The sun and the great outdoors can warm your spirit while providing fun and recreation. However, there are several skincare precautions we encourage you to follow to optimize your health and wellness. Plan ahead to limit sun exposure, wear sunscreen, and dress appropriately year-round. We encourage everyone to schedule regular skin checks in an effort to detect skin conditions early and ensure your skin stays healthy.
When choosing a sunscreen, it is important to look for ingredients that provide broad-spectrum coverage against both UVA and UVB radiation. The active ingredients micronized zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, Helioplex or Parsol 1789 (avobenzene) provide broad-spectrum ultraviolet coverage for both UVB and UVA rays.
For normal daily activities such as going to and from work or school, we recommend the use of a daily moisturizer with a sun block. This will provide protection against incidental ultraviolet radiation that one encounters to and from the car, as well as traveling in the car.
For outdoor activities such as swimming, running, or golfing, we advise using a waterproof sun block. For prolonged sun exposure, all sunscreens should be reapplied every two hours. Although no sunscreens are truly and completely waterproof, we do recommend sunscreens that have the word “waterproof” on the package label when undergoing swimming and other water sport activities.
Don’t forget to protect your eyes, ears and lips.
It is important to remember that sun damage is cumulative, so even short amounts of sun exposure will add up. Enjoy the sun and the outdoors, but use common sense, sunscreen, and protective clothing when appropriate.
Timing: Plan your outdoor activities in the early morning hours before 10:00 a.m. or in the late afternoon, beyond 4:00 p.m. This will help avoid the sun’s most intense radiation, which occurs between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Seek shade and avoid tanning.
Protective clothing: Wear a hat and remember that a hat with a 6-inch brim only provides equivalent sun protection to an SPF #8 sunscreen. There are new fabrics for protective clothing that provide complete sun block. They are designed to be loose fitting, cool, and comfortable.
Early detection: Skin cancer prevention starts with you. In addition to an annual exam by a dermatologist, you should check your entire body for irregular spots and moles at least once a month.
