Applying sunscreen is one of the healthiest things you can do for your skin. A good sunscreen with strong UVA and UVB protection can keep your skin from getting burned, minimize the development of wrinkles and brown spots, and can reduce the risk of skin cancer. But most of the people do not know how to apply sunscreens correctly, they use too little, or skip important spots thereby making their skin prone to damage.
Here are the common sunscreen mistakes that you may be doing daily:
1 . You Apply Sunscreen Just Before Stepping Out
Applying sunscreen moments before stepping out in the sun is not going to help. You must apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before you step outdoors because it takes that long for your skin to absorb the protective ingredients.
2 . You Are Not Applying Enough
If you are wishing to get the advertised SPF, a little dab of the sunscreen would not be enough. For face and neck application, physicians usually recommend a liberal application of approximately ¼ teaspoon of the sunscreen for the face, the same amount for the neck, and, if exposed, the same amount for the chest area.
3 . You Think Lips Do Not Need It
Studies show that most of the sunscreen users don’t protect their lips. Give this delicate skin more protection by applying an SPF 30 lip balm or lip sunscreen alone or under your usual lipstick or gloss. Wearing lip gloss without any coverage is a big no-no. The more hydrated your lips are, the easier it is for UV rays to penetrate deeper into the unprotected skin.
4 . You Do Not Bother To Reapply
You can’t put on sunscreen once and be done with it for the day. Reapplying every few hours after direct daylight exposure is a must. If you sweat profusely, you must reapply your sunscreen regardless of the SPF number on the product.
5 . You Apply Sunscreen Too Vigorously
Rubbing sunscreen vigorously into the skin reduces its effectiveness by nearly 25%. Apply your sunscreen smoothly and gently. You can try spray sunscreens that don’t require any rubbing.
6 . You Skip Your Sunscreen When It Is Cloudy
Even when the sun is nowhere to be seen, 80% of its UV rays still hit your skin. Windows block UVB rays but most allow the UVA rays through, that can cause skin damage. So even on days when you stay in a car for long hours, you need to apply sunscreen. Make sure to apply sunscreens on cloudy days as well as during winter months.
So, if you are doing these common sunscreen mistakes, it is high time to make changes so that you can keep your skin healthy and young. Stay Happy, Stay Healthy!