To give us all some credit, we’re sure a lot of us SPF enthusiasts are doing it correctly. Maybe even overdoing it. Which to us, is correct. One can never have too much sun protection! But there are many of us out there haphazardly slapping on the SPF sparingly, here and there, just to say we did it. Most often, that’s like not doing it at all.
Sophia Hutchins is CEO and founder of Lumasol, an anti-aging SPF mist, so she has a few expert opinions on how we should be sunscreening, day in and day out.
“People really need to understand the importance of re-application of your sunscreen, every day,” Hutchins starts. Because that’s not just a thing our moms like to say to annoy us. SPF is only protectively active for so long, so if we never reapply, it’s literally not working hours later—we might as well have none on. Hutchins reminds us, “The FDA recommends that you reapply every two to three hours, and more often if you plan on engaging in high-intensity activities.”
Make sure lips and eyes are covered
Hutchins uses an SPF mist as her go-to for full face, neck, and chest sunscreen every day because it’s great over makeup. She believes it’s a personal preference whether or not one needs a different sunscreen for lips and eyes, but it’s super important if your eye area is extra sensitive, and many people’s are. What is crucial is that you stay covered, so if you’re avoiding sunscreen on your lips or eyes due to sensitivities, certainly get products just for that area.
Don’t forget the décolletage
“You definitely want to remember sunscreen on the décolletage as well to avoid wrinkles and dark spots over time. I use it anywhere and everywhere my skin is constantly exposed—so that absolutely includes this gorgeous area of the body,” says Hutchins. The skin here is not as delicate as the face, but definitely more delicate and wrinkle-prone than other areas of the body, so don’t skimp on the neck and chest.
The tops of your hands, too
“Especially while you’re driving, your hands are always exposed to the sun, which can often lead to skin damage.” Some say our hands are the first to tell our true age, and that’s because they are so prone to wrinkling and sunspots. It’s easy to forget the hands, which arguably take the most beating over any other part of the body, and they are almost never unexposed.
If you sit in traffic often ...
And if you live in LA, you just might. “When you’re driving, your entire upper body is exposed to the sun, and UV rays can definitely penetrate through the windows onto the skin. I highly recommend applying and reapplying sunscreen on your face, neck, chest, and arms even if you’re sitting in the car all day.”
Swimming, versus just sweating? Not every day is going to be a wet and wild pool or beach day, but hot summer days have an effect on your level of protection as well. Hutchins lets us know that according to the FDA, there’s no such thing as waterproof sunscreen. So yes, sweating can lift your sun protection up from the skin through your pores, and any material that wipes or wicks sweeps it away along with the sweat. “When I know I’m going to sweat a lot or plan on swimming, I make sure to reapply my sunscreen more often.”
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