Protecting your skin when you go out into direct sunlight is important if you want it to look and feel young and healthy for as long as possible. Buying a good quality body sunscreen is a great start, but not the whole picture. You see, it’s important that you use it as the manufacturer intended.
With that in mind, this article examines some of the falsehoods that some Americans believe. This is not about being right or wrong – it’s about ensuring that you’re fully protected from sun damage, so get your pen and paper ready as we get involved in some myth-busting!
Myth: A Higher SPF Body Sunscreen Doesn’t Need to Be Reapplied
This couldn’t be further from the truth, as ALL body sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, regardless of whether it’s an SPF 15 or an SPF 100. Sure, a high SPF will offer you more protection than a lower one, but it’s based on you reapplying it as you should. If you don’t, you can’t rely on it to protect you for the entire time you’re out in the sun.
Myth: You Can Skip It On Cloudy Days
Did you know that you can still get sunburn during the day even if the sun is nowhere to be found? Even if it’s stuck behind a layer of cloud, UVA rays can still get you. As such, you can’t skip it on cloudy days, as you’ll end up with sun damage of some kind – whether that’s dark spots or wrinkles.
Myth: All Sunscreens Protect You Right After Application
It would be true to say that mineral sunscreens offer immediate protection from the sun due to the way that they’re formulated. However, the same can’t be said for chemical products, simply because they must be absorbed before they give you the stated protection on the bottle. That means waiting inside for around 15-20 minutes at least to let it seep into your skin.
Myth: Water-Resistant Means Waterproof
Go into your local drugstore or hop online and you’ll find many sunscreen products offering ‘water resistance’, which is great if you’re the sort of person who loves swimming or other water-based sports outside. However, you shouldn’t confuse ‘water-resistant’ with ‘water-proof’.
Water-resistant products do offer protection for up to 40 or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating, but they need to be reapplied directly after those activities. Don’t rely on the “water-resistant” tag on the label and skip further applications, as it’s a cast-iron way to ensure you get burned by the sun.
Getting Full Protection From Your Body Sunscreen
Getting sucked in by a common sunscreen myth can result in your skin being damaged and the more it happens, the less likely it is going to be young and healthy-looking. So, to recap, never let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t reapply sunscreen every two hours, as it’s a rule that applies to every sunscreen in existence. The only time it’s different is when you get wet.
Also remember that it’s always needed, no matter what the weather’s doing outside and don’t assume that any product is ‘waterproof’. As advanced as the sunscreen industry is in the 2020s, there’s still no such thing as a waterproof product.
Keep all that info in mind and there’s no reason why you should ever pay for outdoor fun and enjoyment with the health of your skin.
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