Skin
The Least Exciting Skin Habit With the Best Evidence: Daily Sunscreen
It will never trend on social media, but daily sunscreen is the skin habit dermatologists agree on most. Here is how to make it stick.
Ask a dermatologist for the single most useful thing you can do for your skin and the answer is almost always the same: wear sunscreen, every day. It is not glamorous, but it helps prevent sunburn, skin cancer and the visible signs of sun damage.
What to look for on the label
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a sunscreen that is:
- Broad-spectrum, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays
- SPF 30 or higher
- Water-resistant if you will be sweating or swimming
Pick one you like wearing
The best sunscreen is the one you will use. If your skin is drier in midlife, a creamy formula or a moisturizer with SPF 30 can do double duty. Tinted mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are often gentle on sensitive skin and can even out tone.
How to apply it properly
- Use enough: most adults need about a shot glass worth to cover exposed skin, and roughly a nickel-sized amount for the face.
- Do not forget your neck, ears, chest and the backs of your hands, the places that often show sun damage first.
- Reapply every two hours outdoors, and after swimming or sweating.
Make it automatic
Keep sunscreen next to your toothbrush, or switch your morning moisturizer to one with SPF. Add a wide-brimmed hat and shade in the middle of the day, and you have covered the basics.
Related: What actually changes in your skin after 40.
- American Academy of Dermatology. How to select a sunscreen
- American Academy of Dermatology. Skin care in your 40s and 50s
