Let's talk about SPF
I feel lucky to say that my identical twin sister not only doubles as my best friend but also as my OG golf partner. She and I picked up a golf club together when we were 14 years old (we’re first generation Americans and first-generation golfers). We took every lesson together and competed in every tournament together, then we played on the University of Virginia’s first-ever women’s golf team together. And now, after 15 years of living in different cities, we’ve landed in Nashville...together! Nashville is where we each plan on raising our kids, growing our roots, and playing many rounds of golf.
Kira has been a practicing dermatologist for six years—she specializes in skin cancer and skin surgery. She knows her stuff when it comes to sun protection and, while she believes some sun exposure is healthy, she’s seen first-hand how much damage too much sun exposure can cause. So I asked her to share snippets of her wisdom with my Instagram followers during a twilight-nine we played on Wednesday evening. Below are the questions you asked her, paired with her insightful answers and links to her favorite products.
Q: What’s the best way to protect sun spots?
Dr. Mayo: Sun spots, or freckles, are made more apparent with sun exposure. The best way to protect them is to protect your skin from the sun, so wear your wide brimmed hats and use your sunscreen. My favorite types of sunscreen are made with physical blockers—to make sure you’re using physical blockers (also called “mineral sunscreens”) you’re going to want to turn the bottle of sunscreen around and look for the active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Below are a few of my favorite sunscreens—a general lotion, a tinted option for your face, a non-tinted sunscreen for your face, and a spray.
EltaMD Tinted Face Mineral Sunscreen ($37)
Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Mineral Sunscreen ($9)
SunBum Mineral Sunscreen Spray ($18)
What’s the best SPF level to wear while playing golf?
You’re going to want to wear an SPF of 30 or more and reapply every two hours. What I recommend is applying cream on the first hole and spray on the tenth hole.
What’s the best sunscreen for kids?
Anything with physical (or mineral) blockers are great for kids, even if the product isn’t specifically marketing for kids. Avoid using chemical blockers on kids, since the skin absorbs them and we aren’t sure what side-effects that causes. So turn that bottle around and look for the ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
What time of day is it safe to not wear sunscreen (ie, after 6pm)?
UVB rays are the “burning rays” and they’re typically strongest from 10am-4pm. UVA rays are the “aging rays” and they’re around all day. So if you want to avoid the burn, apply sunscreen between 10am-4pm. If you want to avoid aging (don’t we all?), apply that sunscreen all day.
My kids are in junior golf programs and it’s HOT outside. Best options for kiddos to protect their skin and keep them cool?
So awesome that your kids are participating in junior golf programs! In addition to applying mineral-based sunscreens, I recommend having them wear sun hats. Those will keep them a lot cooler and add another layer of sun protection. Here are the sun hats I’ve had my three kids wear nearly every day for years, and also the sunhat that Ashley has her son wear. We both love each of them!
Kira’s favorite hat (left, $16)
Ashley’s favorite hat (right, $14)
Are the golf arm sleeves better than sunscreen or are the two products equally as good?
Arm sleeves are even better than sunscreen. Sunscreen is a second-line defense. First-line defense includes hats, sunglasses, sun sleeves, protective clothing, etc.
Other than wearing sunscreen, are there other ways to avoid pregnancy mask (ie, melasma)?
Melasma is super tricky, so get a good mineral-based sunscreen, wear wide-brimmed hats and seek shade whenever possible.
What are your thoughts on powder sunscreens?
I don’t have a ton of personal experience with powders, but they’re honestly not my favorite because they don’t spread as easily and evenly as liquid does. If you want to use it for a last-minute reapplication that’d be 100 percent fine, but I wouldn’t recommend using it as your main or only layer of defense.
Is spray sunscreen a scam?
Spray sunscreens definitely work, they’re not a scam. But I typically don’t spray directly onto my skin—I like to spray it on my hand and then spread it on my skin just so I don’t inhale it. But sprays are great for reapplication, especially while you’re playing golf. Here are my favorite spray sunscreens.
SunBum Mineral Sunscreen Spray ($18)
Coopertone Mineral Sunscreen Spray ($10)
Babo Mineral Sunscreen Spray ($19)
What should you do if you get sunburned after a round of golf?
I’d recommend taking Advil to help decrease inflammation and also apply either vaseline or Aquaphor or a Vanicream ointment to the burn to help soothe the skin. Avoid aloe, since many aloe products have too much fragrance (fragrances irritate the skin).
Daily routine suggestions for bald guys?
I have a three-word answer for you: Wide. Brimmed. Hats. Protect that scalp!
Which is a better option, spray or lotion?
I definitely prefer lotion for your first coat, since it spreads more evenly, is more reliable and applies more consistently. A spray is good for reapplication if you’re short on time.
Should I make a switch from tour visors to buckets?
It depends on how much hair you have, and also how you wear your hair. I pull my hair straight back, for example, and I have a lot of it, so visors work for me. That said, the sun will dry out my hair if I wear visors exclusively, so I avoid doing that. If you wear a side part or have thin hair, then consider wearing a wide-brimmed cap or a wide-brimmed bucket hat. Most buckets and lots of caps I see have brims that are too narrow or small, go as wide as you can.
Both of us (Kira and Ashley) just ordered these wide-brimmed visors (2 for $26) on Amazon.
Have you heard of Colorescience? I love their products!
I hadn’t heard of Colorescience, but their products certainly look great! I’m intrigued and want to try a few of them. I love the ingredients they use—after a quick glance, it looks like their products have zinc and no fragrance. The two ColorScience products that jump out to me as intriguing (in a good way!) are the Face Shield Glow and the Brush-On Shield.
How do you reapply sunscreen after you already have makeup on your face?
In the morning, I like to put sunscreen on first, let is sit for a few minutes, then apply makeup on over it. But it’s important to reapply every two hours, and the best way to do that is to apply sunscreen over your makeup (unfortunately). I’m not a fan of relying just on makeup that has SPF or those makeup-setting mists that have SPF—you would just have to use too much of those products to take advantage of their SPF. But products like ColoreScience’s Face Shield Glow and EltaMD’s Tinted Face Mineral Sunscreen are great because they’ll leave your complexion looking fresh while protecting your skin with mineral based sunscreens.
How do I get rid of mineral sunscreen stains on my stroller, on my car, etc?
I’m able to remove those stains with soap and water and a little elbow grease. I know it’s annoying to have to do that, but your skin will thank you!
What are the best products to use for my lips? Mine feel like they’re always burning!
It’s so important to apply SPF to your lips and often overlooked—I often treat skin cancers on lips. I don’t like chapsticks, even those with SPF, because they have fragrances and extra ingredients that could cause reactions. Vanicream has a good lip-protectant sunscreen that I love and use all the time; Sunbum and EltaMD also make good options.
If you’re pregnant, is it safe to apply sunscreen to your full body every day or is that concerning?
Mineral blockers aren’t at all concerning to use while you’re pregnant—use them all day, every day! Chemical blockers, on the other hand, are iffy because your skin absorbs the chemicals and we don’t yet know what the effects of that absorption are.
That’s all…
…from our chat with Dr. Mayo. Hope you enjoyed that! Drop me a line and let me know if you found it helpful. If enough of you reach out, I’ll bring her back again and again and again. Let me know what other topics you might want her to discuss!