It’s always easier to prevent than treat when it comes to your skin. Wondering how much SPF is enough for maximum protection from the sun’s harmful rays? DDF founder and leading dermatologist, Dr. Howard Sobel, answered some really great questions about SPF below — take a look:

Is SPF found within makeup sufficient protection for an average day?
No, SPF within makeup is not sufficient protection for an average day. It would require 7 times the normal amount of foundation to provide enough coverage, so it’s important to wear a separate moisturizer with that offers SPF protection.

What level of SPF should I use?
Sunscreens with SPF 15 or greater should always be applied to the skin daily. Be sure to pick a sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum protection against harmful both UVB rays that contribute to damaging outer skin layers, or receiving a sunburn, and UVA rays that damage deeper layers of the skin contributing to fine lines and wrinkles. If you’re hitting the beach, I recommend increasing your protection to an SPF of at least 30 and be sure to reapply every two hours.

How effective is sunscreen with SPF 50+?
The SPF rating measures the time it would take you to sunburn if you were not wearing sunscreen as opposed to the time it would take with sunscreen on. SPF 15 blocks about 93% of the sun’s rays, while SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 45 blocks 98%, so doubling the number and applying SPF 50 or higher doesn’t double your skin’s protection and none offer 100% protection.

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Cosmopolitan hosted their annual Practice Safe Sun Awards last week with honorees Laura Linney, Giada de Laurentiis, Sean Avery, Dr. Jennifer Stein, Cara Biggane. The five award-recipients demonstrated an active role in spreading skin cancer awareness. They also awarded their very first Cosmopolitan/Melanoma Research Foundation’s Practice Safe Sun Research Grant to Cynthia Cooper, PhD, of Washington State University. Over a lunch of grilled-watermelon salad and salmon, we heard everyone speak about why the cause was so close to their hearts.

I imagine most of you will be outdoors grilling or poolside for the long weekend, so the Awards ceremony (hosted at the Hearst Tower) was a good reminder to layer up on sunscreen. Especially considering the facts:

* 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
* Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in America
* Melanoma is the #2 killer of women in their 20s and the #1 cancer.
* Tanning beds increase your risk of skin cancer by 75%.
* If caught in the earliest stages, melanoma is entirely treatable with a survival rate of nearly 100%. If untreated and allowed to spread, there is no known treatment or cure.

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{Feel free to ignore my messy window in the background}

Weather in NYC today: 75 degrees and S-U-N-N-Y, or otherwise what I consider to be perfect.

I’m off to grab a tea with a friend, but with this sun flooding my room, I had to remind myself to apply some extra SPF before heading out. I have full bottles of my creamy sunblocks, but since I’m in a rush (and since I love their tinted face gel so much), I decided to go with MD SolarSciences Quick Dry with SPF 40. It’s a serious mist that’s full-bodied but LIGHT (no liquidy mess from a spray). I love that it’s not greasy at all and for you active bodies, you’d probably appreciate the fact that it’s very water resistant. MD SolarSciences sent me their line to try and it hasn’t taken me long at all to really love the quality of their products. The biggest thing for me as far as sun-protecting products go is texture and consistency, and these haven’t failed me on either so far. They’re not heavy but offer broad spectrum protection.

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I guess because I’m a soon-to-be-aunt, I’m going gaa gaa over kiddie clothes. I was so excited when I found out Yale dermatologist, Mona Gohara, who has been BATF’s resident expert on skin issues like dry skin and acne, just launched a sun protective clothing line with her husband called K&J (named after their sons).

While she believes sun protection should start at birth, sun protective lotions should not be used on babies especially under six months. This line is made of 100% cotton and has been tested at the International UV Testing Laboratories in Auburn, AL, to show that they block 99% of the sun’s rays. They also come tagless for the sensitive and eczema-prone tots.

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As soon as summer hit something really weird happened — I felt like my skin was feeling drier than usual. Especially my hands. I would slather on the moisturizer every time I would get to my desk. I thought it was just me but then a few friends started complaining about the same thing. It seems counterintuitive — when it’s warm and sunny, don’t you think..well..sweaty? Maybe we were just not hydrating ourselves enough, which could very well be the case for. I’m known to never drink enough water (I’m working on it!!).

Other people credit flakey or “scaley” skin to sun burn (this is the part I yell at you for not using SPF when hanging out in the sun!!). OK seriously though, I wanted some expert advice so I turned to Dr. Mona A. Gohara, assistant clinical professor of the department of dermatology at Yale’s School of Medicine, who says many people simply fail to moisturize as diligently in the warmer months.

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By Melissa Stephans

Summer can be brutal on hair. Sun exposure, styling, saltwater, and tap water all contribute to damaging healthy hair.

Here are five glorious ways to prevent bad hair days this season:

1. Buy a water softener or purification system. If you live in an area with hard water, your hair is likely absorbing the metals–like copper and iron. Buying a water purification system/filter for your shower is a great solution for the dull, dry hair you probably combat. Some of these systems can be expensive; however, filtration systems that hook up to your shower head are easy to install and a cheaper alternative to pricey methods such as salt treatments.

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