Dr. Julie S. Goldberg: I always recommend that people use sunscreen daily, and sometimes they are shocked to hear that. And I tell them, “Just like you brush your teeth in the morning, you should apply sunscreen right afterwards.” I recommend that you apply it 20 minutes before going outside that way it gets absorbed into the skin, because we can’t account for climate, humidity, other things in the environment that would allow the sunscreen to wear off, even before it’s absorbed.

So, I recommend applying it to all exposed areas, even the top of the hands, especially in the winter. And one thing that really surprises people is that you can get sun or ultraviolet A, UVA, through your car window. So, people always like to tell me that they are never in the sun, and I ask them, “Do you live in a cave? You don’t drive?” because you are actually getting the ultraviolet light through the glass. And so, I do recommend sunscreen daily.

And so, if you are in a tropical or summer weather, I also recommend that you reapply sunscreen every two hours. Because again, the climate will affect the sunscreen. It may rub off or evaporate, per se, wear off. Likewise, after you swim, you want to reapply your sunscreen. I recommend using a minimum SPF of 30, and to look for Micron Zinc Oxide as the active ingredient, but the Micron Zinc Oxide extends to the far end of the spectrum of ultraviolet light. So, it’s actually the best protection for ultraviolet A.

Now, people talk about the SPF and don’t realize that the SPF only pertains to ultraviolet B. It has nothing to do with UVA. So, that’s why you want to use something broad spectrum. We know that it covers the UVB, based on the SPF, but it does not necessarily mean that it covers UVA, because we can’t measure it with an SPF number.

Why You Should Wear Sun Screen Every Single Day

Doctor Julie S. Goldberg explains why she recommends wearing sun screen every single day.