Summer Time Means Sun ... and Sunscreen

Fourth of July weekend tends to be an out-of-doors time with camping, picnicking, barbecuing, baseball games and just spending time in the sunshine.

It’s that last option that concerns the Skin Cancer Foundation, so it urges people to wear plenty of sunscreen and Patch has found some bargains to help make that happen.

“Whether you’re at the beach or in your own backyard, keep in mind that about 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 65 percent of melanomas are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun,” the Foundation said in a statement it issued this week.

People spending time in backyard pools or heading to the beach, should be particularly vigilant, because water reflects up to 80 percent of the sun's rays and sand reflects about 15 percent, the statement noted.

To help keep skin safe, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends the following practices:

• Seek the shade, especially during the sun’s most intense times, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Avoid tanning booths
• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
• Keep newborns out of the sun; Sunscreen should be used on babies older than six months.
• Examine your skin from head to toe every month
• See your doctor every year for a profession skin exam.
• Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
• Apply an ounce (two tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.

Wow—that’s a lot of sunscreen. And it’s not cheap. But the cost of not applying it could be much worse. To help ease the pain to your pocketbook, Patch has scoured this week’s advertisements for local stores and found some sales on sunscreen. Now it’s up to you to do your part and go have some fun!

Target is advertising 5-ounce bottles of Neutrogena sunblock spray with SPF 45 for $7.

Walgreens’s current advertisement features various Neutrogena sun care products for $7.99 at Walgreens.

CVS brand sun care products are buy one, get one half off. Also 8-ounce Banana Boat sunblock is $6.99 with a CVS card.

Aveeno and Neutrogena sun care products from $9.99 to $13.99 and Hawaiian Tropic Suncare products are $8.99 to $11.99 at RiteAid, more expensive than the others, but you get $5 up rewards when you buy $15 worth of either set.

The above offers are good through Saturday.

Ralphs is offering a buy-one, get-one-free sale on six to 16-ounce bottles of Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sun care products with your Ralphs card. This offer is good through Tuesday.