Three Simple Techniques To Figure Out How Much Sunscreen You Really Need

1. A simple standard: Since sunscreen is typically sold in 4 or 8 ounces, it's easy to calculate how much sunscreen you should be applying. Here is how:

• Use your body size to determine the total amount of sunscreen that you will need. Let's assume you are an average adult. You are 5'4" (163cms) tall, you weigh 150 lbs (68kgs) and your waist size is 32" (82cms). To cover your entire body, you'll need one full ounce of sunscreen. An adult who is 6'5" and who weighs 225 pounds and has a 36 inch waist needs 1.5 fluid ounces. This is based on an FDA calculation that was developed in 1998 using world-wide standards for SPF testing. It takes into consideration the amount needed to cover the entire body surface minus a bathing suit (bottom).
• Now that you know that a typical person needs between 1 and 1.5 ounces of sunscreen, you can use the packaging to guage how much product you should apply. If you have a 4 ounce bottle and you've used less than a quarter, you've applied it a bit too thinly.

2. A simple rule of thumb: to be more precise, this rule involves your middle and index fingers.

• Squeeze a strip of sunscreen onto each finger and rub it into your skin. By doing so, you will automatically be applying the recommended amount of sunscreen. It will come close to the dosage used during laboratory testing to determine the sun protection factor (SPF).
• Evenly cover the skin and rub in the sunscreen until there is no visible residue. If it's white, you probably applied too much onto too little surface area. Try widening the area as you apply the sunscreen with your fingers.
• Most people tend to use only a half of the recommended amount of sunscreen and you may discover that you don't want to apply the standard amount. Perhaps the process is too tedious or you may simply not like how the sunscreen feels on your skin. If so, just use one finger. This little change is great because you know that if two fingers provides 100% protection then one finger will give you only 50%. You can safely get away with applying less as long as you divide the SPF value of your sunscreen in half and note the time when you applied it.

3. Be methodical. Don't think about your body as a whole but instead, consider its parts.

• Imagine you are wearing a swimsuit and you are going to apply sunscreen based on which part is going to get the most amount of sun exposure. For some people, this means beginning with the head, then the neck and face, the left and right shoulders and arms, followed by the chest, torso and stomach, then the upper and lower back, the thighs, knees and calves (front and back) and finally, the ankles and feet.
• Think of it like a checklist that you use it to make sure you do not miss any part of your body. You'll appreciate this advice especially if you've ever walked or driven home from the beach with a sun burn on the top of your feet, the back of your knees or that little bit of skin behind your earlobes. Ouch!

Remember this:

Every sunburn that you endure increases the possibility of skin cancer and repeated long-term exposure to UVA and UVB damages DNA. People with melanoma are twice as likely as others to have been badly sunburned at least once in their lives. The risk is higher if you have had several sunburns during your life.

Protect yourself!

If you are looking for a chemical free sunscreen that offers UVA and UVB protection and that has at least an SPF of 30, I encourage you to visit our collection of natural zinc oxide sunscreens.