You squeeze it out, slather it on, call it a day. Yeah, no. Sunscreen can only do its job — shield your skin from damage — if you do yours. And that involves some education (and, yes, reapplication). These are the nine mistakes leaving you more exposed than you know.
“People who apply SPF 30 are usually getting the efficacy of a 10 or 15,” says Steven Q. Wang, the director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. “Most people apply one milligram — instead of the recommended two milligrams — per square centimeter of skin, so they’re getting about half of the SPF value on the label.” The solution isn’t to buy SPF 100 and keep skimping — you’re better off applying several thin layers of a broad-spectrum sunscreen, like Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50.
Put on sunscreen at 8 a.m., and you’re not covered for a 10:30 coffee run, much less an alfresco lunch — most sunscreens work for about two hours, says Kristin Nord, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Stanford Medicine. If you’re inside for the majority of the day, touch up with Soleil Toujours Set + Protect Micro Mist SPF 30 right before you go outside — it’ll give you a little extra protection without messing up your makeup.
Tips for Safe Self Tanning
“Sun-protective clothing is so much easier than sunscreen to use correctly; you don’t have to worry about reapplying it every two hours or sweating it off,” says Nord. Supplement your facial sunscreen with a big, floppy hat (a brim that’s at least four inches wide helps cover your forehead, nose, and cheeks). One important caveat: A hat won’t protect against rays that reflect off the sand, so you still need sunscreen.
A new study suggests that sunglasses with broad-spectrum protection may become less effective at blocking UV rays over time. Replace yours every couple of years and protect them from the scratches that let UVA rays through by always using a case, says Michael Ehrlich, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Yale School of Medicine. (Your sunscreen, by the way, expires even faster: in about a year.)
There are two spots almost everyone misses, says Francesca Fusco, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City: “The brows and hairline — they’re where I typically see melanoma.” She suggests using a clear sunscreen (try Bare Republic Clearscreen SPF 30) on brows and blending with a spooley brush. Spritz a spray sunscreen on a makeup wedge and pat it over your part. (We like Banana Boat Dry Balance Clear UltraMist.)
There are only four that protect against UVA1 rays, one type of UVA (which causes skin aging and DNA mutations that can lead to skin cancer). The most effective is avobenzone, Nord says, but it’s not stable in sunlight unless it’s paired with octocrylene (try Neutrogena’s CoolDry Sport SPF 50 line with the duo). If you prefer a physical block, zinc oxide is your best broad-spectrum option, Nord says. (We like Eau Thermale Avène Complexion Correcting Shield SPF 50+.)
It turns out even five minutes outside without sunscreen is damaging. According to a new study published in Science, the sun immediately triggers a reaction that damages the DNA in unprotected skin cells — and that reaction continues for three to four hours (long, long after you’re back inside). The altered DNA can ultimately lead to skin cancer, says study coauthor Douglas E. Brash, a professor of therapeutic radiology and dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. But your skin can have a chance at repairing itself if you’re vigilant about sun protection. Even for errand-running. Even when it’s cloudy.
New research in JAMA Dermatology suggests that shade alone can’t save you from sun damage. After three and a half hours, 78 percent of study participants sitting under an umbrella without wearing sunscreen had a sunburn to show for it. Protect yourself — in shade or sunshine — by applying sunscreen 30 minutes before you head outside. It needs time to penetrate and saturate the skin, Fusco says.
If you move that tube next to your toothpaste, you may be more likely to reach for it daily, says Wang, who has conducted research on sunscreen use.
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