Many people experience sunburn in summer and end up searching on Google for the best sunburn remedies and treatments. But why burn in the sun when you can prevent it? I understand that it can happen accidentally even when you do your best to apply sunscreen all over your body. But with a bit of care and thought, sunburns can easily be prevented. Just keep in mind that getting sunburned, just once every 2 years, can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer. Isn’t this enough to look after your skin a little bit more? I hope it is and the first thing you need to do is get yourself educated a little bit about what can you do to prevent sunburn and learn about the common mistakes people make when spending time in the sun. Here is what you should know:
1. How much sunscreen to apply
This is a very common mistake lots of people make. They don’t apply enough sunscreen!
It’s recommended to use at least six full teaspoons to cover the body of an average adult. How much do you apply? Dotting a little bit of sunscreen on your limbs and face is not enough.
When you don’t apply enough sunscreen, the SPF you get is much less than stated on a bottle. So also if the sunscreen is SPF30, applying only a little bit may result in SPF5 or SPF10 sun protection. This means that you shouldn’t stay in the sun for very long otherwise you will burn very quickly. So don’t make this mistake and always apply sunscreen all over your body generously.
2. Forgetting parts of the body
Another very common mistake most of us are guilty of is forgetting to apply sunscreen everywhere. It’s very easy to do this especially if you have nobody to help you with the sunscreen application.
What I recommend is to stand in front of the mirror when applying the sunscreen and not skipping body parts such as neck and below, back of the neck, ears, nose, eye area and the back of the arms. And don’t forget your lips! You can buy a dedicated lip balm with an SPF for that.
3. Staying in the strongest sun
You have to remember that there is no sunscreen in this world that will give you 100% protection from the sun.
An SPF30 sunscreen, for example, blocks about 97% UVB rays (those that cause sunburn) and an SPF45 product blocks about 98% of rays. Sunscreens with higher SPF ratings block slightly more UVB rays, but none offers 100% protection. So keep that in mind and try to avoid the strongest sun which is between 11am and 4pm. This is the time when UVB light is at its peak and the sun’s rays are more intense and damaging to the skin and eyes. You can burn quicker in the strong sun, also if you are wearing a sunscreen.
4. Re-applying
When you are having fun in the sun it’s very easy to forget to re-apply your sunscreen. But try not to otherwise you risk sunburn. Re-apply at least every 2 hours and after swimming. Yes, many sunscreens are waterproof but it’s still recommended to re-apply as some of the sunscreen may wash off a bit when you are in the water. Also, don’t forget that you can easily remove some of the sunscreen when towelling, sitting down, hugging people or even when lying down on a towel. So be aware of that and re-apply when needed.
5. Staying in the shade
Do you think that if you stay in the shade you will be protected from the sun without applying a sunscreen? Wrong!
While shade will offer you some protection from the sun, this is not a 100% protection. UVB rays can reflect from various surfaces and still land on your skin, also if you are in a shade. So while you are sitting under a tree or umbrella, UV rays bounce back from UV-reflective surfaces such as dry sand, concrete and water. Without knowing your skin is getting damaged and before you know it you get a sunburn.