SPF. Do you know what it stands for? To be honest, I'd never thought about it. I just grab the least smelly, highest number I can find. It stands for Sunscreen Protection Factor and is a measure of the effectiveness in absorbing erythrogenic (in non-medical speak this means red-skin-making) UV light.
We all know to buy the sunscreens that say UVA and UVB absorbing, but why you may wonder? Well, UVB coverage will take care of most of the sunburns, but the UVA protection is what all the ladies want - protection from skin aging and the dreaded cancer.
Here are a few fun facts (well, I'm a med school dork, so I think they are interesting) about sunscreen:
- Max SPF coverage stops at SPF 50, anything more will not give you more protection - i.e. avoid paying more for SPF 1001
- You should be using at least SPF 15, which will protect you from sunburn, early aging and skin cancer; for all you using less than that...well...that's just plain silly.
- If it says 'water resistant', this only means for water resistant for 40-80 minutes and then you have to re-apply - I know, I know, this is the sucky part, where you get full of sand and no one wants to do your back. Alas, a solution, they have this crazy new sunscreen invention - the aerosol. Have you tried it?? Bo is a huge fan of Bullfrog Marathon Mist.
As I step off my student-doctor pedestal, I'll leave you with a few pics from Bo and my most recent trip to the beach. One last hoo-rah before I hunker down in a quiet hole for five weeks to study for The Boards.
A nice little spot under the umbrella with my [virgin] strawberry-mango daiquiri.
I love how Bo's Shadow looks like he's wearing a loin cloth. Ha.
The water was the most clear and clam I've seen in Sandestin, it was such a treat. Normally, I'm a chicken when the waves are too big, i.e. I'm at the pool.
*Apologies for the Instagram repeats*
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