Guidelines - The Skin Cancer Foundation

Prevention Guidelines

Since its inception in 1979, The Skin Cancer Foundation has always recommended using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher as one important part of a complete sun protection regimen. Sunscreen alone is not enough, however. Read our full list of skin cancer prevention tips.

Seek the shade, especially between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.
Do not burn.
Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.
Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours.
Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.

For expanded sun safety information, check out Year Round Sun Protection.

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Skin Types and At-Risk Groups

Certain types of skin are at greater risk for developing sun damage and skin cancer. Do you know your skin type? Check out our photos and descriptions to find the one that best matches your skin.
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Where Does Your Skin Fit In? Quiz

The Fitzpatrick Skin Type is a skin classification system first developed in 1975 by Thomas Fitzpatrick, MD, of Harvard Medical School. His skin classifications and its adaptation are familiar to dermatologists. In order to determine your Fitzpatrick Skin Type, our quiz measures two components (genetic disposition and reaction to sun exposure). Types range from the very fair (Type I) to the very dark (Type VI).

So, grab a piece of paper, sharpen your pencil and take the quiz below to discover what your type is, then read our analyses for some type-tailored sun safety advice.

How To Hit the Beach The Sun-Safe Way

The screech of seagulls. The pounding surf. As your summer daydreams grow insistent, you grab a towel, fill up the cooler and set out for the golden sand …

Haven’t you forgotten something?

Right. Sun protection. Before a day on the beach, you need strategies to keep from returning browned or burned by harmful solar ultraviolet rays (UVR). Here’s our five-step plan to make sure your next beach trip isn’t just fun, but also sun-safe.

Sun Safety Tips For Sports Enthusiasts

Elizabeth Michaelson

How do you play it safe in the sun? The Skin Cancer Foundation asked several athletes who are uniquely qualified to advise readers — they’re also dermatologists!

As skin experts, all of them take certain general precautions and recommend you do the same: Avoid outdoor athletics between the peak sun hours of 10 AM and 4 PM; wear protective clothing, hats, and UV-blocking sunglasses, and use a broad spectrum, sweat-resistant, SPF 15+ sunscreen, being careful to cover often-missed exposed spots such as the hands and the back of the neck.

If You Can See Sunlight, Seek the Shade

greenleaves Catherine M. Olsen, PhD
Peter G. Parsons, PhD
Adele C. Green, MD, PhD

While shade is a potentially valuable means of protection from the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, not all shade is equally protective. People can spend long hours in the shade while still receiving quite a lot of sun exposure and risking skin damage. This is because UVB rays, often considered the most harmful part of sunlight, can reach the skin indirectly.

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