Spending a day outdoors can be fun, but not if we get sunburnt. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays not only leads to painful burns, but increases the risk of developing skin cancers and signs of premature aging. If you want to avoid getting burned, apply sunscreen properly and limit sun exposure.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Use the Sun Cream
Step 1. Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen
The sun produces 3 types of ultraviolet (UV) rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVB rays can burn the skin, while UVAs cause premature aging signs, including wrinkles and dark spots. Both increase the risk of skin cancers. To protect yourself adequately, you need to use a sunscreen that can protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. Then, read on the packaging to make sure it provides full or broad spectrum protection.
Step 2. Choose an appropriate protection factor
The sun protection factor (SPF) indicates the degree of skin protection from UVB rays in relation to a total absence of filter. For example, if it generally takes 20 minutes for the skin to redden, a product with SPF 15 will prevent sunburn for 15 times longer. You should use a cream that has an SPF of 15 at least.
- If you just need to spend a few minutes in the sun, just apply a face moisturizer or aftershave with SPF 15 to protect your skin from sunburn.
- If you are very active and want to spend most of the day outdoors, choose a water resistant product with a higher SPF (for example 30).
- If you have fair, sensitive skin with a tendency to burn, a sunscreen with SPF 50 is preferable.
Step 3. Check the expiration date
Sunscreens lose their effectiveness over time, so you need to use a cream that protects your skin. Usually the expiration date on the bottle indicates as long as the product can be used, so always check it to make sure it is still valid.
Most sunscreens are effective for about three years after purchase. If applied regularly, they wear out well before the expiration date
Step 4. Don't be afraid to abound
If you apply an insufficient amount of the product, you will not receive all the expected benefits and you could burn yourself. To protect yourself properly, you need 30ml, or a full glass, of sunscreen for your entire body, including your face, ears, and scalp.
- Make sure you apply it 30 minutes before going outside so that your skin has time to absorb the ingredients.
- In order for it to be effective, in some cases it is necessary to apply a specific amount. Always consult the instructions to make sure you are not mistaken.
Step 5. Use it regularly
If you have to stay in the sun for a long time, the protection loses its effect, exposing you to the risk of sunburn. To protect yourself, you need to reapply it every two hours. If you swim or sweat a lot, dry off and apply it immediately.
- Since you have to repeat the application regularly, you could consume ¼ or half a 250ml bottle if you spend all day on the beach. Always make sure you have enough sunscreen on hand for your needs.
- Spray sunscreens are easier to apply, so they're a great option for any eventuality.
- If you are wearing makeup, powdered sunscreen is more convenient to reapply throughout the day because, unlike oil or sunscreen, it won't ruin your foundation, concealer, or other cosmetics.
Part 2 of 2: Avoid Sun Exposure
Step 1. Avoid being in the sun during the hottest hours
UV rays are most intense between 10:00 and 16:00, so the risk of sunburn is greater during this time. If you take shelter indoors at noon, you can avoid this dangerous radiation and protect your skin. If you can, schedule your outdoor activities, such as walking the dog or mowing the lawn, before 10am or after 4pm.
- If you want to know how strong the UV rays are, look at your shadow. If it is long, the power of UV radiation is low. Conversely, if it is short, it means that the UV rays are quite intense, so try to stay indoors.
- If you have to go outside during the hottest hours, limit the time you spend outside. The less you expose yourself to the sun, the lower the risk of sunburn.
Step 2. Dress appropriately
Sometimes, you can't help but go out during the hours when the sun is strongest, so to prevent a sunburn, you need to dress properly. Long-sleeved shirts and pants heal a lot more than tank tops and shorts, so they are a great help against the harmful effects of the sun. The more you cover yourself, the more protected you will be.
- Loose garments made of tightly woven synthetic fabrics, such as Lycra, nylon and acrylic, offer better protection against the sun.
- Dark clothes, unlike lighter ones, can block some types of radiation.
- Some garments are made with fabrics with integrated sun protection. By reading the label, you can trace the UV protection factor (UPF) to find out to what extent a particular item can block the sun's radiation. Choose clothing with an anti-UV factor of 30 for more effective protection.
Step 3. Use accessories to protect your head and eyes
A hat doesn't just allow you to be elegant, it can protect your scalp from sunburn. Also, since it's a bit tricky to apply sunscreen around your eyes, put your sunglasses on before you leave the house.
- While a baseball cap or visor offers some protection, you may want to use a wide-brimmed hat with a brim of at least 10cm to protect your head, eyes, ears and neck from the sun.
- Choose a pair of sunglasses with total UV protection to protect your eyes from the harmful action of UVA and UVB rays.
- Make sure the sunglasses fit and don't slip along the nose exposing the eyes to the sun.
Step 4. Stay in the shade
If you have to spend the day outdoors, choose an area where the sun cannot penetrate, such as under a large tree full of leaves. If you are going to a place where natural shade is scarce, such as at the beach, bring an umbrella, a folding gazebo or a tent to protect yourself from the radiation.
Shade does not provide total protection from the sun because light can indirectly hit the skin and reflect off nearby surfaces, so you should wear protective clothing and apply sunscreen to prevent sunburn
Step 5. Don't tan
Some people think that when they get a tan, they don't get burned when they go out in the sun, so they go to great lengths to form a "protective base". However, tanning offers no concrete defense against solar radiation. Indeed, regular exposure to the sun or using tanning lamps can cause skin damage over time; you should therefore avoid this habit.
If you want some color, the only safer tan is the one you get using self-tanning products. However, keep in mind that artificial tanning does not provide any sun protection, so you still need to protect your skin by applying a suitable cream and taking other preventive measures
Advice
- Remember to use sunscreen even on dull days. UV rays pass through the clouds.
- You can get sunburned even in winter, so wear sunscreen when skiing, shoveling snow, or walking your dog on a cold day.
- If you get burned, aloe vera gel is the ideal solution, because it is soothing and non-toxic. Buy a tube or jar of it and apply it generously to the burn. You don't have to scrub it because it is absorbed directly into the skin.
- To protect yourself adequately, apply sunscreen every two hours. If you get wet, repeat the application.
- If you get wet but need to reapply sunscreen later, dry off, reapply it and wait for it to be absorbed, otherwise it will go away with the water.
Warnings
- Although sunburn favors the onset of melanomas (the most aggressive cancers of the skin), even regular exposure to the sun not accompanied by sunburn can be harmful and increase the risk of other skin cancers.
- The sun not only causes sunburn, but also sunstroke and heat stroke. If the sunburn is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blisters, chills, fatigue and weakness, see your doctor.
- If you are afraid of the chemicals in sunscreen, buy a product made from natural ingredients, such as zinc, or without chemicals. Alternatively, opt for loose-fitting hats and dresses and go for shady areas.
- Pay attention to medications, including herbal remedies, which report photosensitivity as a side effect.
