  Higher SPF’s deflect almost 100 percent of the ultraviolet rays.  A sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher is recommended for people that are at high risk for skin cancer.

Another important factor in choosing sunscreen, especially if you plan on getting in the water, is water resistant or waterproof.  This is also important if you plan on doing heavy activities where you plan to perspire.  You may not think there is a difference between the two but there is.  Water resistant sunscreen protects up to 60 minutes and waterproof sunscreen protects up to 80 minutes of water exposure.

If you have dry skin then buy a sunscreen that includes an ingredient to increase moisture so that you are sure to not dry out your skin more.  If you have oily skin, choose an oil-free based sunscreen.  There are even sunscreens for sensitive skin.  Choose a sunscreen that only contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.  These will help not to not cause irritation and redness to your skin.

Another tip is to get some lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher to protect your lips.  Lips hurt when they are burnt or chapped.  They are just as vulnerable to the sun as your face and body are.  

Be sure to avoid sunscreen oils because they have a low SPF and are not made for reflecting the sun.  They have little or no protection.  

Choosing the right sunscreen to wear for your skin type is very important.  There are many different sunscreens out there for each skin type, whether you be dark or light or have oily or dry skin.  Be sure to read the label and check the expiration date.  You don’t want to buy sunscreen that may not work to its greatest effectiveness.  Don’t forget to reapply every two hours to maintain protection.