We've come to learn that the Bask buyer is a voracious traveler and seeker of sun-soaked leisure. It's nice to know how much we have in common. In fact, just over the last few weeks, dozens of you have reached out to share excitement about upcoming trips to places like The Bahamas, Antigua, Tulum, St. Barths, and more.

First of all, jealous. Second of all, thank you for packing your Bask! 

In advance of your travels, we want to share one of the least known and most pivotal pieces of sun care information: know the UV Index.

The Tip: Track the UV Index and Adjust Accordingly

What is the UV Index?

Not all sunshine is made equal, and the UV Index measures that via its 1-11+ measurement scale. 1 being the least intense and 11+ being the most intense, the scale tells us how strong the sunburn-producing UV radiation is at a particular time and place.

The UV Index can be found in most daily forecasts, and is located about ⅔ of the way down the screen in your iPhone’s weather app!

UV Index Explained

There are certain days where the sun quite literally beats harder. And on those days, you need to take extra precautions. Perhaps the most important is to apply more sunscreen more often. But how much?

As an example, the average UV Index in the Northeast during the summer is 6. Think about how much sunscreen you personally need to wear if you’re on a rooftop or in Central Park or on a beach in Nantucket or The Cape in the summer ("personally" IS emphasized because everyone's skin is different). Probably every hour or two.

Since that average is just halfway up the scale (and it’s a linear scale) that means that you need to reapply at double your normal frequency if there’s a UV index of 9 or higher. 

So, if you personally need to reapply every 2 hours on a normal summer day in the Northeast, then you need to reapply at least every hour when the UV index is high. (And, personally, I would recommend more...especially when first arriving to your sunny destination since your skin isn't used to high-intensity UV rays).

Going to the tropics?

If you’re soon boarding a plane to somewhere sunny, quickly google the UV Index at your destination.

As an example, we just checked St. Barths, and the UV Index everyday for the next (and last) 8 days is a 10!

Especially if you’re coming from somewhere cold where you’ve been bundled up indoors, do not mess around with that 10 UV Index sun. Remember: we want to bask, not burn. 

Take Additional Sun Safety Measures

With high UV Index, in addition to wearing ample Bask sunscreen and reapplying with a high frequency, you should also wear a hat, sunglasses, lip balm with SPF, a shirt with a collar, and seek shade. 

Summary:

Check your UV Index, and make sure to apply sunscreen more frequently on high UV Index days. If you usually apply every 2 hours, then apply every hour on high UV Index days.