Sunscreen

How often should you reapply sunscreen when you’re outside?

• At least every hour

• At least every 2 hours

• At least every 4 hours

• Don’t need to reapply

• Only need to reapply after sweating or swimming

A recent FDA study showed that some sunscreen ingredients are absorbed into the body. This means:

• I should continue to use sunscreen as directed. Evidence of absorption doesn’t mean these ingredients are unsafe – it just means that more data is needed.

• I should stop using sunscreen

• I should make my own sunscreen

• I should only use sunscreen conservatively, for example, only in limited amounts on a sunny day

Which of these statements is true regarding sun safety for infants?

• Adults are at greater risk than infants of sunscreen side effects, such as a rash

• Infants can be exposed to the sun for a limited amount of time without increased risk

• Sunscreens are not recommended for infants under six months of age

• Protective clothing does not have much effect and sunscreen is a much better UV protection method

The FDA recommends that you do not use sunscreen products that have passed their expiration date. If there is no expiration date indicated, what should you do?

• Not use it

• Report it to the FDA

• Assume it is stable to use if it was purchased within the last three years and has been stored in a cool, dry place

• Assume it is stable to use indefinitely

All of these are ways to reduce risk of sun damage to your body EXCEPT:

• Limiting your time in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are most intense

• Wearing clothing to cover skin exposed to the sun—such as long-sleeve shirts, pants, sunglasses, and broad-brim hats

• Using broad spectrum sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) value of 15 or higher regularly and as directed

• Getting a base tan by using tanning beds or laying out in the sun.

True or false: All sunscreens protect against sunburn, but only those that are SPF 15 or above and are Broad Spectrum have also been shown to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging.

• True

• False

True or False: If you sweat or go swimming, you need to reapply sunscreen more often than every 2 hours even if the sunscreen is water resistant.

• True

• False

When do the FDA and CDC recommend wearing sunscreen?

• While swimming at the beach on a sunny day

• While playing outside on a cloudy day

• While skiing in the winter

• All of the above

True or False: Getting a tan, whether you have lighter or darker skin, is healthy.

• True

• False

A sunscreen label of SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 15 means:

• You can stay out in the sun 15 times longer than you normally can without getting burned.

• The sunscreen lets twice as much solar radiation through as a sunscreen labeled SPF 30.

• It takes 15 times more solar energy to produce a sunburn compared to unprotected skin.

• The SPF value tells consumers how much broad spectrum protection the sunscreen provides.

• You can stay out in the sun for 15 hours without being burned.