You’re wise to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, about one in five Americans will get skin cancer sometime in their lives. This condition is caused by overexposure to UV rays 90 percent of the time.
Choosing Sunscreen for Your Skin Type
While skin protection is a vital part of reducing your skin cancer risk, choosing sunscreen for your skin type can be challenging. Use this guide to help you make the right selection.
- Babies and sensitive skin – Chemicals such as para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and oxybenzone can irritate sensitive skin. Look for “baby” sunscreen with gentler ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide for your child and even yourself if you have sensitive skin.
- Dry skin – Look for moisturizing sunscreens with ingredients that include lanolin, oils and silicones. These hydrate your skin as effectively as lotion while providing necessary protection from UV rays.
- Acne- or rosacea-prone skin – Avoid choosing sunscreen with chemicals, preservatives or artificial fragrances. In addition to avoiding PABA and oxybenzone, don’t pick greasy sunscreens often identified as “creams.” Gel formulas are more drying, which may be less likely to aggravate your skin condition. Ingredients such as zinc oxide, titanium oxide, salicylates and ecamsule are particularly gentle for acne- and rosacea-prone skin.
- Very fair skin – Choose an SPF of 30 or higher, and reapply every two hours spent outside to protect your particularly vulnerable skin. The same goes if you have melasma or a history of skin cancer.
- Dark skin tones – If your dark skin tans easily, you may not feel the urgency to wear sunscreen. However, both sunburns and suntans are signs of exposure to harmful UV radiation. Chemical sunscreens of 15 SPF or higher are good options.
- Older people – Even though your skin has experienced more UV radiation than younger people, the risk of skin cancer, age spots and wrinkles increases the more time you spend unprotected in the sun. Help your skin stay healthy with spray-on sunscreens, which are easier to apply in hard-to-reach places than lotions or creams.
For more help choosing sunscreen based on your skin type, contact MAR-J Medical Supply.
Image via Shutterstock.com
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