Tanning is playing with fire as far as your skin cancer risk goes. Here's the latest in defensive sun care, from A+ sunscreens to zinc oxide.
May 9, 2006 (Press Release) --
Higher, yes, but...
The bigger the SPF number, the better it blocks. SPF efficacy is based on the percentage of burning UVB rays it screens: SPF 15 fends off 93 percent; SPF 30 screens 97 percent. Despite only a 4 percent difference, most dermatologists recommend trading up to at least SPF 30 in the summer for extra protection. (Look for broad spectrum on the label, too, which means it also screens UVA rays.)
And smooth it on gently: Rubbing sunscreen vigorously into the skin reduces its effectiveness by at least 25 percent, says Robert Sayre, PhD, a Memphis biophysicist. When in doubt, count: Six passes across the skin deliver the protection promised on the label.
Incidental rays
Add up that stroll to the mailbox, the rays coming through the car window, and the lunchtime walk to the coffee shop, and the average person receives 14 hours of incidental sun exposure each week.
Jellyfish
Being stung by a jellyfish is no day at the beach. That's why Safe Sea SPF 15, 30, and 30+ is a smart solution when you're seaside. It contains a natural chemical that repels saltwater nasties, so you aren't stung. And, unlike combination products with DEET (see B, Bug off!), Safe Sea ($11; www.buysafesea.com) can be reapplied often.
Kids
Sun protection marketed for little ones helps override their resistance to Mom's slatherings: Lavera Kids Plant-Green Sun Spray SPF 25 goes on in a fun shade of green, which gradually disappears ($26.50; www.lavera-usa.com). Zinka sunblock, the same zinc oxide-based product that lifeguards wear, is now available in six colors as well as the original white ($6; go to www.zinka.com for stores).
Other kid-friendly options include Banana Boat Baby Tear-Free Sunblock SPF 50 ($9.50), which won't sting eyes, and No-Ad Disney Sun Pals SPF 30 Spray ($8.50; both at drugstores), a bubblegum-scented product.
Lipstick
Most contain titanium dioxide, a sun-blocking ingredient that protects your pout from old Sol. However, even the darkest shades, which have the most sun-blocking pigment, score only SPF 8. For the beach or mountains, choose lip-protecting lipstick or gloss labeled SPF 30.
Another option: Apply a sunscreen-infused lip balm underneath your favorite lip color. Try Hawaiian Tropic Ozone Sport Sunblock Lip Balm SPF 45+ ($2; drugstores).
Multitasker—not
Moisturizers and makeup with built-in SPF and UVA blockers don't cut it for most outdoor activities. After 2 hours, for instance, foundation tends to shift, leaving patches of unprotected skin. Ariel Ostad, MD, a clinical assistant professor at New York University Medical Center, suggests a safer strategy: Slather on an oil-free sunscreen first and then apply your makeup.
New think, old think
Still assuming that most sun damage occurs before your 20s? Not so. We get less than 25 percent of our total sun exposure by age 18, not the 80 percent dermatologists used to believe, reports the radiation biology branch of the FDA. By age 40, we've soaked up about half our lifetime exposure, and by 60, 75 percent. So, no matter what your age, daily sunscreen use reduces sun damage and allows skin to repair itself.
Source: http://www.msn.com/
The bigger the SPF number, the better it blocks. SPF efficacy is based on the percentage of burning UVB rays it screens: SPF 15 fends off 93 percent; SPF 30 screens 97 percent. Despite only a 4 percent difference, most dermatologists recommend trading up to at least SPF 30 in the summer for extra protection. (Look for broad spectrum on the label, too, which means it also screens UVA rays.)
And smooth it on gently: Rubbing sunscreen vigorously into the skin reduces its effectiveness by at least 25 percent, says Robert Sayre, PhD, a Memphis biophysicist. When in doubt, count: Six passes across the skin deliver the protection promised on the label.
Incidental rays
Add up that stroll to the mailbox, the rays coming through the car window, and the lunchtime walk to the coffee shop, and the average person receives 14 hours of incidental sun exposure each week.
Jellyfish
Being stung by a jellyfish is no day at the beach. That's why Safe Sea SPF 15, 30, and 30+ is a smart solution when you're seaside. It contains a natural chemical that repels saltwater nasties, so you aren't stung. And, unlike combination products with DEET (see B, Bug off!), Safe Sea ($11; www.buysafesea.com) can be reapplied often.
Kids
Sun protection marketed for little ones helps override their resistance to Mom's slatherings: Lavera Kids Plant-Green Sun Spray SPF 25 goes on in a fun shade of green, which gradually disappears ($26.50; www.lavera-usa.com). Zinka sunblock, the same zinc oxide-based product that lifeguards wear, is now available in six colors as well as the original white ($6; go to www.zinka.com for stores).
Other kid-friendly options include Banana Boat Baby Tear-Free Sunblock SPF 50 ($9.50), which won't sting eyes, and No-Ad Disney Sun Pals SPF 30 Spray ($8.50; both at drugstores), a bubblegum-scented product.
Lipstick
Most contain titanium dioxide, a sun-blocking ingredient that protects your pout from old Sol. However, even the darkest shades, which have the most sun-blocking pigment, score only SPF 8. For the beach or mountains, choose lip-protecting lipstick or gloss labeled SPF 30.
Another option: Apply a sunscreen-infused lip balm underneath your favorite lip color. Try Hawaiian Tropic Ozone Sport Sunblock Lip Balm SPF 45+ ($2; drugstores).
Multitasker—not
Moisturizers and makeup with built-in SPF and UVA blockers don't cut it for most outdoor activities. After 2 hours, for instance, foundation tends to shift, leaving patches of unprotected skin. Ariel Ostad, MD, a clinical assistant professor at New York University Medical Center, suggests a safer strategy: Slather on an oil-free sunscreen first and then apply your makeup.
New think, old think
Still assuming that most sun damage occurs before your 20s? Not so. We get less than 25 percent of our total sun exposure by age 18, not the 80 percent dermatologists used to believe, reports the radiation biology branch of the FDA. By age 40, we've soaked up about half our lifetime exposure, and by 60, 75 percent. So, no matter what your age, daily sunscreen use reduces sun damage and allows skin to repair itself.
Source: http://www.msn.com/
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