Health and Wellness
Smart Ways to Block Those Rays
- You've heard you should apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going into the sun. But why? Sunscreen needs to be absorbed by the skin to work. Humidity and sweat do not allow the sunscreen to stick to the skin.
- No sunscreen is waterproof, no matter what the label says. Some are more water resistant than others. Nevertheless, reapply sunscreen every 60-90 minutes when sweating or swimming and after towel drying, which rubs off the sunscreen.
- Apply sunscreen before applying makeup, even if the makeup contains a sunscreen. But allow the sunscreen to be absorbed by the skin first. Then apply makeup. Otherwise, chemicals in the two products may mix and actually lower the overall sun protection effectiveness.
- So which sunscreen should you use? The FDA no longer approves labeling sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) over 30. They say research shows SPFs over 30 are no more protective.
- Look for a sunscreen with the ingredients octylcrylene, benzophenone or avobenzone. These offer the best protection against harmful ultraviolet rays.
- Clothes with long sleeves and wide-brimmed hats provide added protection. Wet T-shirts do not provide much protection at all. Research shows a white cotton T-shirt only provides the same protection as applying a sunscreen with SPF 5. If the shirt is wet, it loses about a third of its sun-blocking properties. For better protection, experts recommend choosing fabrics that are 100 percent polyester; dark colored; tightly woven and loose fitting. Cover up with dry clothing after swimming.
- Sun-blocking clothes with sun protection woven into the fabric are another option. This lightweight gear, available through catalogs and sporting goods stores, comes in Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) 15 to 50 and is shown to block 95 percent of UVB rays, both wet and dry.
- You can wash clothing such as T-shirts with additives that contain a new UV protectant called TINOSORB FD. Added to a single regular wash cycle, it blocks up to 96 percent of the sun's harmful rays for up to 20 washes.
