by Wahidabi Sulaiman

Created on: August 10, 2009

This sounds commonsense that you must wear sunscreen when you are going out in the sun. However, rain or shine, it is best that you wear a sunscreen when you are going outside. Due to global warming, our mother earth is getting more and more exposed to the harmful effect of UV Rays. Hence, it is always necessary that we are protected when we are outside.

Children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of UV rays. This is because their skin is much thinner than adults. Hence, it is always necessary to ensure that they are properly protected when they are outside, even if it is for a short period of time.

For adults, always apply sunscreen after applying your moisturizer. For ladies, there are many choices nowadays in the market. You can find moisturizers and collagen powders with sunscreen protection in your beauty stores. Be sure to see that there is at least a protection of SPF 15. Many products come with a SPF of 30 and above nowadays. For gents, application should follow your after-shave. Take care to apply sunscreen to skin areas that are exposed.

The most neglected part of our face is our lips. Most often, our lips are left exposed to the sun rays while the rest of our face and body are splashed with sunscreen protection. A good lip balm or lipstick with SPF will provide some protection to keep your lips safe as well.

The next thing you should note about the product that you will be using is its protection level. It is better to get a sunscreen that is water proof should you be involved in water based activities. It will also be useful should you be caught in a rain unexpectedly. Otherwise, the sunscreen you had applied could be wiped out before it is due. Moreover, water proof sunscreen have a higher rate of protection compared to the one which does not give protection from running when in contact with water.

Always wear a sunscreen at least twenty minutes before going outside. This will help to settle the sunscreen with your skin and prepare your skin to face the sun once outside. Be sure to read the label on the sunscreen bottle or package that you are using. This would tell you how often you need to re-apply the sunscreen. If it is not stated, it should depend on your sun exposure. If you are constantly in direct contact with the sun, you need to re-apply the sunscreen every two hours. This applies if you are outside from 11am - 4pm. This is the time when the sun can do the maximum damage to your skin.

It is important to note that a higher SPF protection does not mean that you can stay out longer in the sun. It only means that the coverage is greater. Therefore, limit your day out in the sun as much as possible. Apart from the sunscreen, take protection from your clothing as well.

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