Sun Shields

Do you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S? There's strong evidence that excessive sun exposure raises the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be about 62,000 new cases of melanoma in 2006, and nearly 8,000 will die of the ailment. When I learned about Sun rays that could damage our skin, I bought sunscreen with SPF 55, has age shield, water proof, sweat proof and agents that would keep my skin safe from any skin problems. I also learned that regardless of the weather, we have to use sunscreen when we go outside. I thought this is a pretty interesting topic that I could blog about. Here are more of what I learned about sun rays and how we can protect our skin:

Sunscreens. Sunscreen is a highly recommended defense against sunburn and skin cancer. It is now available in lotions, creams, ointments, gels, wax sticks, and spray. Some have glitter and tint, too.

What's the best kind? That depends on you. "It's nice to use a product with a higher SPF. But make sure you find a sunscreen that you like because you'll use it more," .

Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before you go out. Put on enough so that it takes a full minute to rub in. If at the beach, spread at least 1 ounce -- enough to fill a shot glass -- on your face and entire body. Use more if you need to for good coverage. If you swim, sweat, or are outdoors for a long time, reapply every two hours. Your sunscreen should also have the following qualities:

• It is water resistant and sweat proof
  
• It has SPF of 15 or higher. According to The American Academy of Dermatology, sunscreen-SPF rating is calculated by comparing the amount of time needed to produce a sunburn on sunscreen-protected skin to the amount of time needed to cause a sunburn on unprotected skin.

  For example, with an SPF 2 sunscreen a person who normally (without sunscreen) would turn red after 10 minutes of sun exposure would take 20 minutes to turn red. A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 would allow that person to multiply that initial burning time by 30, which means it would take 30 times longer to burn. However, SPF should not be used to determine time in the sun.

  Skin damage can happen even without a burn. Plus, higher SPF numbers do not give proportionate protection. SPF 15 deflects 93% of sun-burning rays, whereas SPF 30 deflects 97%, reports the AAD.

• Make sure your sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection, which is in sunscreens containing benzophenones (oxybenzone), cinnamates (octylmethyl cinnamate and cinoxate), sulisobenzone, salicylates, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, and avobenzone (Parsol 1789).

  If the Sunscreen does not have these agents, It may only filter UVB light, the major culprit for sunburn and skin cancer. Yet, protection from UVA is important, too. It is responsible for premature aging and the development of skin cancer.

So If you haven't started using suncreen on your face, start doing it now! Protect and shield your skin.