| Covering up is your best defense against skin cancer | | | | the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This |
| but for those days you're going to be exposed to | | | | number refers to the sunscreen ability to block UVB |
| the sun, make sure you grab some sunscreen.Have | | | | radiation. Sunscreen products with SPFs of 2 to 50 |
| you noticed how many well known people are having | | | | are available on the market. Now here is the |
| surgery to remove cancer from their face? How | | | | interesting part, a sunscreen product with a SPF of |
| about people you know? It is reported that there will | | | | 15 will protect your skin 15 times longer from UVB |
| be over a million new skin cancer cases this year | | | | than if you did not have sunscreen applied at all but a |
| alone. It doesn't have to be that way if people would | | | | SPF 30 does not work twice as well. A sunscreen |
| just take the time to apply a generous amount of | | | | with SPF 30 will only provide another 3%. So think |
| sunscreen on their exposed skin.Let's take a look at | | | | twice before you fork out more money expecting a |
| the types of sunscreens that are available on the | | | | lot greater protection.It is also important that the |
| market today.Types of SunscreensThe most | | | | product stand-up to the stress of prolonged |
| common and basic is clothing. A tightly woven, lightly | | | | exercise, sweating, and swimming. Look for the |
| colored material is best.Next would be chemical | | | | following three labeling recommendations to help you |
| sunscreens that are available in a variety of forms. | | | | determine the the most effective sunscreen for your |
| They contain one or more of UV radiation-absorbing | | | | activity:- Sweat-resistant: gives protection up to 30 |
| chemicals. A few of the most common chemical | | | | minutes during continuous heavy perspiration |
| groups that block UVB radiation are known as PABA | | | | - Water-resistant: gives protection up to 40 minutes |
| (p-aminobenzoic acid), PABA esters (padimate O), | | | | during continuous water exposure |
| cinnamates (cinoxate, | | | | - Waterproof: gives protection up to 80 minutes of |
| ethylhexyl-p-methoxycinnamate), salicylates | | | | during continuous water exposureRemember to |
| (octylsalicylate, homosalate), and anthranilates (methyl | | | | reapplied sunscreen after prolonged swimming or |
| anthranilate). That goodness for acronyms. While | | | | perspiring. Also remember that reapplication of a |
| these all block UVB radiation, the chemical group | | | | sunscreen does not further the period of |
| known as benzophenone (oxybenzone and | | | | protection.In Conclusion:I'll say it again, cover up if you |
| dioxybenzone) provides the best protection against | | | | plan on spending long periods of time in the sun, if at |
| both UVA and UVB radiation.ProtectionAll sunscreens | | | | the beach or swimming make sure you use the |
| are assigned Sun Protection Factor (SPF) numbers by | | | | appropriate sunscreen and reapply as needed. |