July is UV Safety Awareness Month and Iridesse® Skin Care wants to make sure you are both safe and aware when it comes to protecting your skin from the sun’s rays this summer.
We have compiled a list of tips and tricks that can help you and your family beat the heat while enjoying the beautiful days outdoors.
Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap
The American Cancer Society has four easy-to-remember tips for sun protection:
- Slip on a
- Slop on
- Slap on a
- Wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and skin around them
Easy to remember, easy to institute! Now let’s break down each tip so you are fully prepared for fun in the sun!
Slip on a shirt
- Wear appropriate outdoor clothing to protect your skin from harmful UV rays
- UPF is the rating system used for apparel (similar to SPF rating system for sunscreen products). UPF gauges a fabric's effectiveness against both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light.
- Shirts, shorts and pants can reduce burn risk by 27%
- Color and Cloth:
- dark or bright colors absorb more UV than paler shades
- denser fabric (denim or canvas) are more protective than sheer or loosely woven cloth.
- Sun damage can occur on a cloudy day and in the winter, so dress year-round
Slop on sunscreen
- Sunscreen should be worn daily indoors and
- Generously apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to cover all exposed skin
- Apply sunscreen at a rate of one ounce (a shot glass) every two hours (depending on how much of the body needs coverage). A full-day (six-hour) outing could require one whole tube of sunscreen.
- The “broad spectrum” variety protects against overexposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays and infrared
- The FDA recommends using sunscreens that are broad spectrum with a sun protection factor (SPF) value of at least 30
- Even if a sunscreen is labeled as "water-resistant," it must be reapplied throughout the day, especially after sweating or swimming
- Dermatologists seem to all agree that mineral sunscreen is your best bet for sun protection.
Slap on a hat
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat that keeps your face and eyes shaded from the sun at most angles
- Basal and squamous cell carcinomas comprise over 90% of skin cancers and appear most often on the head and neck - so the ideal hat has a brim that extends at least three inches all the way around to shade not just the face and scalp but the neck, shoulders, and upper back
- Research has shown that broad-brimmed hats provide protection equivalent to an SPF of approximately 5 for the nose, ears and neck
Wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and skin around them
- Effective sunglasses should block glare, block 99 to 100% of UV rays, and have a wraparound shape to protect eyes from most angles
- Sand reflects 15% of UV light; water, up to 10%; and sea foam, about 25%
- Tinted lenses aren't just cosmetic:
- brown lenses create greater color contrast, improving visibility on solid-color surfaces like sand and grass
- yellow lenses are good for both contrast and depth perception
Sources
https://www.cancer.org/healthy/be-safe-in-sun.html
https://foh.psc.gov/calendar/july.html
http://www.allure.com/story/sunscreen-tips-from-dermatologists
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/sun-protection.html
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/clothing/beach-chic-and-sun-smart-your-summer-style
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/clothing/hats-the-stylish-route-to-sun-protection