SAVING YOUR SKIN
Sunscreen
Every sunscreen has a sun protection factor, or SPF, which is a measure
of its strength or effectiveness. Each of us needs a different SPF,
depending on whether, and to what degree, our skin burns or tans.
A tan is the direct result of melanin, a brown pigment found in the
epidermis that is produced when skin is exposed to sunlight. Melanin
protects the skin by absorbing, reflecting and scattering ultraviolet
radiation before it penetrates the dermis, or underlying skin. However,
armor that it is, melanin can’t prevent all the negative effects
of the sun, and is often representative of damage. That’s why
we need to use sunscreens. To determine what SPF your skin requires,
you must know how long it takes your skin to burn when unprotected
and exposed to sunlight. As a rule of thumb, anyone whose skin burns,
whether or not it turns into a tan, should use an SPF of 15. Check
with your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking antibiotics, antidepressives
or antidiuretics. Some of these medications increase your skin’s
sensitivity to sunlight and may decrease the time it takes your skin
to burn.
Creating a Barrier
When exercising outdoors on a hot, sunny day, light-weight, light-colored
clothing combined with plenty of sunscreen on both exposed and unexposed
skin is the way to go. However, if overheating isn’t a concern,
dark-colored, tightly woven clothing is more effective at blocking
UV rays than say, a white T-shirt, which allows UV rays to reach the
skin. Another barrier against sun damage comes in the form of eyewear.
Protect not only your eyes, but the skin around them by wearing sunglasses
that block 90 percent to 100 percent of the sun’s UV rays.
And, last but not least, wear a hat. Though a cap may be more comfortable
for jogging, try a wide-brimmed hat that will shade your neck and
face while gardening or walking outside.
Sunscreen Facts
Wear sunscreen every day if you will be outside for more than 20
minutes, even when it’s cloudy.
Sunscreen should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors,
and reapplied every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
Don’t skimp: One ounce—enough to fill a shot glass—is
considered the amount needed to properly cover exposed skin.
Limit your exposure to sunlight from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. during
Daylight Savings Time (9 a.m.–3 p.m. during Standard Time)
when the sun's rays are the strongest and most harmful.
When choosing a sunscreen, look for one with an SPF of 15 or higher
that provides broad-spectrum coverage against all ultraviolet light
wavelengths.
Throw out old bottles of sunscreen, which can lose strength after
three years.
Start with the Inside
Now that you know how to protect the skin’s surface, it’s
time to start thinking about what you can do to make it glow from
the inside out. You’re already off to a good start with exercise,
which gets the blood circulating and delivers fresh oxygen to the
skin all over your body. The next step is to drink plenty of water.
Outdoor exercise, especially in the summer, increases your risk of
dehydration. This is one risk you don’t want to take since it
not only affects your performance and robs your skin of its vitality,
but may be potentially hazardous to your health. Be sure to drink
fluids before, during and after activity. To replenish your fluids
after any outdoor activity, weigh yourself before you participate
and then again after. Any weight you lost is water and should be replaced
by drinking two glasses (16 ounces) of water for every pound you have
lost.
Everyone Needs a Little Sunlight
It’s been shown that a lack of sunlight can cause depression.
After all, most plants won’t even grow without sunshine. And
when the sun comes around and makes the days longer, our first instinct
is to peel off our sweaters and bask in it. Go ahead. Just take precautions
so you won’t have to deal with the unpleasant (and unnecessary)
consequences.
What SPF Do You Need?
Follow these steps to calculate what SPF you should look for in a
sunscreen:
1. Determine how many minutes your bare skin can be exposed to
the sun before it burns.
2. Divide that number of minutes into the total number of minutes
you want to remain in the sun.
3.The result is the SPF you should look for in a sunscreen. For
example, if your unprotected skin burns in 10 minutes, and you plan
on being in the sun for three hours, you would need a sunscreen with
an SPF of at least 18 (180 minutes divided by 10 minutes).
