For most of us, the sunscreen aisle is a place visited in the summer and happily left behind when fall hits. It can be a lengthy thought process filled with confusion while we decide which brand will feel the lightest, protect the most, and keep our skin from reacting badly. While we’ve all heard from someone in our life that we should wear sunscreen year round, are we supposed to believe it? PicoSure is here to nix sunscreen confusion from when to wear it, which SPF to use, and what rays to protect against. Next time you need to protect your skin, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for!
First things first, SPF stands for “sun protection factor,” and explains the lotion’s ability to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays. It takes just ten to twenty minutes for your skin to start burning in the direct sunlight. The numbers of SPF refer to the amount of times longer the sunscreen protects you skin. For example, SPF 15 prevents skin from burning 15 times longer. This gives you two and a half to five hours of protection.[1]
You may think that when buying sunscreen the bigger number the better, but that’s not always true. SPF 15 protects against 93 percent of the suns rays and higher SPFs only increase in small increments from there.[2] SPF 30 is not twice as good as SPF 15, like some people think! 1
While dropping temps may mean the end of your sunscreen usage for the year, you should keep it stocked on your shelf even as the weather gets colder. The sun’s rays are just as strong in the winter. Snow’s high reflectiveness is another reason to slather on the sunscreen.[3]
No matter what the season or the activity, keeping sunscreen a part of your daily routine is a huge step towards better, healthier skin. Whether your heading on long weekend getaway, a fall vacation, or simply catching some rays on a gorgeous Saturday, keep yourself protected by knowing what the sunscreen aisle holds!
[1] Philip Ross. “What Do Sunscreen Numbers Mean? SPF Ratings, Brands and UV Rays Explained.” International Business Times. 2015. Web. http://www.ibtimes.com/what-do-sunscreen-numbers-mean-spf-ratings-brands-uv-rays-explained-1978100
[2] Terri Coles. “Best Sunscreens: 12 tips For Safe and Effective Sunscreen Use.” Huffington Post Canada. 2013. Web. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/17/best-sunscreen_n_3454060.html
[3] Dana Oliver. “Why You Should Wear Sunscreen in the Winter.” The Huffington Post. 2015. Web.
