With summer in full swing, the sun’s rays are nearing their peak strength, meaning getting a sunburn can happen faster than you think. Medical experts say you should use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, but strongly urges people to us one that’s at least 30. Anything over an SPF of 30 will block 97-percent of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.
A cream is also recommended over a spray because with a spray, it’s hard to know how much coverage you have. We talked to a doctor about what type of sunscreen you should choose.
“You should use broad-spectrum sunscreen, common misconception is you can go out into the sun and apply it right there, you should apply it 15 minutes before sun exposure, and at a minimum, every two hours, but even more frequently if you’re in the water or sweating then it’s 80 minutes,” said Jenna Herman, a Nurse Practitioner with CHI St. Alexius Urgent Care.
She adds the FDA has recently banned sunscreen makers from saying they are waterproof or sweat proof because they’ve been proven to be false claims.
KX News Reporting