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4 Tips for Avoiding Sunburns at the Beach This Summer

Have fun in the sun... minus any redness or irritation

by Christina Heiser | COMMENT

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Apply (and Reapply) Sunscreen Like a Pro The first, and arguably most important step in your beach day beauty routine should be applying sunscreen. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen (meaning it protects against UVA and UVB rays) with an SPF of 30 or higher, advises Melanie Palm, MD, dermatologist in San Diego. We like EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 46, which shields skin from the sun using transparent zinc oxide and is fragrance-free, oil-free, paraben-free, and non-comedogenic, making it a great option for sensitive and acne-prone skin types.

Just make sure to slather on your sunscreen of choice liberally, 30 minutes before getting to the beach so that the sunscreen has time to get to work. "To ensure that you get the full SPF of a sunscreen, you need to apply one ounce — about a shot glass full," says Gretchen Frieling, MD, dermatopathologist in Boston. "Studies show that most people apply only half to a quarter of that amount, which means the actual SPF they have on their body is lower than advertised."

During a long day at the beach, you should use anywhere from a quarter to a half of an eight-ounce bottle of sunscreen, says Frieling, reapplying every two hours. "Sunscreens should also be reapplied immediately after swimming, toweling off, or sweating a great deal," says Frieling. Palm adds that a mineral powder sunscreen brush is great for reapplication.

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