With Spring in the air and the temperatures beginning to match, it’s time to start thinking more about the use of sunscreen. Our skin is the body’s largest organ. It helps protect us from microbes and the elements, helps regulate body temperature, and allows us to feel sensations such as touch, heat and cold. As such, protecting our skin is an important part of our whole-body health. The easiest ways to help protect our skin from the sun are to either cover it with clothing or to use sunscreen.
What you need to know about sunscreen:
The best way to apply sunscreen is to remember the following:
Apply 15 minutes before going out into the sun and at least every 2 hours while in the sun. Apply even more often if you are sweating, swimming, or toweling off often.
Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your ears, backs of hands, near your hairline, and on your scalp with you have very short hair or are bald.
How much sunscreen is enough?
The recommended amount of sunscreen per body part is:
1 tsp each arm
1 tsp each leg
1 tsp for your front
1 tsp for your back
1 tsp for your face and neck
**as it’s much harder to judge the amount if using spray on sunscreen, a good rule of thumb is to spray until it looks like your skin glistens.
While it is that time of year when sun and sun safety are being talked about more, please don’t forget to continue to protect your skin during the winter months as well. Just because the sun doesn’t feel as hot doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the potential to cause harm. In fact, the ozone layer is thinnest in winter, and the UV rays are still as present as any other times of year.
Help protect your largest organ! Make use of sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, protective clothing and stay in the shade where possible.