That's up for debate. In short, no not always. How often you use sunscreen and how much you use are more important than the SPF value. While SPF 15 is the FDA's minimum recommendation for protection against skin cancer and sunburn, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends choosing a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Click here for more information.

DEFINITELY. People with darker skin are still at risk for skin cancer. We recommend that everyone (no matter what your skin tone is) wear sunscreen to help protect themselves from harmful UV rays.

10 minutes of sunlight a day helps give us a healthy dose of Vitamin D, which is essential for good health. But don’t forget, if you stay out past 10 mins, please make sure to put on sunscreen—we don’t care if it’s ours, just use it.

For children under 6 months old we recommend consulting your
pediatrician before applying sunscreen. For children over 6 months old we recommend the mineral based sunscreens in our Baby Bum ® line. These products have been pediatrician tested and are great options for our groms. Check out our Baby Bum products here.

Wearing sunscreen to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun is far safer than using no sunscreen at all. What kind of sunscreen is best for you and your skin type comes down to the key active ingredients. Physical (mineral) sunscreens with actives like zinc oxide block UV rays before they penetrate the skin. Chemical sunscreen with actives
like avobenzone absorb UV rays before they can damage the skin. Both physical (mineral) and chemical sunscreens test as safe and effective in mitigating the
risk of developing skin cancer.  

In short: if you’re older than six months (which we’re assuming is the case since you’re reading this), you should absolutely wear sunscreen every day. This applies for any daily routine that involves
spending more than 10 minutes outdoors, regardless of weather. If it’s a full day outdoors, we recommend a minimum of SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen applied
to all exposed skin. Reapply every two hours or after swimming/getting wet. Making sunscreen application a part of your daily routine helps increase your chances of healthier, non sun-damaged skin over the long term.

The mid-day sun is one of your skin’s most powerful enemies and typically peaks between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. This time of day can be deceptively dangerous to your skin even when it’s cloudy since at
least more than 30% of harmful UV rays will still filter through overcast
skies. Another way to determine the strength of the sun is the “shadow rule.”If your shadow is taller than you, your exposure to UV rays is likely to be lower. If your shadow is shorter than you, it's likely closer to mid-day, where UV exposure is at its highest.

It’s easy to poke fun at the friend who forgot to use sunscreen and suffered the consequences, but the long-term effects of repeated sun burn or sun poisoning is no joke. Symptoms include skin redness
and blistering (i.e. “the lobster effect.”) But more severe sun poisoning can also cause fever, swelling, nausea, dizziness and dehydration. If you happen to
be “that person” on your next group adventure, stay out of the sun for at least a day and apply an aloe gel or cool compresses to help alleviate swelling. Of course, cover up in sunscreen or protective gear once you venture back outside.