Here's a number that stops most South Floridians cold: where you live, the UV index hits "very high" or "extreme" on the majority of days of the year and not just in July, and not just at the beach.
We treat the sun like a summer guest.
Down here, it's a year-round roommate. And it's quietly working on your skin during the school drop-off, the walk to the car, the lunch on the patio are the ordinary moments you'd never call "sun exposure."
Most of us think we've got sunscreen figured out.
But a handful of comfortable myths are doing real damage. Let's clear them up.
MYTH 1: "I only need it at the beach or when it's hot."
UV isn't heat, and it isn't sunshine you can see. Up to 80% of UV rays pass right through clouds, so a gray, 75-degree morning still ages and burns your skin. UVA even comes through car and office windows — which is why people often have more sun damage on their left side, the driver's side.
The fix is unglamorous: a daily face-and-hands habit, sunny or not.
MYTH 2: "A high SPF means I'm covered all day."
Two things to know. First, SPF only measures UVB (the burning rays). To also block UVA (the aging, deeper-damage rays), you need the words "broad spectrum" on the bottle. Second, the number isn't a timer. SPF 30 blocks about 97% of UVB and SPF 50 about 98% — a small jump — and both wear off.
Reapplying every two hours, and right after you swim or sweat, matters far more than chasing a bigger number.
MYTH 3: "A base tan protects me."
A tan is the damage. It's your skin's injury response to UV. As "protection," a base tan is worth roughly SPF 3, essentially nothing, while adding to the very damage that drives wrinkles and skin cancer.
There's no such thing as a safe tan from the sun or a bed.
MYTH 4: "Darker skin doesn't need sunscreen."
More melanin offers some natural protection, but it is not a free pass. Skin cancer absolutely occurs in Black, Latino, and Asian skin — and because it's wrongly assumed to be a "fair-skin problem," it's often caught later and at a more dangerous stage.
Everyone in this sun benefits from protection and regular skin checks.
MYTH 5: "Sunscreen is full of scary chemicals."
If chemical formulas worry you, you have a great option: mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sit on top of the skin and physically bounce UV away. They're a favorite for sensitive skin and kids.
The real rule cuts through all the noise: the best sunscreen is the one you'll actually wear every day.
HOW TO ACTUALLY USE IT
Use enough. About a shot glass for your body, and two finger-lengths for your face and neck. Most people use half what they need.
Put it on 15 minutes before you head out, so it has time to bind.
Reapply every two hours and immediately after swimming or sweating, even the "water-resistant" kind.
Hit the spots everyone forgets: ears, lips (an SPF balm), the part in your hair, the back of your neck, and the tops of your feet.
One more habit worth building: get to know your own skin.
Once a month, look yourself over for any spot that's new, changing, or just doesn't match the others.
And in a climate like ours, a yearly skin check with a dermatologist is one of the highest-value 15 minutes you can spend.
Caught early, skin cancer is almost always highly treatable.
Any spot that's new, changing, or doesn't heal deserves a doctor's eyes — don't wait on it.
You don't have to hide from the Florida sun.
We live here for it.
Just respect it the way it respects no one, a little cream, a little shade, a yearly look.
Future-you will be grateful.
To living well,
Kevin
🌴South Florida Health🌴