Okay, you’ve been badgered by beauty folks like myself into smothering yourself with globs of sunscreen. I get it, you’re sick of the sun-shaming.
But now that we’re right in the thick of the dog days of summer, it won’t hurt for another PSA – well, it won’t hurt as much as a sunburn would!
So exactly how much should you be slipping, slopping and slapping on yourself? Happily, dermatologists are after my own tipsy heart – the rule of thumb is a one ounce shot glass for a bikini bod. Hick. Ah, sun, sand and shot glasses of tropical rum ... Perfect.
As it turns out, there’s a catch. (There’s always a catch.) The shot glass guide is aimed at protecting a person weighing 70 kg, says New York-based Dr. Dina Strachan: The implication being, of course, that an ounce may not be enough coverage for someone heavier than the standard.
What now? Joshua Wong, senior patient care pharmacist at Guardian Health & Beauty Singapore, says that no matter your size, reapplication is of the essence: “Sunscreen should always be applied every two hours, or as recommended by the manufacturer.”
Oh, and as reassuring (or ludicrous) as an SPF 120 lotion may be, Joshua Wong cautions against leaning too heavily on the numbers stamped on a bottle for security: “A higher SPF is not necessarily better, as it may give consumers a false sense of protection. Always re-apply when two hours are up.”
Bummer. Anything else? Just two: Don’t neglect your neck and upper chest; and seek shelter when it gets too steamy. A swipe of sunscreen isn’t carte blanche for cavorting outdoors the whole day.
There’s a good reason why sunscreen isn’t marketed as “sun-proof”. No elixir on earth can ever hope to block out a full 100 percent of the sun’s rays … hence fashion! By all means, “save face” and look fab by whipping out your hottest hat and sexiest sunnies.
Spooked into planning a sojourn to your nearest drugstore? Sorry, not sorry – but what I can do is to proffer suggestions. Top on my list? The trusty Bioderma Photoderm MAX Dry Touch SPF 50+ UVA 36, which boasts a breathtakingly airy consistency that’s very easy to love, not to mention a patented Cellular Bioprotection complex that’s said to shield your skin at the cellular DNA level.
So, to recap: Sometimes a single shot glass just ain’t enough (I know, right?); reapply every two hours; and cover up where necessary. I hope this has been an enlightening “ray” of a read!
Bioderma Photoderm MAX Dry Touch SPF 50+ UVA 36, $44.90 for 40 ml, is available at selected Guardian pharmacies. For more information, visit www.bioderma.com and follow Bioderma Singapore on Facebook.