Say goodbye to summer, not to sunscreen. In fact, your skin is exposed to more ambient sunshine and damaging rays that happen day to day, than it is during a tropical winter vacation. So goodbye summer actually means…hello sunscreen.

During a week at the beach, you could be spending from 6 to 8 hours a day exposed to ultraviolet rays. And although you may be dutiful about sun protection, sunscreen isn’t a blank check for spending unlimited time in the sun.

But even more significantly, the time spent walking from your home to the bus or train station, in your car, opposite your office window, walking the dog, running errands, even sitting under indoor lighting can add up to considerable cumulative exposure. Not only sand and water reflect rays, snow and concrete do, too. And even if the sun isn’t shining, your skin is absorbing the ultraviolet radiation that penetrates the clouds and can cause permanent skin damage like fine lines, rough texture, dark spots. This can lead eventually to more serious problems like skin cancer (one of the fastest growing cancers in North America).

That’s why wearing sunscreen on all exposed skin should be part of your daily grooming routine, all year long. Many wonderful scientific advances have ensured that modern sunscreens are safe and efficient. The old-fashioned sticky white zinc-oxide cream is now a thing of the past – microfine particles are completely invisible to the naked eye.

It is easy to find a daytime moisturizer containing sunscreen that’s light, non-greasy and unscented, like Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer and Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer.

Experts agree that a minimum SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 is good; 30 is even better. And nowadays, many liquid, cream and mineral foundations contain sunscreens. Although applying a moisturizer and a foundation that both have an SPF of 15 will not add up to an SPF of 30, you will be ensuring an extra measure of protection for your skin.

4 Sunscreen Rules

1. Apply the right type – read package labels to find the moisturizer and foundation that are ideal for your complexion.
2. Apply early – at least 20 minutes before going outdoors – to allow the sunscreen to “bind” to skin cells.
3. Apply enough and apply thoroughly (don’t forget to moisturize your hands and neck).
4. Apply every day – even on rainy or snowy days when you don’t think you need it.

And finally, if you truly can’t live without a healthy “summer glow,” there are plenty of self-tanning products and bronzing cosmetics that will help you fake a natural-looking tan to rival the real thing.

Photo courtesy of Lodewijk van den Broek

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