How to choose a sunscreen and protect skin from the sun 

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
How to choose a sunscreen]

[Music playing]

Desmond Shipp, MD: The best way to enjoy the sun is to make sure that you're keeping yourself protected, and that includes using sunscreen.

[Text on screen: Sunscreen guidelines
- SPF of 30 or greater
- Apply 15 minutes before you go outside
- Reapply every two hours]

An SPF of 30 or greater, applying it 15 minutes before you go outdoors, every two hours thereafter. 

[Text on screen: Desmond Shipp, MD
Dermatologist
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center]

You also can use UV protected sunglasses. You also can use UV protected clothing as well. So, those are ideal ways to keep yourself protected during sun exposure. 

[Music fades]

[Text on screen: The best sunscreens have UVA/UVB protection (broad spectrum)]

When you're looking for sunscreens, you want to make sure that you have a UVA and UVB protection. We call that broad spectrum. The UVA is the sun protection that you want to make sure that you really watch out for, because it actually penetrates through your car windows. It leads to aging of the skin, and it also can lead to your skin rapidly changing and getting skin cancers. When we're talking about UVB, that's protecting against sunburns.

[Text on screen: Does 'SPF' mean I won't burn as long as it's on my skin?]

Now, some people get confused and they think that, "Okay, if I put on my sunscreen, that means I'm safe to stay in the sun for a long, long, long period of time." 

[Text on screen: SPF refers to protective factors compared to having no sunscreen at all]

It just means that it actually prevents your skin from burning for a longer period of time, so you still will get a sunburn. So, making sure that you keep yourself protected is ideal and really important. When purchasing a sunscreen, you want to make sure that you're getting a broad spectrum sunscreen, one that prevents against UVA and UVB. You also want to make sure that it is an SPF of 30 or greater. Some people get concerned like, "If I do a 50, is that better?" Yes, it's a little better, but you'll never get 100%. We found out if you have a SPF of 30 or greater, it prevents about 97% of those harmful sun rays from burning or causing irritation to your skin. You also want to make sure that your sunscreen is water resistant.

Now, when you're looking for sunscreen, you're going to probably see two. It's going to say a chemical blocker and also will have a physical blocker. 

[Music playing]

The difference between the two is that a chemical blocker actually has to get absorbed into your skin to work, whereas a physical blocker puts a barrier between you and the sun. Hence, the reason why they need to be changed at least every two hours.

[Text on screen: Ohio State Health & Discovery
For more information, visit: health.osu.edu]

[Music fades]