Sunblock - It’s important to use!
Back in the days of the ancient Greeks, they used olive oil to protect themselves against the sun, although they found it was ineffective. There were many other inventors throughout the years to follow who tried to come up with different forms of sunblock but again, nobody succeeded. Finally, in 1944, it happened. Many soldiers were getting severe sunburn during World War II and something needed to be done. A pharmacist by the name of Benjamin Greene created something to help protect them from the sun’s dangerous rays. He created a sticky liquid which he called “red vet pet.” He tested it out on himself and although it didn’t work as well as many sunscreens do today, it was definitely effective.
Sunblock usually comes in the form of either a lotion or a spray and is used to help protect a person’s skin from ultraviolet radiation that comes from the sun. It also helps to reduce if not prevent sunburn which in turn will help reduce the risks of developing skin damage which could lead to skin cancer.
When you’re looking to purchase sunblock, you want to look for one that protects against both UVB and UVA. Most people think that you only need to use sunblock when you are participating in outdoor activities during the summer, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. To get the best protection, you should use sunblock all year round and it is especially important to apply it at least thirty minutes before you are out in the sun to get the best protection.
It is important to look at the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) when deciding what level of sunblock is going to meet your needs. Generally the higher the SPF, the more protection it offers against the UVB and UVA rays. You usually have the option of choosing sunblock with an SPF anywhere from a 5 to a 50, sometimes higher. Choosing the number to that will be most effective for you depends on certain things such as the type of skin you have, the amount that is applied and how frequently you will reapply it, what kind of activities you will be doing outdoors, the time of the day and certainly the season and of course the amount of sunblock that the skin has absorbed.
Banana Boat, Coppertone and Aveeno and are just some of the better brands of sunscreen that you have available to use. Use it and use it often to get the best protection you can from the sun!