Sunscreen Understood

A summertime sunscreen Q & A:

(1) Once applied, how long does it take sunscreen to thoroughly penetrate the skin to begin protection from UVB rays?
     Answer: Sunscreen protection begins about one hour after lotion has been applied

2) Once protection begins, how long does protection last when using sunscreen lotion with 30 SPF (sun protection factor)?
     Answer: "in general" an SPF 15 sunscreen provides 15 minutes of protection, while an SPF 30 gives about 30 minutes of protection.

3) Does waterproof sunscreen wash off when you go in the water?
     Answer: "Waterproof" sunscreen will in fact come off in water.

4) Does sunscreen prevent your skin from converting sunlight into vitamin D?
     Answer: Dermatologists and scientists have still not been able to determine if sunscreen interferes with the skin's production of vitamin D from sunlight exposure.

Sunscreen has often been referred to as the "The snake oil of the 21st Century."  However, it is wise to utilize contemporary sunscreen products for skin protection. Even some protection is better than none.

There are certain foods and supplements that everyone (and especially those who get a lot of sun exposure) should be consuming in abundance.

Vitamins C and E are very important to relieving stress to the skin. Research has stated that a folic acid deficiency is "a major contributor to skin cancer risk." Folic acid is destroyed rapidly by heat, cold, and exposure to light, including sunlight. So it's sunlight's destructive effect on folic acid in the skin, not the actual sun exposure itself, that accounts for a significant part of the skin cancer problem. Folic acid (along with vitamin B12 and zinc) is absolutely key to DNA reproduction and repair."

The best dietary sources of folic acid include spinach and other dark green vegetables, brewers yeast, lima beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, wheat germ, and liver from organically raised animals. In addition, supplementing with 1,000 mcg of folic acid daily is beneficial, and even more if you spend a good amount of time in the sun or have a family history of skin cancer.

"Sunscreen, like relationships, are useless except when applied properly."