"The Sunburn Index, Preventing Sunburn"

Since 1994, the US National Weather Service has been posting the sunburn index with the daily (and hourly) weather forecasts. This helpful tool allows you to gauge how long you can stay out in the sun and avoid a sunburn. The numbers for the index are derived from the latitude of the location in question, the amount of overcast, and the time of day – when the sun is lower in the sky, it has to travel through more of the atmosphere to get to you.

The sunburn index came out of programs originally developed in Canada and Australia, which include additional information in their variations on this, including how much SPF sunblock to wear, whether or not sunglasses are recommended and the like. (Australian schools also put in a 'no hat, no play' guideline in their schools for elementary schools and recess policies). While the US guidelines aren't as formalized in this regard, there are still some good guidelines about avoiding sunburn in the first place.

First and foremost, the area you're in will make sunburn more or less likely based on how much reflectivity there is in it. For example, sunny beaches with sand reflect a lot of UV rays around. So does white concrete. Grass and similar natural settings reflects about 18th as much UV as a sandy beach – and even laying out a couple of towels on a beach can cut down your total UV exposure.

Second, if you're wearing clothes, lighter colors are better. Yes, this is pretty basic stuff, but – the lighter your clothing the more of the sun's light it reflects, which keeps you more comfortable. (Nearly any fabric that isn't a mesh is at least partially opaque to UV light.) So, if the sunburn index is high, consider wearing light colored clothing that comes down to your wrists and covers your calves.

If you're going to the beach, the sunburn index will usually have a recommended grade of sunblock, where the sunblock is rated in SPF, or Sun Protection Factor. Anything with an SPF of less than 15 is unlikely to provide a real benefit to you, and it's recommended that going with a higher SPF is better than a lower one; fortunately, sunblock is comparatively cheap.

Sunblock works to block what's called UV-B radiation, which is the wavelength of UV light that causes you to blister and burn. Most sunblocks aren't as effective against UV-A radiation, which is a bit longer wavelength. It's UV-A that prematurely ages the skin (and which causes you to tan). It's also UV-A that is linked most strongly to basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. For best effectiveness, apply sunblock about 15-30 minutes before going out into the sun, and reapply roughly once an hour. You'll want to use about an ounce of sunblock for every 100 pounds of body mass you have, smearing it as evenly as possible over your body. (Be sure to have a friend rub it over the parts you can't reach easily.)

Sunblock will come off if you're sweating, and can come off if you're swimming. It's pretty easy to get a sunburn in spite of sunblock, even on low sunburn index days. If you do get burnt, here's what to do. Also, sunblock is only part of the answer. The sunburn index also means that people with lighter skin tones are at a greater risk.

First, get out of the sun as quickly as possible; the more exposure you have, the likelier it is that you'll do permanent damage to your skin. This can be as simple as covering up and putting on a hat. Also, hydrate yourself immediately – drink lots of water.

Next, apply aloe vera cream to your burned areas. Aloe vera oils help your skin heal, and immediately sooth the sting of the burn. (And just because the sunburn doesn't hurt doesn't mean you can ignore it. A lot of sunburns that don't sting can lead to skin cancer and worse).

If you're burned badly, avoid sunlight as much as possible for the next two to three days, and a week ideally; this will give your skin time to recover and heal from the exposure. Again, using aloe vera will help cut back on the healing time. If you are forced to go out in the sun again, be sure to check the sunburn index and act appropriately wear more clothing, wear a hat and wear sunblock.

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