You Apply Sunscreen After You've Already Gotten Dressed
The best time to apply your sunscreen is when you're wearing nothing but your birthday suit. "If one applies sunscreen after they have put on their clothes and a sleeve or strap slips, they are now at risk of having a terrible burn in the exposed area," warns Dr. Michelle Henry, a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in high-risk skin cancer treatments. This rule also applies to sandals/flip-flops and bathing suits (especially those with cut-out details).
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You Might Be Missing Some Important Spots
Though you may be religious about applying sunscreen to your face, neck, hands and arms, it's possible you're neglecting other important areas of the body, such as lips, ears, eyes, scalp and feet. Use a lip balm with SPF, wear protective sunglasses and consider a powder-style sunscreen or hat for your scalp. For other hard-to-reach zones — such as your back and in between your toes — consider a spray-on option.
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You Think Your Makeup Has You Covered
We hate to break the bad news, but even though your makeup primer and foundation tout generous SPF ratings, they're not adequately protecting you. They're almost always applied too thinly to provide you with the advertised SPF.
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You Forget to Reapply Every Two Hours
Another major mistake is not reapplying as frequently as you should with SPF. Just because you've diligently applied your sunscreen before heading out the door in the morning doesn't mean your duty is done for the day. Cela says, "Sunscreen is only effective for up to two hours, so if you're out longer than two hours you must reapply. It also comes off after getting wet, so don't forget to reapply after swimming and sweating."
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You Think Layering Sunscreens Will Protect You More
"Patients often believe that if they are layering sunscreens with different SPF values, the SPF they receive is additive," says Dr. Henry. "In actuality, you are only protected as much as the highest SPF you are wearing. So SPF 15 plus SPF 30 does not equal 45 — it equals SPF 30."
