McALESTER — According to dermatology.about.com, exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90 percent of the symptoms of premature skin aging such as wrinkles and skin cancers.
The most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer is sunscreen, but most people do not use sunscreen correctly.
Most people use sunscreen improperly by not applying enough. They apply only 25 to 50 percent of the recommended amount.
Sunscreen should be applied liberally enough to all sun-exposed areas that it forms a film when initially applied.
It takes 20-30 minutes for sunscreen to be absorbed by the skin, so it should be applied at least a half an hour before going out in the sun. Sunscreen should also be the last product applied especially on the face since some sunscreens can break down in the presence of water contained in water-based foundations and moisturizers.
Insect repellents reduce a sunscreen’s SPF by up to one-third. When using sunscreen and insect repellent together, a higher SPF should be used and reapplied more often.




