Sun Safety

Memorial Day may be the unofficial start of summer but people have been baring plenty of skin while running for weeks and I’m one of them. It’s hot and I’m trying to stay cool.

For me, when the clothes start to come off, the sunscreen goes on. I’ve faithfully used a sports sunscreen on my body for years but can’t say the same about my face. I did use a facial moisturizer with SPF but felt like I needed more protection. This year I decided I was going to find a sunscreen for face that was suitable for my active lifestyle. I wanted a sunscreen with a high SPF that wouldn’t run in my eyes or cause breakouts. There are several on the market but after trying a few, I choose Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream for Face SPF 55. It’s very water resistant and retains SPF after 80 minutes of activity in the water.

Regardless of the brand you choose, we all need to use screen. Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1 million basal and squamous skin cancers are found each year and there are more than 68,000 new cases of melanoma. Since runners are out in the sun a lot, we need to use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. I also slap on a hat or a visor and wear sunglasses that block UVA and UVB light.

The skin on our faces is fragile. Not only do I want protection from skin cancer but the premature aging sun damage can cause. What type of sunscreen do you use and why?