How to Make the Most of Your Sunscreen

It's everyone's favorite time of year again: summer. School is out, the weather is beautiful, and there are endless possibilities of things to do. From trips to the beach or theme park, to just lounging around in the backyard, there is one thing that everyone will be doing: hanging out in the sun. While everyone should enjoy the warm weather, it's important to remember that the sun can be very dangerous. The most prevalent sun-related issue come summertime is, of course, the sunburn. No matter what your skin tone, it's important to wear sunscreen. However, sunscreen is useless if you don't use it correctly. The following information will help you understand sunscreen so you can keep your skin beautiful.

SPF
The first thing you should look for when picking out your sunscreen is its SPF, or Sun Protection Factor. The higher the SPF, the more protection you will receive from sundamage. However, after you reach about SPF 30, the protection an SPF of a higher number will be very similar. However, there are large differences in the amount of protection you will find in an SPF of 5 and an SPF of 15.

Skin Tone
Everyone is susceptible to sun damage, regardless of how dark your skin may naturally be. While fair skinned individuals are usually very aware of how easily they burn, darker skinned individuals usually do not have easily visible skin damage due to the sun. However, they are still able to have damage that can cause skin cancer, wrinkles, and sun spots. Fair skinned individuals should always wear an SPF of at least 30. Individuals with darker completions should at least wear an SPF of 15.