If you think slathering on water resistant sunscreen means you’re set for the entire beach day, think again! Sunscreen, no matter how advanced, has a time limit, especially when you’re swimming or sweating. Whether your sunscreen claims to last 40 minutes or 80 minutes, there’s a countdown before it’s time to reapply.
In this article, we’ll be breaking down what water resistance really means with these types of products and why keeping track of time is just as important as choosing the right SPF.
What Does Water Resistant Sunscreen Really Mean?
The first thing to clear up is that water resistant sunscreen is NOT waterproof. In fact, the FDA banned the term “waterproof” in sunscreen labeling, basically because it’s misleading. Instead, sunscreens are tested to determine how long they remain effective when exposed to water or sweat – which usually means either 40 minutes or 80 minutes.
- 40-minute sunscreen: Holds up for about 40 minutes in water before losing effectiveness.
- 80-minute sunscreen: Offers a bit more protection but still needs reapplication after prolonged water exposure.
You’ll know whether the product offers 80 minutes or 40 minutes, as it will say so on the bottle. After that window, your protection significantly decreases, leaving your skin vulnerable to sunburn and long-term damage.
How Often Should You Reapply?
Well, when wearing sunscreen with water resistance, you should reapply every 40 or 80 minutes (depending on the product) if you’re swimming or sweating. Even if you’re not going into the water or sweating profusely, you should still reapply it every two hours – the same as you would with any sunscreen.
It’s important that you also remember to apply your sunscreen to those spots that tend to get missed, such as the tops of the ears, the scalp and the back of your neck.
What Happens If You Forget – It’s Ok, Right?
While we’d love to be able to say to you, “Don’t worry about it. Just missing it once won’t make much of a difference”, the reality is quite different. Many people wrongly assume that once they’ve got sunscreen on, they’re good for hours, but unfortunately, that’s not how it works, because when you miss reapplication, you risk sunburn, skin aging and even worse, skin cancer.
Even if the sunscreen you’re using is a high SPF (SPF 50), if it’s only water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, that’s your window. If you wait until you start to feel a burn, it’s already too late.
Follow the Rules Stated On Your Water Resistant Sunscreen
Sunscreen with in-built water resistance can be a real life saver, but it’s not magic! It’s so important to follow the guidelines on the label because any sunscreen is only going to work if you reapply it as you’re meant to. The truth is that if you’re at the beach with your family, you want to remember these times for good reasons, not for the struggle you had dealing with sunburn at the end of the day.
So, the next time you hit the pool, beach, or hiking trail, you really need to keep an eye on the clock, as it’s the only way you can be sure you’re protecting your skin.
