Either it’s too sticky or it leaves a white film on our skin – sunscreen can be a hassle to apply. Nevertheless, we know that it is essential on a sunny day.
Because not only sunburn and premature aging of the skin, but also skin cancer can be the result if we do without it. The correct application is at least as important as the product itself. That is why we must avoid these five mistakes from now on.
Mistake 1: Applying sunscreen too early
Most people apply sunscreen in the morning and immediately after showering. That sounds plausible. However, if you don’t go straight away and do a few things at home first, you risk losing your sun protection.
Arriving at the outdoor pool or at the lake, the protection is zero hours later. It is better to apply the cream around 20 to 30 minutes before sunbathing. That’s about how long the skin needs to absorb the protective ingredients.
Mistake 2: Massage sunscreen too hard into skin
Many sunbathe to get a crisp tan. That’s why the white stain that many lotions leave on the skin is annoying.
We are doing ourselves a disservice by massaging the cream into the skin until it is no longer visible. On the contrary: because the more opaque the protection, the better we are protected from UV rays.
Therefore, we should not rub the sunscreen too hard. Instead, we stand by our noble pallor, at least while sunbathing, and present our sun-kissed complexion in all its glory in the evening in our favorite bar – not a trace of redness!
Mistake 3: Do not renew sun protection
It is important to renew sunscreen regularly as its effectiveness decreases over time. Even if the sunscreen is sticky, we must not be sparing with it and should reapply it about every two hours.
If you go into the water or sweat a lot, you should refill your water more frequently. Even when the sky is cloudy or you are in the shade. Because the surroundings reflect the sunlight into the shadows – even under a parasol. And we are not immune to it under water either: UV rays penetrate deep under the water surface.
Mistake 4: Distributing sunscreen too unevenly on the skin
The protection promised on the label is only given if we apply the product evenly to the skin. We must not forget our lips, ears, hands and feet.
The former are particularly prone to damage because they are low in melanin (pigments that filter UV rays and protect the skin from sunburn). A lip balm with sun protection or a sun stick can help here.
In general, creams and lotions are the better alternative to sprays. Although this is practical, it is not as thorough when applied, as the skin is unevenly covered with the product. Not only when it’s windy.
If you don’t want to do without a spray: Spray the product on generously and then spread it over the skin by hand to distribute it evenly.
Mistake 5: Harmful ingredients
Sun protection is not the same as sun protection: So if you stand in front of a full shelf, you should not only pay attention to the look of the tube, but also to what is inside.
In the best case, we use a product that is tailored to our skin type and contains strong UVA and UVB protection. It is a fallacy to say that we tan faster with an SPF 20 than with an SPF 50. Because the sun protection factor does not determine how strong the sunscreen is, but how long it protects us.
That doesn’t mean we’re protected with a high SPF 50+ all day long. Even then, regular follow-up creaming is a must. However, less often than with an SPF 20. But be careful: Depending on where we are, the self-protection time of our skin changes. Means: The closer we are to the equator during the holidays, the lower it is. It is therefore higher in Italy than in the Maldives – skin type or not.
