Sun Care Products

While we are more conscious of sun care in the summer season, it should really be part of your daily routine year-round. UVA rays are pretty consistent in strength during all daylight hours year-round, and can go through clouds and glass. UVA rays are less damaging than UVB rays, but do cause wrinkles, premature aging, and also contributes to skin cancer. UVB rays are the main cause of sunburns and damage to the skin's surface epidermal layers. It is also a leading reason for development of skin cancer, more than UVA. Besides peak sun hours in the summertime, UVB are just as harmful at high attitudes and on reflective surfaces (snow or ice). Wear sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays, applying thoroughly and repeating every couple hours.

Protecting Yourself from the Sun

Please note that the SPF number is a unit of time, rather than a measure of strength: if you're using an SPF 15 face cream, this means it will take you 15 times longer (150 minutes) to get red from the sun than if you were wearing no sun protection at all. Dermatologists recommend at least SPF 30, and explain that once you go past the SPF 50 range, the effectiveness peaks (so SPF 90 isn't stronger - it is better to get SPF 30-50 and reapply as needed).