“We’ve found if you teach kids early on to protect their skin, they’ll continue as they get older,” says Adelaide Hebert, MD, Director of Pediatric Dermatology at The University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

Although it does help, protecting your skin isn’t JUST about using sunscreen!!

There are so many things in this world that can affect our skin. Sun exposure, what we eat, and how much water we drink are just some of the factors that can affect our bodies. 

Parents, help your kids browse around our healthy habits pages and learn more about what you can do to start forming healthy habits and learn how to correctly apply sunscreen!

Make daily habits fun by singing along while you go through each routine!

Don’t forget to use our Earn-A-Star Checklist to keep track of your daily habits!

Sun Protection Facts:

Myth: There is no real difference in how UVA and UVB rays affect skin.

TruKid Truth: UVB rays only penetrate the top layer of skin, causing it to burn. UVA rays penetrate deeper, and cause damage to skin elasticity and more importantly, cause skin cancer. When searching for a sunscreen, please remember a "broad spectrum" sunscreen is best.

Myth: Everyone knows how to put on sunscreen.

TruKid Truth: Only 30% of the population uses sunscreen protection, and only 50% of those people put it on correctly. Learn more on how to correctly apply sunscreen here.

Myth: Sunscreens protect all day.

TruKid Truth: Regardless of the SPF or what the label says, sunscreens must be reapplied every 80 minutes or less. Users mistakenly think a high-SPF product will protect them all day with one application, when in fact all sunscreens must be reapplied regularly.

Myth: Skin cancer is so rare my chances of getting it are almost impossible.

TruKid Truth: Not necessarily. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in some form in their lifetime. Melanoma in children has been increasing by almost 3% a year.

Myth: Some sunscreens are waterproof or sweat proof.

TruKid Truth: The FDA has made sunscreen manufacturers stop using the term “waterproof.” Now “water/sweat/perspiration resistant” is the accurate terminology. Still, this only means the sunscreen offers SPF protection after 40 minutes of water exposure. When a sunscreen is labeled “very water resistant” it gives up to 80 minutes of protection after water exposure. Remember to also use water resistant sunscreen while doing an activity that causes you to sweat a lot. The key is to re-apply, re-apply, re-apply!

Myth: Sunscreen can provide total sun block.

TruKid Truth: No sunscreen blocks 100 percent of UV rays. SPF 15 protects against 93 percent, though. SPF 30 protects against 97 percent. SPF 50-60 shut out 98 percent. The higher the SPF the more harsh chemicals are in the product.

Myth: Sunscreen is all you need to stay safe.

TruKid Truth: Sunscreen is only one piece of the puzzle. Other pieces include seeking shade between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, covering up with clothing, wearing broad-brimmed hats, and UV-blocking sunglasses, completing self-exams/exams on your children, and scheduling for annual professional skin evaluations.

“Just slathering it on and doing nothing else isn't going to cut it because, even with sunscreen, there's still up to a 50 percent risk that you'll burn,” explains Francesca Fusco, M.D, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Myth: All sunscreens block some UVA.

TruKid Truth: Many sunscreens provide some UVA protection; some safe ingredients found in broad-spectrum sunscreens include zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide. These reflect the sun by sitting on top of the skin and not by being absorbed.

Myth: An SPF 60+ provides double the protection of an SPF 30.

TruKid Truth: This is exactly why the FDA is putting a cap on high SPFs. SPF 30 provides skin with 97% protection, where as SPF 60 provides skin with 98-98.6% protection. There is less than 1.6% difference in protection factor. A SPF 60+ needs more chemicals to achieve a higher SPF, potentially putting more toxins in your body.

Myth: When using aerosol sunscreens, you can easily cover your body without missing a spot, therefore effectively protecting your skin.

TruKid Truth: While being applied, aerosol sunscreens can lose much of their protection during transfer from the bottle onto the skin, as not all of the molecules land on your body.

Myth: People with darker skin do not need to wear sunscreen.

TruKid Truth: People with darker complexions are still at risk for getting skin cancer, though the risk for sun damage causing cancer or wrinkles is less than those with lighter skin tones. But since the risk is not zero, using sunscreen is still important.

Myth: If it’s cloudy or overcast, I don’t need to worry about wearing sunscreen. 

TruKid Truth: If you are going to spend time outside on a cloudy day, you still need to apply sunscreen. 

Myth: Treating a sunburn helps reduce skin damage.

TruKid Truth: While there are many things that you can do to help alleviate the discomfort of a sunburn to diminish inflammation (such as using aloe vera), the damage to your ski is already done on a cellular level.

Thank you to askmen.com for the above information