Some Sunscreen and Sun Tips from Bask

Here comes the sun. Which is exactly what we’re here for. With summer in full swing across the Northeast, there’s no better time than now to share a few helpful sun safety tips and best practices with you!

Reapplication

The name of the game in sun safety is reapplication. We can not stress this enough. If you’re not reapplying, then it doesn’t matter if you put on SPF 1,000,000. The FDA recommends every 2 hours, but we recommend every 60 minutes. With a sunscreen that feels good on your skin (like Bask), it’s actually a nice little hydrating treat - every hour you get a little spa experience! But if you want to avoid sunburns and skin damage, then reapply. 

UV Index

One thing to be very mindful of is the UV Index. It’s something hardly anyone we talk to even thinks about, but it’s big. And it’s very easily accessible. If you use an iPhone, for example, the UV index is located in the weather index on the bottom right. The UV Index is a 1-10 scale where 1 means low UV exposure and 10 means very high (there’s a bonus 11+ which = “extreme”). 

Below is a breakdown of the ranges, but here are the most important things to consider: 

1) Definitely wear sunscreen at anything 3 or higher. We’d go so far as to tell you to wear sunscreen every day (especially on your hands, neck, face, and ears). 

2) The average summer UV Index in the Northeast United States is about 5-6. Which means that, if the UV Index is a 10, and you usually burn in 30 minutes, then you’ll start to burn in 15 minutes at the higher UV Index. Our strong recommendation is to increase your application frequency based on the UV index. If fair skinned, and you can’t go 15 minutes without getting red, then a UV index of 8 or higher means that you should wear high SPF and reapply every 30 minutes or so. Better safe than sunburned. 

UV Index

1-2: Low, minimal protection required

3-5: Moderate, protection required

6-7: High, protection essential

8-10: Very High, Extra protection required

11+: Extreme, take precaution (seek shade, wear sleeves)

Use the Cooler

On the beach and keeping your drinks cool? We recommend putting your Bask non-aerosol spray on ice too. We learned this tip from Drew Elowitz when she reviewed Bask for Who What Wear. It’s already a refreshing mist, but when it’s on ice, nothing makes reapplication feel better on a hot day or as you switch sides during a tennis match. 

Application Best Practices

Let’s start here: the palms of your hands are not the key target area for your sunscreen. I can’t tell you how often we see people take a bunch of sunscreen, squeeze it into their hands, rub it together in their palms, and then apply it to their body. This is not the way to do it. First of all, you’re wasting your sunscreen. Second of all, you’re not getting enough on your body because it’s all going on your palms. 

Here’s how to apply:

Lotion:

We recommend applying the non aerosol sunscreen from the tube directly to the body part. Apply penny to quarter-sized dollops, for example, every 3-5 inches up and down your arm, and then rub in. This way you’re ensuring even application, and that the vast majority of your SPF is going on your body as opposed to on your palms. 

Spray:

Make sure to factor in the wind. Hold your sunscreen spray nozzle no more than 4-5 inches away from your skin (even closer on a windy day), and allow two seconds of coverage at each application area. Then rub in with your hands. 

Double The Pleasure

The best way to stay protected is to apply a base layer of sun protection lotion, and then layer your SPF spray on top. Not only will you get great coverage, but you’ll get a very nice beach glow-up. 

Cloudy Days

Amongst the most dangerous of all the sunburn days is the sneaky cloud coverage day. “Oh, the sun’s hardly even showing today, I don’t need sunscreen” are the famous last words before getting absolutely fried. Don’t think for a second that the clouds have the power to block the power of the sun. They do not. Wear sunscreen on cloudy days. Trust us.