10 Summer Sunscreen Tips

Summer’s here, which means oodles of beach fun and happy days in the sun. However there’s really nothing that kills the jolly vibe quite like aching and itchy sunburn, so check out these simple tips before just slathering yourself in the first best sunscreen on the shelf:

1. Avoid sunscreens that contain Vitamin A, parabens and Retinol – while it’s great from a diet or daily skin care perspective, it can increase your risk of contracting skin cancer.
2. Sunscreen isn’t impenetrable, even if the SPF digit is sky-high. Keep the kiddies out of the sun between 11am and 3pm.
3. If you and hubby are slurping alcoholic drinks or cocktails by the pool, remember that you need to reapply your sunscreen more often as alcohol can lower your skin’s immunity.
4. Look for sunscreens that contain Titanium or Zinc as these elements build a more physical barrier against the UV rays.
5. Try sticking to fragrance free sunscreens as these added chemicals could be harmful to your skin. Baby and toddler sunscreens tend to be odourless so opt for these instead.
6. While your sunscreen might be waterproof, you still need to reapply once you get out of the water or if you’ve been sweating a lot.
7. Be especially attentive to babies and toddlers as, what you might consider to be a mild sunburn, could in fact be a medical emergency.
8. As a rule of thumb, apply at least two tablespoons of sunscreen across your entire body and opt for SPF 15 plus.
9. Don’t look at the price of sunscreen – rather consider at the stamps of approval! In many cases, the more extravagant and expensive sunscreens might be approved by dermatologists but not skin cancer specialists.
10. Never leave sunscreen in the sun or in a hot car as this could negatively affect the efficacy of the lotion.

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