How to Sunburn-Proof Your Body: The 5 Places You’re Forgetting to Apply SPF

A late-morning trip to the pool is a summer ritual: Wake up, gather hair into a ponytail, slather on broad-spectrum sunscreen from head to toe, sprint out the door. But if, in spite of a rigorous on-site SPF ritual, you return home a few hours later with a pinkish sunburn along your forehead or along the backs of your knees, it’s time to re-evaluate your SPF strategy. According to New York City dermatologist Dennis Gross, you may require more sunscreen than you think to be truly protected, and a dime-sized dot won’t suffice. “That’s a classic error—you need about two to four ounces to cover your face and body,” he says of the shot glass–size amount recommended for every area you want to safeguard. But it’s not just how much you apply; it’s where you apply. And repeatedly forgetting certain areas—like the ears, knees, and even lips—result in the kind of cumulative UV damage that can lead to skin cancer while breaking down collagen and elastin.

Hats and sunglasses will help, but implementing a few extra strategies will keep you covered. For one, Gross recommends taking a strategic approach to applying a broad spectrum sunscreen, like his Dark Spot Sun Defense SPF 50, being careful to blend into a few often overlooked areas: That means all the way into the hairline, on the ears, on the backs of hands, and around the eyes.  If the latter makes you nervous, look for a specialized formula, like SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50, which is ophthalmologist-tested, formulated not to migrate toward your lids, and infused with a tint that helps camouflage dark circles.

Intricate braids may be a summer rite, but vacation-ready plaits can also expose your scalp to the sun. If you’re worried about ruining your hair, Los Angeles  superfacialist Kate Somerville says that a dusting of powder SPF along the area treats it “without creating oil.” One option is a translucent brush-on powder like Peter Thomas Roth’s Instant Mineral SPF 45.

For harder-to-reach places like the backs of the knees and elbows or shoulders,  Somerville favors continuous spray sunscreens. “Just make sure you apply evenly,” she says. Supergoop! Continuous Mist Broad Spectrum SPF 30 covers hard-to-reach areas. Whether you’re surfing, playing tennis, or out for a stroll, Gross reminds the outdoor bound that lips don’t tan. He recommends using a gloss or balm with SPF 25—which turns the old adage about never leaving the house without lipstick into advice well worth following.

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