Are you wasting your time with sunscreen?
This guy knows how to stay out of the sun! (Image: Cauncy)
So if you've been caught out last summer with a red face, or ears, or arms, or legs, or.. Well, you get it. Then here's three reasons why that tube of sunscreen might be a total waste of time!
Sunscreen has a 'Use By' Date, but that date does NOT apply to you.
As a kiteboarder, windsurfer, surfer, paddler - whatever you are - sunscreen 'use by' dates do not apply, because the three year (approximately) time starts A: from when it's made and B: Gets reduced dramatically with heat. Where do you keep your sunscreen while you're out on the water? In the car! That's right, we know where you keep your sunscreen, and it's cooking itself to uselessness. Don't buy a 1L bucket of sunscreen for summer, by a tube every month, and dig waaaaaaaay down the back of the shelf to find the stuff with the latest use by date (just like you do with the milk).
You're not putting on enough.
Next time you squirt out too much sunscreen on your hand, don't share it around. Just put it on yourself. What you will find, is that you should be putting on that much anyway! Most kiteboarders don't use enough sunscreen, so remember the teaspoon rule. 1 Teaspoons worth for each body part. Face. Neck. Arm. Leg. Other Arm. Other Leg. Chest. Back. Feet.
It's too late, so why bother.
That's not an excuse. But nor is being late to put on your sunscreen. The best time to apply is before you leave the house or work. Not in the car on your way, mostly because you're terrible at applying sunscreen while driving. Certainly, not once you get to the beach. Definitely, not when you're feeling a bit burned and think, "oh yeah! Sunscreen would be a great idea!"We do two things before we leave the house here at Seabreeze. We check Seabreeze.com.au, and if it's time to go to the beach - we put sunscreen on! Don't believe us? Check out this clip showing you what you look like through a UV camera, while wearing sunscreen. It's cool stuff!
Aspendale, VIC
