Philly-Area Dermatologists Share Their Ultimate Sun-Safety Tips for Your Skin
Plus the locally made sunscreens to use year-round
How to best protect your skin from the sun year-round, and the best Philly-made sunscreens to use. / Photo-illustration by Leticia R. Albano
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month so there’s no better time to step up your sun-protection game. Below, Philly-area dermatologists share their top tips for safely enjoying the great outdoors, plus a roundup of locally made sunscreens to add to your skincare regimen.
Know how much to apply.
For optimal defense against harmful UV rays, use about one ounce of sunscreen — akin to the volume of a shot glass — for your body, then add a third-to-a-half-teaspoon to your face and neck, advises Bruce Brod, clinical professor of dermatology and co-director of the contact dermatitis program at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. With spray, go over areas twice, and rub it in.
Invest in sun-protective clothing.
These items can play an integral role in safeguarding your skin through every season, according to King of Prussia-based dermatologist Erum Ilyas, who founded UV-protection clothing brand AmberNoon. The best way to shop? Look for a label that references ultraviolet-protection factor (UPF), and, similar to SPF, aim for one that’s 30 or 50.
Keep sunblock handy for car rides.
The windows in your car are effective at blocking UVB radiation — the cause of sunburns and skin cancer — but they aren’t up to blocking UVA radiation, which can result in skin cancer and photo-aging, warns Ha Linh Vu, of Dermatology Partners’ South Philly and Plymouth Meeting practices. That’s why you’ll want to lather your face and arms and the backs of your hands in the car and on trains and planes, too.
Book a full-body skin check.
While the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Cancer Society don’t recommend a particular schedule for self-checking your skin, many doctors suggest doing so regularly — about once a month. If you find a new or suspicious-looking mole, see a dermatologist right away, says Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting’s Nazanin Saedi.
Philly-Made Sunscreens
About Face’s SPF 50+ Everyday Screen is made with vitamin E, green tea and coffee, to plump and hydrate — perfect for use on the face and décolletage. $55.
The Noble Shield SPF 58 from Avery Graham Aesthetics is a mineral option that prevents UV rays from penetrating the skin. Bonus: Water-resistant and non-greasy, it won’t leave a chalky residue. $58.
Abiyah Naturals’ Sun Up cream is formulated with skin-protecting ingredients — coconut oil, avocado oil, EVOO, wheat germ oil, nano-free zinc oxide — so you sunbathe without stress. $12.
For on-the-go coverage that you can swipe on in seconds, try organic, reef-safe Crème Solaire SPF 50, by CURE de Repos. $48.
Corrado Facial Plastic Surgery carries three sunscreens developed in-house, all of which are mineral-based and protect with SPF 50. From $42.
