Sunscreens and their use
5/1/2025 by Mark Davis, M.D.
Suddenly, it's spring, and the sun is out! You're looking forward to spending time outside, but don't care for the painful sunburn or other negative effects of sun exposure. Here are some tips to protect your skin from the sun.
What's the problem with sun exposure?
The sun can certainly cause havoc with your skin. In the short term, you can get sunburn. In the long term, your skin will get wrinkled and look old, not to mention the markedly increased risk of skin cancers, which are reaching epidemic proportions in people who spend a lot of time in the sun. Skin cancer resulting from sun exposure is the most common type of cancer.
Is there any benefit of sun exposure?
Being outside in nature can raise your mood. It will also increase your vitamin D. But you only need about 10-30 minutes of sun exposure a few times a week to get adequate vitamin D.
How can I get the benefits of being outside and still avoid the problems with sun exposure?
Cover up!
- Wear long-sleeved clothing. Look for clothing with a UPF rating, or ultraviolet protection factor, and a broad-brimmed hat so your face is in the shade.
- Use ultraviolet light-blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes.
Apply sunscreen daily.
- Make sure the sunscreen is labeled "broad spectrum," which means you are protected against UVA and UVB.
- Make sure the sunscreen is labeled SPF 30 or higher.
- Apply sunscreen before you go out. Use a mirror when applying it to make sure you cover the skin adequately.
- A sunscreen cream directly applied to the skin gives more reliable coverage than a spray.
- Apply sunscreen to all exposed areas, particularly ears, neck, hands, feet and lips (use a lip balm on the lips).
- Reapply every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating.
- A good habit to get into is to apply sunscreen or makeup containing sunscreen to your skin daily, no matter what the weather or time of the year.
It's best to stay in the shade if possible, but beware!
- You can still burn even on cloudy days or in the shade.
Recognize that reflective surfaces can reflect ultraviolet rays even if you are not directly exposed to the sun.
- Snow, sand, water and concrete can reflect ultraviolet rays onto your skin.
Enjoy your time outdoors and catch a few sun rays safely this summer.
Mark Davis, M.D., is a physician and chair of the Department of Dermatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed his medical degrees at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. He completed his internal medicine and dermatology residencies at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He has special interests in general dermatology, complex rashes and hospital dermatology.