Find out what New York Dermatologist Dr. Gervaise Gerstner, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical School, recommends to her patients.
1. Use daily: “You need to wear sunscreen everyday, even on snowy February days. For typical day-to-day use, daily sunscreen with moisturizer is enough. SPF 15 is fine.”
2. What to look for when you’re shopping: “FDA guidelines now say that SPF 50 is the maximum. You don’t need anything stronger than that. Read the labels very carefully to make sure that you get a broad spectrum sunscreen that provides UVA/UVB coverage.”
3. Take special precautions when you’re at the beach: “It’s when you’re out in the sun that you need a stronger sunscreen. If you’re in Miami or the Hamptons or Bali, SPF 15 won’t cut it; you need something stronger. You also need to remember that a sunscreen only lasts about 55 minutes. You need to reapply regularly.”