Are you Applying your Sunscreen Properly?

If you are like most people – you do take the time to put on sunscreen, you may just not be putting it on correctly or completely. As I have mentioned in earlier posts you do need to apply it at least 25 mins before going outside to ensure you get proper protection, plus you need to be applying – and re-applying – enough to keep you protected throughout the day. Another issue is that most people just slather it on quickly without really realizing they are missing areas. It is important to realize that most clothing provides extremely minimal sun protection so you do need to apply it all over the body, including some very commonly missed areas:

  • SPF-40-Mineral-Sunscreen (1)Ears. Make sure that you not only apply sunscreen on your face but on your ears too!
  • Feet. Most people stop at the ankles, or swipe it over the feet, but you are probably wearing sandals or no shoes at all so make sure you cover all of your toes and the whole top, sides and probably even bottoms of your feet.
  • Hands. Same as feet. Be sure to cover in between and over all fingers and backs and palms of hands. You are also (hopefully) washing your hands throughout the day so you will need to reapply after washing too.
  • Back of neck. Make sure you don’t stop at your shoulders, protect all of your neck, front and back.
  • Lips. The skin on your lips is extremely sensitive so it is very important to use a lip balm that has a high SPF and be extremely vigilant about re-applying as it will come off if you eat or drink anything, or even if you lick your lips.
  • Scalp. Even if you have a full head of hair, it is still possible for the scalp to burn – especially at the part. You can apply a thin layer of sunscreen along the exposed areas, use a hair spray specially formulated with UV, or your best bet – which is wearing a hat.

Getting a sunburn, or sun damage, is not pleasant so make sure all of your skin is properly covered before heading out for your day in the sun!

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