How a bottlecap can keep you from getting skin cancer (and other fun facts about sunscreen)

by Arthur Perry June 20, 2019

1) A dose of sunscreen is one full ounce. Use the bottlecap system. Fill half a bottlecap with sunscreen for your face, 1 cap for each arm, 2 caps for your legs, front and back. Do this and you’ll use the correct amount of sunscreen.

2) You don’t need to wear sunscreen if the UV Index is under 3. Sunscreen is NOT innocuous, and so you should use it only when the risk of sun damage is great.

3) The FDA considers zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to be the only safe sunscreens. What about the other 15? PABA and Trolamine are not safe and probably will be taken off the market. 1 is not marketed. The other 12 must submit data to the FDA proving they are safe.

4) SPF 15 blocks 93% of Ultraviolet B rays and lets the average person stay in sun for 5 hours without burning. SPF 30 blocks 97%, allowing you to stay in the sun for 10 hours. But seriously, who does that?

5) It takes the average person 4 minutes and 15 seconds to apply sunscreen. If you move faster, you’ll miss some areas…