One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
It's a statistic to keep in mind as you head out to swim, picnic and watch baseball games this summer.
Using the right sunscreen (and applying it correctly) can help lower your risk, along with wearing protective hats, sunglasses and clothing.
For any sunscreen to provide adequate protection, it must be "broad spectrum," protecting against both UVA and UVB radiation, because both play a part in skin cancer and sun damage, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Most dermatologists recommend using SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, depending on the activity. There are a host of sunscreens labeled with SPFs as high as 70 to 90, but SPF does not increase proportionally, the foundation says.
But the amount you use really matters: Doctors recommend applying 1 ounce (two tablespoons) about 30 minutes before sun exposure and again after two hours outside, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
And that 1 ounce of sunscreen should be applied 20 to 30 minutes before going outside to allow your skin time to absorb it.
We searched through the Skin Cancer Foundation's recommended products as well as multiple online consumer reviews and product tests to find top sunscreens for summer activities.
What is SPF?
SPF -- or Sun Protection Factor -- is a measure of a sunscreen's ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin.
How it works: If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer -- about five hours. Another way to look at it is in terms of percentages: SPF 15 blocks approximately 93 percent of all incoming UVB rays. SPF 30 blocks 97 percent; and SPF 50 blocks 99 percent.
No sunscreens block 100 percent of UV rays. Broad spectrum sunscreens protect against UVA and UVB rays.
For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/skincancer
Best bets
At the pool/beach/lake
Look for sunscreens labled "waterproof" or "very water resistant, and know that you should reapply at least every 90 minutes while swimming. Stick sunscreens offer helpful protection from the sun's rays bouncing off the water's surface -- a common way to get burned.
--Hawaiian Tropic Ozone Ultimate Continuous Spray SPF 80
--Coppertone ultraGUARD Continuous Spray Sunscreen SPF 50
--Banana Boat Sport Performance Sunscreen Stick SPF 50
--No-Ad Sunblock Lotion Maximum SPF 45 (Consumer Reports ranked this a best buy in recent tests).
Tanning addicts
The only safe tan, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, are the fake tans provided by products that darken the skin with dihydroxyacetone, or DHA. Make sure your favorite sunless tanner also includes a healthy dose of SPF.
--Jergens Natural Glow Face Daily Moisturizer SPF 20
--L'Oreal Paris Dermo-Expertise Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion SPF 15
--Clarins Paris Sunscreen Spray Oil- Free Lotion Progressive Tanning SPF 15
Sports fiends and fans
Sweatproof sunscreens are key for outdoor sports in the summer.
--Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray SPF 50
--Banana Boat Sport Performance Broad Spectrum Sunblock SPF 50
--Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray SPF 70
Kids
--Coppertone Kids Continuous No-Rub Sunscreen Spray SPF 70
--Banana Boat Kids Dri-Blok Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30
--Hawaiian Tropic Baby Faces & Tender Places Sunblock Spray SPF 50
Everyday use
--Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 55 for Face
--Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch sunblock, SPF 45
--Coppertone NutraShield SPF 30 with Dual Defense
Cary Aspinwall 581-8477 cary.aspinwall@tulsaworld.com To see more of the Tulsa World, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tulsaworld.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Tulsa World, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, Tulsa World, Okla.