National Sunscreen Day 2023
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During the course of the trip I didn't notice much in the way of over exposure and of course this manifested in 2nd degree burn by the time we returned early Monday morning. Upon our arrival back home they took me straight to the Emergency Room.
After a thorough and stern admonition from the late Dr Bill Alderman (July 29, 1949 - October 9, 1978) regarding the folly of very fair skinned blond persons not using sunscreen they dressed me in all kinds of bulky ointment laden dressings, gave me a prescription for pain pills, and sent me home.
Over the years I never forgot the incident and made all attempts to avoid the sun by and large. I remain quite the fair skinned individual here late in my life and I believe this has spared me a lot of the wrinkles other family members display.
Ultraviolet radiation doesn't jump right on you with overexposure. It assumes control over a course of hours and you end up in an abundance of human misery. So many of those I know opt for sunscreen and stay right on out there.
Me, I've become a "shade man" and an "indoor dweller" myself.
Today is National Sunscreen Day.
It is held under the auspices of the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention each May 27 — about that time people are considering the outdoor activities like the beach, the lake and other water venues or even simply "browning down" in the back yard.
The ill effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are well documented at this time and there is a balance between the SPF (sun protection factor) in your sunblock and that tan you may be seeking ...
The recommend a minimum of SPF 30 for those of you who unlike me, prefer not to be the color of a dead fish.
So SPF awareness in conjunction with hats, shade, and of course adequate hydration will go along way to protect your skin from the trauma I suffered so long ago.
| Factor | Protection Level |
| SPF 2 | 50% |
| SPF 4 | 75% |
| SPF 8 | 87% |
| SPF15 | 93% |
| SPF 30 | 97% |
| SPF 50 | 98% |
SPF 15-50 RECOMMENDED | |