Body Sunscreens
Apply more sunscreen (with higher SPF) when you're around reflective surfaces like water, snow, or ice. SPF describes the amount of protection in terms of how long it normally takes to get sunburn. For example, if it takes you five minutes to burn without any sunscreen on, it will take you 75 minutes to burn if you are wearing an SPF 15 sunscreen. A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 is more than sufficient for sun protection. It is widely assumed that the higher SPF gives you a better protection from the sun. In fact, there are actually very small differences between SPF 15 and SPF 30. The UV filtration of a SPF 15 sunscreen is 96 percent and the UV filtration of an SPF 30 sunscreen is 98 percent.
Choose a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Look for the words "broad spectrum protection" or UVA protection in addition to the SPF of 15 or greater. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a "four-star" UVA rating system and will require that over-the-counter sunscreens disclose both UVA and UVB protection levels on product labels by 2010.
The sun's rays are strongest between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, so make sure you reapply sunscreen frequently and take breaks indoors if you can.
If you want the glow of a tan, try faking it with self-tanners or salon tanning spray treatments. Avoid tanning beds, though, because although manufacturers claim that tanning beds are free of UVB rays, they still use harmful UVA rays.
For protecting against UVA when choosing a sunscreen, make sure it contains 1 of 3 ingredients as an 'active ingredient': titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or Parsol 1789 (avobenzene).
Sunscreens' active ingredients do one of two things: Chemical screens like octisalate (which blocks UVB) and avobenzone, aka Parsol 1789 (which blocks UVA), absorb UV rays; physical blocks like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide-the white stuff you used to see old people putting on their noses, now micronized so that they disappear into the skin-reflect sunlight altogether. The point is to protect your skin against sunburn and, more importantly, against skin cancer.
Sunscreens for the body can be of the cheaper variety than those for the face. We are more particular about moisturizers and sunscreens for the face that are non-greasy and won't clog the pores. That is less important for the body.
Some of the best sunscreens for general body use are:
Neutrogena has three excellent versions of sunscreen which make my list for best body sunscreens. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock can be used for the face and is inexpensive enough to use on both the face and body. The other versions are Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 45 and Neutrogena Healthy Defense Oil-Free Sunblock Spray (SPF 30). Active ingredients are avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate and octisalate. Neutrogena made me feel a lot less greasy than other sunblocks. It is far less greasy on the skin than most sunscreens. Within a few minutes of applying, my skin felt clean, without a heavy residue.
Banana Boat Sun Wear SPF 50 or Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sweatproof (SPF 50) are both good choices. Active ingredients are octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene and oxybenzone. Despite the claims, it is not as non-greasy as Neutrogena's. It is unscented and hypoallergenic and the sweatproof version didn't seem to sweat off on a particularly hot day.
Bull Frog Superblock Lotion Sun Block or BullFrog Quik Gel (SPF 36). It protects even the fairest of skin types. Active ingredients are octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone. It is advertized to be transparent, waterproof and sweatproof and that it dries instantly. It definitely dries quickly and it seems fairly sweat-resistant. The gel is less greasy than the lotion.
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