I was sitting at the hotel pool this morning, and I'm a downright astonished at the number of people that do not know how to apply sunscreen. Especially to children. {must be the new mom in me!}
Now, I'm not all anti-sun or anything...I love the look of a good tan on my pasty skin as much as the next person. I just hate getting sunburn. I've had a few bad burns in the past which resulted in some long sleepless nights... but not due to the pain. Due to the itching! For some strange reason I am the only person I know that gets the major itchies after getting sunburn. So bad that I can't sleep, and have taken to living in the cool shower for hours at a time. So, I've taken it upon myself to be super diligent about applying sunscreen whenever I leave the house.
A few simple rules to follow when it comes to protection yourself against UVA & UVB rays.
1.Fifteen to 30 minutes prior to going outdoors, apply sunscreen to areas of the body that will be exposed to the sun. You need to give the product time to be absorbed into the skin.
2.Enlist the help of a friend to apply sunscreen to the areas of the body that you may not be able to reach like the back.
3.Don't forget to apply sunscreen to areas that are commonly neglected, like the ears, face, hands, neck, and feet.
4.Every two hours, reapply sunscreen. Reapply after going into the water, even if sunscreen is "waterproof" or "water resistant." Waterproof and water-resistant sunscreens only offer 40 to 80 minutes of protection. It is essential to read the sunscreen label for exact times because every manufacturer is different.
5.Use sunscreen daily in all types of weather. The skin is still susceptible to the damaging rays of the sun during cloudy days as well. It needs to be applied during winter months, too.
And yes... you can still get a nice tan when using sunscreen! Even SPF 70, like me ;)
The shocking difference between my stark white always-hidden pregnant belly & nicely tanned arms is proof :) source: about.com
1 comment:
Yay! I'm so glad you posted this, it's true that many people don't know how to use sunscreen, my husband included and he has the sunburn to prove it! I get itchy after burning about two days later, it is the worst! In fact, somehow I missed applying the sunblock to my hips- nothing like scratching your sides and rear end in public lol
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