Sun Protection Guide

Sun Care Breakdown Just Stay Covered Know Your Spots What We've Done

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 1 in 5 Americans will get skin cancer in their lifetime. We wanna change that.

So, we pulled together some essential, need-to-know sun care basics and put them all in one spot. Hopefully this guide helps make it a little easier to learn how to keep yourself and the ones you love protected from the sun.

Why Sun Protection Matters

Just a few basics for everyday sun care (not just during summer months).
Avoid making a rookie mistake—reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, and toweling off.
Remember those easy to forget areas like your ears, nose shoulders, chest, and neck.
Don’t underestimate cloudy days. 90% of UV rays still find their way through clouds, which means even if it’s not a beautiful sunny day, you can still get fried.
We know it’s tough but try to limit sun exposure when the sun’s rays are most intense (10am to 4pm).
Reflections off water and snow can increase sun exposure by up to 50%. Keep that in mind when you’re surfing or on the slopes.
Keep newborns out of direct sunlight and always cover them with shade. Check with your pediatrician before applying sunscreen to children under 6 months.

Sunscreen Reminders

How much sunscreen we use plays a significant role in sun protection.
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Apply & Reapply

While the exact amount of sunscreen we use varies from person to person, we try and err on the side of applying generously (aka don’t be afraid to slather it on). Remember to cover your ears, nose, chest, and hands too.

Reapplying sunscreen throughout the day is also super important. As a rule of thumb, we apply every 2 hours and after sweating, towel-drying, surfing, cannonballing and the like to help SPF do what it does best.

The Ways of The Rays

The sun shines both UVA and UVB rays—which is why we need Broad Spectrum protection.
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UVA vs. UVB Rays

From the sun, come both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are known for penetrating the deeper layers of our skin, which can lead to premature skin aging and wrinkles. UVB rays on the other hand, are known as the culprits of sunburns and play a significant role in causing skin cancer.

Curious how intense the UV rays are at any point in the day? Just look up the UV index on your phone.

Check Today's UV Index

What's an SPF?

The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) on a bottle of sunscreen indicates the level of protection we’re getting from the sun’s UVB rays—which are the sun rays most commonly responsible for sunburns and skin cancer. How do we compare the different SPF numbers and how they protect us? Check it out.

Mineral & Non-Mineral Sunscreen

Both mineral and non-mineral sunscreen offer Broad Spectrum protection. So, what’s the difference between these two sunscreen types? Check it out.
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Meet Dr. Lindsey

Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, FAAD is a Florida native dermatologist and active member of the American Academy of Dermatology, where she serves as a social media ambassador as well as an editor for the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD).
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Q&A with a Derm

Q: What does skin cancer look like?
A: Look for the ABCDE’s of skin cancer: Asymmetry in the mole, irregular borders, color changes, diameter bigger than a pencil eraser, and evolution or changing mole.

Q: Do I still need to use sunscreen even if I have darker skin?
A: ALL skin types need sunscreen! While darker skin types may be less prone to sunburns, exposure to UV light without SPF protection can still induce DNA damage, leading to a higher risk for skin cancer.

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Skin Cancer Awareness Campaigns

Just a few of the things we do to try and move the needle on skin cancer.
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Protect The Groms® Non-Profit

Sun safety education for the next generation.

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Banana Suit Fridays

Bananas are protected head to toe, just like we should be.

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10 Minutes of Sunshine

Everybody needs a little Vitamin D.

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We Are Not Bananas

Skin Cancer is preventable, just stay covered.

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