Sunscreen is an essential element of skincare. Too much sun exposure can cause premature aging, giving you wrinkles, fine lines and sunspots long before you reach your golden years. It can even affect the texture of your skin, making it appear tough and leathery.
On a more serious note, sunscreen is essential for maintaining good skin health. By wearing sunscreen, you can lower your risk of developing painful sunburns and lower your risk of developing skin cancer — the most common type of cancer in the country.
For the sake of your beauty and your health, read these useful sunscreen tips.
1. Wear It Year Round
You should apply sunscreen to your exposed skin every single season, including the winter. Snow has a high albedo, which means it can reflect the sun’s rays back at you. You might have noticed this phenomenon whenever you’ve gone skiing on a snowy mountain. You finished the day with sunburnt cheeks!
2. Check the Expiry Date
You shouldn’t use expired sunscreen because the active ingredients that block UV rays won’t be as effective. Look at the bottles of sunscreen you have sitting in your medicine cabinet and check the expiration dates. If the date has passed, you need to replace it ASAP.
3. Check Your Medications
Certain medicationslist “sun sensitivity” as a potential sideeffect. What does this mean? It means that your skin will be more sensitive to the sun’s rays, making it easier to develop a sunburn or heat rash. It’s important that you wear plenty of sunscreen to protect yourself from this side effect. Check this list of sun-sensitizing drugs to see whether your prescription is there.
In the same vein, some medications will list “heat sensitivity” as a potential sideeffect. This means that users are more at risk of suffering heat stroke. Sunscreen and frequent hydration can protect you from this.
4. Apply Everywhere
People often skip certain spots when they’re applying sunscreen, like the eyes and the lips.
Apply sunscreen on the eyelids and under the eyes—the skin is very sensitive here, so it will be more prone to burning. If you’re worried about burning or stinging eyes, you should use a mineral-based sunscreen instead of a chemical one. Wear sunglasses with UV protection, too.
Apply sunscreen to your lips. If the flavor of sunscreen is unappealing, use a chapstick with a high SPF.
5. Respond to Sunburns
Do you have a sunburn? Respond right away. Get out of the sun’s glare and move to a shaded location. Moisturize the area with a dermatologist-approved lotion. If the area feels hot to the touch, apply a cool, damp cloth to it.
Is your burn very painful or blistering? Are you showing the signs of heat stroke? Go to the hospital. This could be a serious health emergency.
If you’re worried about getting a doctor’s bill or a sudden prescription cost outside of your budget, you can use your emergency fund to cover it. If you need money now and you don’t have any emergency savings, you could try to apply for a personal loan. An approved personal loan would give you funds to cover an unexpected, urgent expense in a short amount of time. After you cover the expense, you can repay the loan through a sensible billing cycle.
As you can see, you should never skimp on the sunscreen. Your skin will thank you.