Awesome Tips To Safeguard Your Skin

It starts with sunscreen (and we have some great options for you). Then a big hat. Extra points for UPF clothing. What else can you do to safeguard your skin? A lot.

- Victoria Kirby, Claudia Tan, Joyce Cheo & Kimberly Ong

In the sun-protection constitution, we hold these truths to be self-evident: that everyone should wear broadspectrum sunscreen on their face, neck, chest, and hands every day; that you need to reapply it every two hours when outdoors; and that whatever you do to shield your skin from direct sunlight is a good thing. These principles are common knowledge—as is the startling stat that UV exposure is linked to about 90 percent of skin cancer cases and nearly every form of skin aging. We go for a run sheathed in SPF 50, a wide-brimmed hat firmly in place, charting a path in the shade, confident that we’re taking every precaution to guard ourselves against the sun.

Turns out, that’s just the half of it. While experts say we’ve come a long way since the days when SPF 8 was considered adequate, they stress that staying healthy and smooth-skinned is about more than just diligent sunscreen use. Of note: The FDA announced that it is reviewing the safety and efficacy of chemical UV filters in sunscreen. “For now, I recommend mineral sunscreen, which the FDA has already cleared. I also tell my patients that SPF is only one piece of the sun-safety puzzle,” says Mona Gohara, a dermatologist in New Haven, Connecticut, and an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University in the US. “We need a 360-degree strategy that takes into account what we put into our body, our lifestyle, and all forms of light exposure.” Science also has a better understanding of how light-induced skin damage occurs—and more importantly, how to halt it. Here are four simple strategies to maximize your efforts.

EAT YOUR PROTECTION