Summer Skincare and Sun Protection 101

Your Primer for Outdoor Skincare

At this point, the basic lessons of summer skincare should be as easy to recite as the alphabet. Dermatologists have drilled sun smarts into our heads for years, so much that by rote memorization we should know to use sunscreen, avoid the sun during its harshest hours, choose polarized sun glasses, and much more. But if we've been paying attention to our lessons, why is skin cancer consistently the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States?

Consider this a wake-up call -- we're betting there are quite a few important facts and figures about outdoor skincare you don't yet know about. For example, do you know the four most easily sunburned regions of the body? Or how about the idea that most of your skin damage happens before age 18? (Hint: That's a misquote.) And have you ever heard of the "Slip, Slap, Slop" rule?

Pencils out: Get ready to relearn everything you thought you knew about your skin and the sun -- and say goodbye to wrinkles, sun spots, and discoloration. Welcome to what we've dubbed "Summer Skincare 101," a special step-by-step primer to better, healthier, and safer skin this summer. We'll take you through the ABCs (and Ds and Es) of sun damage protection, summer sun safety, and the common myths your doctor hates to hear. Follow the dermatologist-backed lessons, and you're guaranteed to earn an A+ for beautiful, healthy skin that lasts far beyond any report card.