It’s officially already the rainy season in the Philippines, but it doesn’t mean one should give up on sun protection yet. Rain or shine, outdoor or indoor, one should swathe on some sunscreen, said dermatologist Dr. Via Protacio.

While ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are responsible for skin tanning and sunburn, ultraviolet A (UVA) rays are responsible for skin aging, Dr. Protacio said in a recent panel discussion during the launch of skincare label Laviejo.

“Well, the ‘PA++’ (in sunscreen) is your protection against UVA and UVB. So an SPF (sun protection factor) 25 PA++ means you have protection for both UVA and UVB rays. But the question is, is it enough?” she pointed out.

According to her, “It will all depend on your lifestyle and daily activities.”

For a normal daily sun exposure, “Definitely an application of your SPF 25 PA++ at the beginning of the day and midday is sufficient,” she said.

“However, if you are going to go under the sun for prolonged periods of time, like for more than three hours, like when you do hiking, you go golfing, or you go to the beach, then definitely a higher SPF like SPF 50 will be more beneficial for you on that day.”

She also reminded that the right amount of SPF lotion should be two finger lengths to cover the entire face and neck.

“You need to apply it 15 to 30 minutes before going out under the sun,” she added. “You need to apply it even if it’s cloudy outside because some of the UVA rays can still penetrate through the clouds and even when you’re indoors, you have to still apply your sunscreen because the UV, some of the UVB rays can penetrate through the windows and when you sweat a lot or even it gets wet when you’re on the beach, you have to reapply every two hours.”