By Mya Rudolph
As summer commences and the UV levels rise, it is essential that everyone is informed on how best to protect their skin from the sun. Tons of people overlook this critical step in their morning skincare routine and I am here to explain how to incorporate SPF in your everyday life. This starts with learning what SPF is exactly.
What is SPF?
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor
and it is a measure of how long sunscreen will protect your skin from ultraviolet, or UV, rays. Too much sun exposure without sunscreen can lead to painful sunburns and skin cancer.
How to use SPF?
I typically apply face sunscreen everyday, whether it is a tinted sunscreen before I do my makeup or a white one that I feel is more protective for tanning. I always look for a face sunscreen that is lightweight and doesn't break me out so that I can layer with my other skincare steps. I like to put my sunscreen on after I wash my face with cleanser and apply moisturizer and before I put on any makeup.
Tanning tips
When tanning, applying SPF to your whole body is sooo important. Being sunburnt is such a horrible feeling and I promise you can still tan while wearing SPF! I recommend using either SPF 30 or 50 and reapplying every 2 hours. If I am going out to tan during peak UV rays I will typically apply an SPF 50 all over my body and I will still get an amazing tan.
Making sunscreen a lifestyle
Overall, we all want to look bronze and sun-kissed but we must keep in mind how to protect our skin in the long run. This is why everyone should be informed on what SPF is and how to incorporate it into their lifestyles.