Community Connection: A Quick Reminder

A Quick Reminder on Sunscreen

by Lee Kiedrowski, MD at McKenzie Health

After these recent warm spring days filled with the smell of cut grass and earned relaxation, I’m guessing I’m not the only one who noticed a few sunburns on our family members and neighbors. It’s an all too common overlooked fact of summer; the need for sunscreen.

Now what may be less frustrating than a sunburn, but is certainly still painful, is to choose between all the different types of sunscreen scattered all over the gas stations, grocery store shelves, pharmacies, and the internet. With their claims to protect you from UV radiation through the use of three letter codes, the answer you’re looking for may be hidden and not what you expect. In this article, I hope to give you some guidance on what you’re getting out of the bottle or spray can so you can feel confident you won’t continuously look like the angry version of yourself.

Truly, regular, and effective use of sunscreen reduces the following: painful sunburns, pigment or permanent color changes of our skin, wrinkles, and rates of certain types of skin cancer. Technically, this is accomplished by blocking or absorbing UV light; namely, UVA and UVB. UVA are the “aging” rays that can go through window glass. UVB are the “burning” rays that do not go through window glass but cause the most damage. The facts you need to know are the SPF rating, if the sunscreen is water resistant, and how often you re-apply.

First, SPF stands for “Sun Protection Factor” and is the ratio of the amount of solar exposure to develop a burn with sunscreen applied verses the amount or solar exposure to develop a burn without the sunscreen on your skin. Some have stated incorrectly that SPF refers to the duration or time of exposure. They’ll say, if it usually takes 10 minutes for you to burn, using SPF 30 should allow you to be in the sun for 300 minutes before you burn (30 times longer). This would be true if the sun didn’t move, but since it does, it gives different amounts of radiation depending on the time of day. So, the amount of solar energy at 9:00am over 1 hour is roughly the same as the solar energy in just 15 minutes at 1:00pm. Now more SPF does offer better coverage, however, the return on investment diminishes quite a bit after SPF 30. SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB, SPF 30 blocks 97%, and SPF 50 blocks 98%.

Moving onto the plethora of blocking options, your choice of sunscreen type is a matter of personal need. Choose a cream if you have dry skin or are applying it to your face. Gels work well with hairy body types and those with oily complexions. The sunscreen in sticks usually dries quickly and can be applied accurately, which is beneficial for applications around eyes or on the faces of small children. To aid in continuing to apply sunscreen quickly and effectively to the ever-moving child, sunscreen in spray cans or applying cream with a makeup brush can help. Though, using a spray can, it is recommended to spray until the child’s skin glistens and then rub the sunscreen in to ensure an even coat.

To protect your children from the sun, avoid sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months old and instead keep them in the shade and dress them in lightweight long sleeves, pants, wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses as they permit. For those infants and toddlers who are 6 months and older, consider broad UV spectrum, water resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, and applications every 2 hours.

The benefits of having water resistance are not surprising, in that, the protection should not notably diminish if you start sweating or jump in the pool. All activities commonly performed in the sun.

In order to cover yourself effectively, a typical adult will need one ounce to cover the entire body.

In conclusion, regular applications of a healthy amount of water-resistant sunscreen, SPF 30 or greater, every 2-4 hours should give you what your skin needs to keep looking youthful, feel better, and be protected from sunspots, concerning growths, and skin biopsies in the future.