Sun Tips for a Safer Vacation

"People who work indoors, then get sunburned on vacation are at the highest risk of skin cancer," says Dr. Darrell Rigel, clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU. Scrupulously applying sunscreen and avoiding peak-hour sunlight are your best defenses. Some pointers:

• Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside. This gives the formula time to penetrate the skin and coat cells.
  
  
• Use one ounce of sunscreen per application. "That's a shot glassful," says Rigel. "Most people don't apply nearly enough."
  
  
• An SPF 15 isn't a license to bake. If your skin normally reddens within 10 minutes of sun exposure, an SPF 15 lets you stay out 15 times longer, or two and a half hours. (The Sun Alert UV Warning Badge - at drugstores, approx. $4.00 for six- turns orange when you've had enough.)
  
  
• Reapply after swimming, sweating or towel-drying. "Waterproof" formulas wash off after 80 minutes in the water; water-resistant products after 40.
  
  
• Take advantage of the protective value of clothing. A dry, white cotton T-shirt has an SPF of 7; Lycra rates an SPF of 35; denim's factor is 1,700.