You know that you’re supposed to be wearing sunscreen every day of the year, no matter what the weather. But sunscreen isn’t made to give you sun protection all of the time. Yes, it’s a must, but there are some things you can do to up your sun protection. We've got the skinny on keeping your skin sun-safe:
Why Sunscreen Doesn't Last: The active ingredients that give you sun protection from UV rays, like Mexoryl or Titanium Dioxide, come off in the water. Even if you avoid taking a dip during the day, when you perspire, the combination of salt and water makes the active ingredients disintegrate slowly, leaving your skin unprotected. What’s more, once the active ingredient is exposed to UV rays, it naturally begins to stop working after a few hours.
Stay protected: You have to reapply sunscreen every few hours to truly max out your sun protection. But before you even apply, make sure your sunscreen is fresh; last year’s formula won’t give you as much protection since the ingredients break down over time.
Eat your veggies: While there’s no magic pill or spray to make your protected from the sun 24/7, you can eat more fruits and vegetables to help ward off sun damage. Ingesting them will not be in lieu of sunscreen, but some ingredients found in tomatoes, squash and carrots may protect you from UV rays when you eat them regularly. Oh and we also have heard that chocolate could help as well
Slather on Vitamins: Antioxidant serums with Vitamins C, E or green tea, will give you a boost from damaging UV rays and extra sun protection. Make sure the ingredient list has the active antioxidants listed in the beginning to get the max benefits.
Do you have any other ways of protecting yourself from the sun? Let us know in the comment section!