The days are finally warm and sunny, and more people are headed outside to take advantage of the good weather. While sunshine has many positive effects on your mental and physical health, too much of it can be bad for you. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in America, and here at EZ-ACCESS we have committed to putting up a fight against it and all other types of cancer. Because of that, we would like to offer the following tips for proper sunscreen use:
Don’t use expired sunscreen. Waste not, want not, right? In the case of sunscreen, nothing could be further from the truth. Rather than reusing that half-empty bottle from last year, examine the date closely. If it’s expired, throw it out because the active ingredients may no longer work and offer no protection at all.
Keep it cool. Another thing that can kill the active ingredients in sunscreen is if the bottle becomes too hot. So if you’re playing outside all day, keep the sunscreen in the shade or in the cooler with any drinks you brought along.
Reapply it throughout the day. Once every two hours, take a short break from your activities and reapply your sunscreen. Even the strongest SPF will wear off around that time. In fact, your sunscreen will become ineffective even quicker if you’re in the water or sweating.
Relying on the sunscreen in your makeup. Many facial lotions and foundations come with a small amount of sunscreen, which is good. However, both of these tend to wear off throughout the day. Another thing to keep in mind is that most makeup includes a lower SPF, so it’s not as potent as something you would apply on your body during a day of swimming.
At EZ-ACCESS, we believe in safety first—and your skin is your body’s first defense! Keep these tips in mind as you enjoy the summer months and be watchful for the symptoms of skin cancer.