'Don't Fry Day' Preaches Sun Safety Ahead Of Memorial Day Weekend
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention calls the Friday before Memorial Day "Don't Fry Day" to remind everyone about the importance of sun protection. Safe fun in the sun means protecting your skin from those harmful rays.
Sunscreen is a must as you head down the Jersey Shore for the unofficial start of the summer season this weekend.
"I like to use the creams more than the sprays," Maclaine Coons said, "because I feel like they cover a little bit more."
Coons says she always makes sure to apply plenty of sunscreen whenever she's outside with her children.
"We know that the sun exposure that you have as a child is cumulative," Dr. Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist, said, "and it adds up and that increases your risk of skin cancer later."
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It's the most common cancer in the United States with one in five Americans developing skin cancer in their lifetime.
While there are a lot of new standards and reviews of sunscreens, doctors say the best is the one you'll use.
They recommend broad spectrum products that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide with an SPF of 30 or higher.
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It takes about one ounce or a shot glass full to cover the entire body.
"In order to get the SPF listed on the bottle, if you put the sunscreen on in a thinner layer, you don't get the same amount of protection you think you are getting," Piliang said.
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It's critical not to miss any spots when applying.
"Areas that we may not think about," Piliang said. "So tops of the feet, the lips. There was a recent study looking at application of sunscreen and people are very poor about the sunscreen around their eyes. Wearing sunglasses really gives you an extra layer of protection."
The National Council is sending out this reminder on Don't Fry Day.
Remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap when you're outdoors – slip on a shirt, slop on broad spectrum sunscreen, slap on a wide-brimmed hat and wrap on sunglasses.