Take Cover: Sun Responsibly

May is Melanoma Month and I wanted to share just a few friendly tips and reminders about sun protection as we head into Memorial Day weekend.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, and is used as a measure of the time it would take you to sunburn (UVB) if you were not wearing sunscreen.

Example: If it takes you 15 minutes to burn without sunscreen and you apply an SPF 15, it will take you 15 times longer to burn, or 3 hours. Choosing a higher SPF does not give you the green light to stay in the sun longer without reapplying. 

According to dermatologist James M Spencer, MD, an SPF 15 blocks about 94% of UVB(burning rays) Spf 30 blocks about 97%, and an SPF 45 blocks about 98% of rays.

 Be sure to look for a sunscreen that provides broad spectrum UV protection from both UVA (aging) rays and UVB (sunburn) ray. It is imperative to reapply after swimming and/or after 2 hours. Applying once is not enough for the entire day outdoors. Look for a physical sunscreen which contains titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide for deflecting UV radiation as opposed to chemical sunscreens which only filters and tend to absorb UV radiation.

My Physical Sunscreen Recommendations

Tarte SPF 30, Algenist SPF50, LaVanilla SPF 40, Cerave SPF 30