How to Properly Use Sunscreen
Randy
How-to topics are popular infographic designs, and How To Properly Use Sunscreen is a great topic to cover. From STACK.com. It’s over 100°F (over 37°C) here in Texas this week, so this is a very appropriate topic to share.
Most people know they should use sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays. Unfortunately, few are fully aware of how to properly use sunscreen. This is particularly true of athletes who train and compete in the sun throughout the summer.
If you’re spending long hours in the heat this summer, sunscreen could become your most important piece of training equipment. Check out the graphic below to learn how to select the right SPF, understand application and find out how different conditions impact the need to use and reapply sunscreen. Don’t find yourself sunburned on the sideline this summer because you failed to educate yourself on how to properly use sunscreen.
As strong as the topic is, I see a number of design improvements that could be made:
- The stats need to be visualized! The definition of SPF would have been a great data visualization comparing one hour in the sun without sunscreen to 15 hours in the sun with SPF 15.
- I love the varying degrees of transparency in the shadows behind the shield illustrations for the different levels of SPF
- Overall, there’s too much text. More than a normal reader will take the time to read.
Reader Comments (5)
There are several inaccuracies on the poster. The 15 hour statement is incorrect and very misleading to anyone using sunscreen. SPF value is a measurement of UVB filtration over time. The expected degradation curve of UVB filtration is what the lab SPF testing approximates.
EXAMPLE: For an SPF 10 product , A person who easily burns in 10 minutes of peak UV exposure (type 1 skin),will absorb the same amount of UV in 100 minutes (burn time 10 minutes times the SPF value 10) resulting in the same burn as with 10 minutes of unprotected exposure. If your skin type has a longer burn time, the SPF value will prevent visible sunburn for a longer exposure period.
SPF 10 product does not BLOCK UV for 100 minutes, you are not protected from UV for 100 minutes, and the longer the sunscreen is on the skin, the more the active ingredients have degraded and are allowing more UV to pass into the dermis.
The association of
Avoid using the term BLOCK - all sunscreens "FILTER"
Both UVA and UVB are associated with the development of skin cancer (not just UVA)
Altitude has more effect on increasing UV exposure than any other factor. At 5000 feet the direct UV intensity if apx 30% stronger than sea level. Add snow reflection and you have over doubled the UV intensity compared to Sea level. The combination of high altitude and snow reflection produces the most serious skin damage. You should include information on altitude and the combined intensity of altitude and snow reflection.
Don't use the term "Sunblock" it is in accurate and not allowed by the FDA. Always use the consistent term "Sunscreen"
There are two levels of water resistance allowed in the US. "Water resistant" = 40 minutes in water before reapplication. "Very Water resistant" = 80 minutes in water before reapplication.