Staying Safe In The Sun

July 5, 2005

We’ve all heard the omnipresent warnings about sun exposure, so I’ll spare you the lecture about how dangerous the sun’s rays can be. It’s my sincere hope that if premature aging doesn’t convince you to swear you off sun-worshipping, then the skin cancer warnings will. So instead of a speech detailing why you should be taking care of you, I’ll focus on the how. Here’s my practical guide to keeping yourself safe in the sun this summer.

Know which suncreen to choose
While the natural inclination is to grab the brightest colored bottle on the shelf, selecting a good sunscreen requires more than just finding the most appealing coconut fragrance. Be selective and pay special attention to the SPF factor, the water resistance and broad spectrum capabilities.

Think of the SPF number as a multiplier: if you can usually stay in the sun for 20 minutes before you begin to burn, then you can sustain 300 minutes (or 5 hours) at the beach wearing an SPF15. Consider this equation:

20 (minutes you can usually stay in the sun) x 15 (SPF factor of your sunscreen) = 300 minutes or 5 hours of protection

Those numbers are only estimates and other factors can decrease the efficacy of your sunscreen. You’ll also want to look for a lotion that boasts water-resistant capabilities (the FDA recently outlawed the term “waterproof” for suncare products) and “broad spectrum protection”, indicating it also offers some defense against damaging UVA rays.

Understand how to apply your sunscreen
• Sunscreen is chronically under-applied; the average adult needs the amount equivalent to one shot glass, roughly 1 ounce per application, for complete protection.

• Slather it on a full 20-30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours; every 40-60 minutes if you’re in the water.

• Massage sunscreen onto all exposed areas of skin…including the face, ears, neck, top of your feet and back of your hands. And don’t forget that precious pout- it needs a lip balm with an SPF of 15, too.

Consider whether you’re "high risk"
If you fall into any of the following categories, then you likely have increased sensitivity to the sun and should be extra vigilant:

• Young children, especially infants under 1 year of age

• Those taking certain oral antibiotics or topical retinoids (found in many acne treatments)

• Anyone using products containing AHA’s (alpha hydroxyl acids) or BHA’s (beta hydroxy or salicylic acids)

• Adults with a history of abnormal moles, lesions or prior incidents of skin cancer

• Those in high altitudes: the sun's potency increases by 4% for every 1,000-foot increase in altitude

Follow these practical tips
• Avoid the sun during the peak hours of 10am to 3pm.

• Don’t forget to protect your eyes…sunglasses are a summer essential.

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat for extra protection. Bucket hats are adorable on children and straw hats are ultra-chic on you.

What to do if you develop a sunburn
So you blew it…no matter if you were too distracted by the cabana boy to think of your sunscreen or too engulfed with the jet ski to remember to reapply, now you’re feeling rather pinked and heading quickly towards full-scale lobster status. Don’t fall down on the job now- taking proper care of that sunburn is critical. Follow these tips if you’ve spent a wee too much time in the sun:

Immediately: Apply aloe vera to the burned areas. Follow with cool, wet towel compresses for 15-20 minutes at a time for several hours after sun exposure. Take aspirin or ibuprofen as soon as possible to help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation and begin drinking plenty of water to replace lost fluids. Avoid heavy moisturizers for the first two days as they tend to hold the heat in, potentially causing further damage.

For the next few days: If you develop blisters, do not pop them. If they rupture on their own, gently apply antibiotic ointment to keep infection at bay. After 36-48 hours, the heat should be fully released from the skin and you can begin applying lotions or crèmes to help moisturize the damaged skin.

During the next 10 days: Carefully protect the skin from further sun exposure until all redness has completely disappeared.

And, though I promised to spare you the lecture, I must sneak in this one tiny resource. Take care of you!

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