Sun Safety: Why You Should Wear Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the number one summer essential to keep your skin safe. You might think “oh I never get burnt, there’s no point!”, but that’s not the case. Everyone should wear sunscreen, starting with babies over 6 months of age. Those under 6 months of age should be protected from the sun. In the shade, and in protective clothing. Men, women, and children over that age should wear sunscreen every day!

Why should I use it?

The sun can cause premature skin aging. I’m talking wrinkles, sagging, and age spots! Obviously these are things that come with age, but why get them sooner than you have to? Using sunscreen is simple and a useful strategy in preventing them. Not only does it reduce the risk of wrinkles, but it can help prevent cancer as well.

It works to decrease the risk of skin cancer and skin precancers. According to The Skincare Foundation, using an SPF as low as 15 can lower the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40% and the risk for melanoma by about 50%. Those are odds I like, considering sunscreen only takes a few minutes to apply!

What kind of sunscreen should I use?

There are so many options: what kind should you use? You should use whatever kind you’ll be most consistent with. Whether its a spray, stick, or lotion, it’s just important that you apply it. What SPF should you use? SPF indicates Sun Protection Factor and it tells you the time it would take to get burnt compared to not using sunscreen. This means using SPF 15, would take 15x longer for your skin to burn than without sunscreen. SPF 30 indicates 30x longer! With this in mind, SPF 15 is good for everyday use for short term outdoor activities, while SPF 30 or higher is essential for longer outdoor activities such as hiking, running, or swimming.

Stay safe. Stay protected. Use sunscreen!