Common Sunscreen Mistakes To Avoid This Summer 

Summer is here, so it’s time to grab the sunscreen and enjoy time with the kids at the beach. Alarmingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than one third of U.S adults are burnt by the sun’s harmful UV rays each year. As a busy Mom, you no doubt smother your little ones in sunscreen and forgo protecting your own skin. However, the sun is a leading cause of melanoma and ageing, so, it’s vital you do all you can to protect your family’s skin from the beaming sun this summer.

Applying sunscreen too late 

While applying sunscreen when you’re outside in the blistering heat is better than not applying it at all, it means you’re unprotected for potentially half an hour. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that sunscreen is applied 30 minutes before you go out into the sun to allow the formula to fully bind to your skin and provide maximum protection. One application of sunscreen doesn’t protect you all day, either. Therefore, set a reminder on your phone to prompt you to reapply sunscreen to both yours and your children’s skin a maximum of two afters after the last application. And, if your skin is damaged by the sun, consider seeking the advice of a qualified dermatologist or skin care practitioner who will help rejuvenate your skinand it get it back to its best following excessive sun exposure.

Forgetting the sunscreen on cloudy days

Everyone should wear sunscreen on a daily basis, regardless of the weather. From the age of six months, your baby should be covered in sunscreen every day, too, but, prior to this age it’s best to keep them out of the sun altogether. Even when the sun isn’t visible, it’s hiding behind the clouds and can still damage your skin. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation 40% of the sun’s UV radiation will hit the earth on a cloudy day, thus damaging and ageing your skin without you even realising it.

Choosing the wrong SPF 

The higher a sunscreen’s SPF, the more protection it offers you from UVA and UVB damage. But, how do you know what SPF is right for you when there are so many different strengths available? Dermatologists recommend the minimum SPF you apply to your skin is SPF 15 which blocks 93% of UVB rays. Meanwhile, SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays and a factor 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays. Therefore, it’s worth investing in a sunscreen with a higher SPF rating, especially for little ones who have very delicate skin.

Sunscreen is an essential part of any family’s skincare routine, so ensure you make the time to liberally apply it to yours and your children’s skin on a daily basis. Always use it at least 30 minutes before heading outdoors, never forget it on an overcast day and choose a high SPF to give your skin maximum protection.

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