Safe Sun Practices

With such an unbearably long and cold winter (polar vortex, anyone?) who isn't ready to get out in the sunshine and get drenched in Vitamin D (which you're actually better off getting from your diet)? With skin cancer rates rising 2% a year since 2000, take a moment to brush up on safe skin practices before heading out to soak up some rays, you bathing beauties. These are some tidbits from the New York Times blog.

Quick Facts About Safe Sun Practices:

• The appropriate amount of sunscreen to apply is a golf-ball sized dollop
• Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours (of a better frame of reference for some: the amount of a 1 ounce shot glass)
• Many high SPF sunscreens will protect you from ultraviolet B rays and protect you from burning, but they do not provide sufficient coverage to keep out the ultraviolet A rays which are responsible for aging and skin damage and may be more involved in the development of skin cancer
• The use of "broad spectrum protection" on the label means that the lotion is approve to protect against UVA and UVB rays but the protection against UVA rays is often times comparatively lower 
• Products with a SPF of less than 15 do not protect against skin cancer
• Lotions claiming to be waterproof or water-resistant will protect for either 40 or 80 minutes and are required to inform the consumer of  their duration of protection on the label, at which time the user needs to reapply. 
• SPF greater than 50 does not necessarily provide more protection and could be pulled from shelves in the near future along with sunscreen sprays.
• Avoid products with vitamin A, retinol or its derivatives, such as retinyl palmitate and retinal acetate. They may increase sun sensitivities and burning.
• Be weary of  "seals of approval. The skin cancer foundation will grant is approval to sunscreens but only if the manufacturer has donated $10,000 to become a member of their foundation.