Out.com Fashion Advice: Spring Bake Off

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Each week, the fashion editors at Out.com answer your fashion questions! Visit Out.com for new advice or seek answers to your own style quandaries by sending an email to fashionadvice@out.com!

Q: The weather is finally nice and I'm heading out to the beach for the first time. What kind of sunscreen should I use if I don't want to get a major sunburn?

A: Temperatures are heating up and it's time to bare your body at the beach! But be warned that a sunburn is never in style. Protecting yourself from the sun won't only prevent your skin from turning a painful and unattractive shade of pink, but it will also keep wrinkles away! After all, sun damage is the most common cause for premature aging. If you want to keep wrinkles at bay, prevent your skin from looking like crepe paper, and avoid skin cancer, get some major SPF and slather it on with gusto! Unfortunately, not all sunscreens are created equal. It is most important to buy a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays cause the painful, lobster-style burns and UVA rays cause aging and cancer. Unfortunately, most sunscreens that claim to be "full spectrum" only block a portion of the sun's UVA spectrum, while letting some of the rays attack your skin. So pick up a trustworthy cream that provide complete protection. Here are some sunscreens you can count on: If you need serious coverage (meaning you've got pale skin and plan to frolic in the sunshine for a few hours), pick up Neutrogena Ultra Sheer™ Dry-Touch Sunblock, which comes in SPFs of 55. La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Milk is the gold standard in sunscreen but its ingredient Mexoryl XL is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (it is approved in numerous countries and available for purchase online, albeit illegally). If you don't need such strong sunscreen and you prefer a lower SPF, La Roche-Posay also offers an FDA-approved Anthelios SX SPF 15 waterproof sunscreen. Now, I don't want to nag you like a worried mother, but applying your sunscreen once during the day is not enough! Reapply often -- about every two hours -- and especially after splashing around a pool party or doing your best impression of the Little Mermaid on the beach.