Monday, September 15, 2008

Enough sun care for your skin?

Have you ever evaluate yourself on your suncare knowledge? Like what SPF is sufficient to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, how long should you reapply your sunscreen, what amount should you apply.....

Spend a 5 minute for this "Sun Safety Quiz" to find out more. I scored 9/10! =) What about you? But if you're too lazy to take the quiz, scroll down for my set of answers....well, I still got one wrong...

Let's start!


Q1: A suntan is fine, as long as you don't burn.
Answer: False

Correct! While even one sunburn may double the chance of eventually developing melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer), you are still at risk even if you never burn. Both burning and tanning damage the DNA of skin cells. This damage sometimes leads to skin cancer. In other words, the more sun you get, the more likely you are to develop certain skin cancers.


Q2: To get sufficient UV protection, you should choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least:
Answer: 15

Correct! Make sure your sunscreen offers at least SPF 15. SPF ratings indicate how much longer you may be protected from sunburn than you would be if no sunscreen were applied.For instance, if your unprotected skin normally starts turning red in 20 minutes, using a product with SPF 15 will theoretically prevent burning 15 times as long — or about five hours.


Q3: If you're planning to spend time outdoors, you should apply sunscreen:
Answer: A half hour before leaving

CorrectSunscreens should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure to allow the ingredients to fully bind to the skin.


Q4: You should reapply waterproof sunscreen:
Answer: Every 2 hours

Correct! All sunscreens become less effective after about two hours – even waterproof ones. To make sure you stay covered, reapply every two hours, especially after you've been swimming, or sweating or doing something that can wipe off sunscreen, like toweling off.


Q5: The darker your skin color, the less you need to worry about sun protection.
Answer: False

Correct! Anyone can develop skin cancer, even those with darker pigmented skin. For this reason, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends that all people take precautions against sun exposure, regardless of their skin type or color.


Q6: How much sunscreen should you apply?
Answer: Enough to cover half the palm of your hand

Incorrect! The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that adults use an ounce of sunscreen to cover all exposed areas – the amount that fills a shot glass.


Q7: On cool or cloudy days, you still need a sunscreen.
Answer: True

Correct! According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, up to 40 percent of the sun's UV rays reaches the earth on a completely cloudy day. This is the reason people often end up with sunburns on overcast days after spending all day outdoors with no sun protection.

Q8: Wearing sunscreen can cause vitamin D deficiency.
Answer: False

Correct! Although sunlight helps our body make vitamin D, we get plenty of this nutrient through vitamin D-rich foods such as milk and fortified orange juice and everyday sun exposure, says the American Academy of Dermatology. Plus, even if you're wearing sunscreen, small amounts of UV rays still penetrate your skin, and that's more than enough to help your body produce vitamin D.


Q9: When does sunscreen expire?
Answer: After three years

Correct! Unless the expiry date says otherwise, sunscreen lasts for up to three years. If, however, you keep the bottle in your car on hot summer days, the heat will cause the sunscreen compounds to break down, which means your sunscreen won't last as long.


Q10: Darker lenses on sunglasses offer better protection from ultraviolet rays than do lighter sunglass lenses.
Answer: False

Correct! The shade of the lens doesn't tell you whether it protects your eyes from the sun's rays. In fact, you won't be able to see any difference between lenses that block the ultraviolet rays and those that don't. Look for a manufacturer's label that says the sunglasses block 99 percent or 100 percent of all ultraviolet light. To be even more effective, choose sunglasses that fit close to your face or have wraparound frames that block sunlight from all angles.


Enjoy your sunbathing. Just like me.

And I'm gonna tan myself again this Oct... in Phuket. =D


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