New Study Shows Few People Reapply Sunscreen

With the summer in full effect and many people spending more and more time outdoors, it’s a good time for a friendly sun protection reminder. Sunscreen should be your best friend this summer (and really all year-round). I think most people generally know how important it is to wear sunscreen and reapply. But many people seem to forget to apply more as the day goes on. A new study revealed exactly that trend.

Many People Don’t Reapply Sunscreen

To time with summer, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) conducted a sunscreen usage survey of 1,000 adults. The results found that while most adults (80% of participants) know they should reapply sunscreen, few actually do.

The numbers were surprisingly low:

• Only 33% reapply every two hours, while 42% tend to not reapply sunblock at all or reapply it only when after getting wet
• 30% apply sunscreen just to their face and not to other exposed areas of the body

Seems like reapplying sunscreen is something people know to do in theory but don’t do in practice.

Why Reapplying Sunscreen is a MUST

Your sunscreen is only effective if it’s still on you. Sunscreen will come off over time and especially if you’re swimming or sweating. That’s why reapplication is so important – it helps to protect your skin all day long.

Also, I often hear “but I’m wearing an SPF 100 I should be safe from the sun all day”. Well, as board-certified dermatologist Dr. Henry W. Lim explains:

“Reapplication is key along with understanding SPF. Many people mistakenly assume that they can apply the sunscreen with the highest SPF rating and then stay out in the sun all day without reapplying; however, SPF is a measurement of how well a sunscreen protects the skin from the sun’s UVB rays, which cause sunburn. It is not a measurement of how long someone can stay in the sun or how frequently it needs to be applied.”

Finally, I know one of the reasons why I don’t reapply is I forget. One easy way to remind yourself is to set reminders on your phone to apply again.

Sunscreen Smarts

So set those reminders and try to make it a point to reapply your sunblock this summer (and really every day of the year). Reapplying is much better for our skin than sunburn, sun damage, or skin cancer!

Have a great summer and don’t forget to check out our Sunscreen and Sunblock and Suncare Smarts series for more tips and tricks for staying safe in the sun.