Lately it seems as if the hot summer months have arrived early this year. Not quite the three-digit temperatures that often highlight a Texas summer but when the high temperatures are only two or three degrees lower it is still hot. The sun shines bright and for the health conscious that means it is time to start applying sun screen to prevent sun burn and possible cancer. I was reading a newsletter called “Nutrition Action” on ‘What to Look For in a Sunscreen.’ After reading the article and looking at my varied collection of sunscreens, the choice of selecting a sunscreen is a little more complicated than grabbing the first tube of sunscreen off the shelf.
The first thing most runners look for is the SPF (sun protection factor) to see the number on the label. The range is from 15 to over 70. The number is telling the runner how much of the sun’s UVB rays are being blocked. Dermatologists recommend a minimum of at least 30.
There are some sunscreens that also block the UVA rays as well. When a sunscreen blocks both the UVB and the UVA rays it is labeled a ‘broad spectrum sunscreen.’ It means that the sunscreen is also blocking some of the UVA rays but does not necessarily tell you how much is being blocked For runners one of the more important factors in buying a sunscreen is ‘water resistant’ and ‘sweat resistant’ on the label. The time that the sunscreen will protect the runner will vary from 40 minutes to 80 minutes and the label will mention which time this brand will last. Depending on the brand of sunscreen you buy, one of the necessary items I like to see is “won’t run into the eyes.” I have had a few instances where during a run on a hot day the sweat starts to get heavy and will run into your eyes. My experience with this situation is that the sun screen really burns the eyes when it runs into them. Before the manufacturers came out with not running into the eyes brand, I put a line of Vaseline across my eye brows to direct the sweat off the side of my face. It worked well for me.
