Stepping up Your Sunscreen Game
By Donna Stark
With a dermatologist in the family and a college-aged daughter who is more into skincare than she is with boys, believe me when I say I have heard it all when it comes to applying sunscreen. Especially since I am apparently the palest person living in the southwest, or at least that's what I have been told. But I don't think I am the only one who is constantly reminded about the importance of applying sunscreen. I think we are all reminded once those temperatures rise and summer comes prancing back into our lives. And since we are still in the midst of the hot, sunny season, I feel it is my duty to not only remind you, but to make sure you aren't making these common mistakes. Take a look.
Not Applying Sunscreen on Cloudy Days
You may not need sunglasses on those cloudy days, but you still need sunscreen. Clouds are great for filtering out sunlight, but not so great for blocking UV rays. In fact, they may only block as much as 20 percent, which means the other 80 percent is still coming through and hitting your body. Not sure what UV rays are? Well, they're the ones that can cause aging and cancer.
Forgetting Your Hands
Next to your face, your hands get the most sun exposure on your body, but many people don't even give them a second thought when it comes time to apply sunscreen. And honestly, it couldn't be any easier because you already have the lotion in your hands when you are applying it everywhere else on your body! So just rub it in! And keep those wrinkles away!
Not Reapplying
How many times as a kid did you think that once your mom sprayed your body with sunscreen that you were done with it for the rest of the day? Well, that's not exactly how it works. Sunscreen isn't one of those "one and done" kind of products. You need to reapply it and you need to reapply it every few hours.
Thinking You're Excluded if You Have a Tan
Just because you are tanned and golden, doesn't mean your body is being protected. It's actually still absorbing plenty of the sun's harmful rays and you can still wind up with sun damage. So put the sunscreen on. Pack it in your bag. It doesn't matter if you have pasty white legs like me or if you have that base tan and "never burn." The sun will still attack.
Protecting Yourself
Stepping up your sunscreen game can be one of the most important behavior changes you can make in your life! Keep yourself (and your loved ones) safe and enjoy the rest of your summer! But don't forget, sunscreen should also be worn year-round!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Denver, Colo.