Lauren's List: Do's & Don'ts About Sunscreen & Keeping Your Skin Safe
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and with a long holiday weekend approaching, it's important to remember to protect yourself if you're planning some fun in the sun.
The Skin Cancer Foundation says 5.4 million cases are diagnosed annually.
Today's "Lauren's List" has some helpful expert "Dos and Don'ts" about sunscreen and how to keep your skin safe.
- Don't Bother With High SPF- SPF 75 sounds pretty tempting, right? But the FDA says there's no evidence such products provide better protection against harmful rays-and they may actually make us feel overconfident and less likely to reapply. SPF 30 is fine, as long as you remember to reapply.
- Do Check The Ingredients- You may not be able to pronounce them, but you should be able to recognize these ingredients on your sunscreen. Zinc, titanium dioxide and avenobenzone are good UVA blockers. The Environmental Working Group says stay away from oxybenzone and Vitamin A in your sunscreen if you can.
- Don't Rely On Sprays Only- They're super convenient, but not quite as effective. If you insist on using sunscreen sprays on your body, consider sticking to lotion sunblock on your face. The Environmental Working Group says sprays don't provide an even and thick enough layer of sunscreen on the skin to properly protect it.
- Do Use Other Forms Of Protection- Sunscreen is great when applied correctly, but experts say it's not proven to prevent ALL types of skin cancer. So cover up! Wear shirts, hats, pants, and shorts whenever possible. Try to stay under an umbrella at the beach when you're not out enjoying the water.
What do you do to protect your skin?
Tell me on Facebook or Twitter.
If you have an idea for a future "Lauren's List", send it to lpastrana@cbs.com.
