How Can I Protect My Face From The Sun?
When it comes to UV exposure and sun damage, your face is one of the most vulnerable spots of your body. Not only is it hard (and sometimes impossible) to cover, but it can also be difficult to check your face once you leave the house. Therefore, it’s important to leave your house with all of the essentials for safely protecting your face from the sun: a hooded sun shirt, broad-spectrum sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Continue below to see why each is critical for protecting your face from UV damage:
Protect Your Face with a UPF Hooded Sun Shirt
Believe it or not, the first step in protecting your face from the sun starts with your shirt. Consider your typical crewneck shirt. Your neck, and certainly your face, are entirely exposed to the sun. Even a collared shirt offers little to no protection for your face. For a shirt that actually offers UV protection for your face, wear a lightweight hooded sun shirt. With the hood up and over your head, your face is actually protected from the sun at multiple angles, which is especially important between 10am - 4pm. Plus, since UV rays reflect off many surfaces, such as water, ice and sand, you’re also more protected from below.
Protect Your Face with Broad-spectrum Sunscreen
The next step in protecting your face from the sun is applying broad-spectrum sunscreen. It is important that your sunscreen be broad spectrum so that it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are linked to skin cancer. UVB rays, on the other hand, are most directly linked to reddening and sunburn. The consequences of both UVA and UVB damage for your face can be dire, so protect your face with broad-spectrum sun lotion. Most dermatologists recommend SPF 30 lotion. This should usually be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure, and reapplied every 1-2 hours.
Protect Your Face from UV Damage with Sunglasses
After you’ve generously applied your face sunscreen, grab a pair of UV-protective sunglasses. The sun’s UV rays can severely damage eyelids, as well as your eyes themselves. Prolonged UV exposure to your eyes can damage the cornea or lens and lead to cataracts or other eye damage. Fortunately, it is easy to find and identify UV sunglasses, and a quality pair can be purchased for less than $50 USD.
Protect Your Face with SPF Lip Balm
One often overlooked part of your face that needs protection is your lips. Your lips are very susceptible to chapping, burning and even skin cancer. Therefore, leave nothing to chance and regularly apply an SPF lip balm (aka ChapStick) to protect your pucker!
Protect Your Face with a Wide-brimmed or Bucket Hat
Hooded sun shirt? Check. Face sunscreen? Check. Sunglasses? Check. But there’s one final piece to top it all off, literally: a UPF hat, preferably a bucket hat or one with a wide brim. Your hat’s brim (or bill, depending on your style) acts as a shield from the sun, protecting not only your head, but also your face. Make a UPF hat the fourth component of protecting your face from UV damage, and you’ll stay cool and protected for a full day in the sun.
Lastly, just in case you need more evidence about the need for protecting your face from the sun, check out this video about the hidden dangers of UV exposure and your face:
By planning ahead and using all four protective pieces above, you can ensure protection for your face. Otherwise, you risk sun damage, burns, wrinkling, early aging and, worst of all, skin cancer. Don’t leave anything to chance with your skin. Instead, build the foundation for your face’s UV protection with Rayward Apparel’s UPF hooded sun shirt and t-shirts.
