I still have some Dishonored 2 pics to go through and post, but for the most part this concludes the current Dishonored streak!

Anyway, this game has been a blast from start to finish, and many thanks to everyone who liked or reblogged! Especially those of you who leave notes in the tags, you all are hilarious and sweet and informative and sometimes slightly twisted and I love you. Special thanks to @umicormhorm for inspiration and reblogs on @whales-and-witchcraft - now that is some real quality content that will cure your ails better than a 2-penny drink :D

It's officially summertime (Neil Degrasse Tyson said!) and that means that even as the days are now beginning to shorten again, there are plenty of sunlit days in our future. And, as much as we all love our solar system's white-hot ball of continuously burning gas, too much of its attention is a decidedly bad thing.

In recent years and with the aid of the examples readily available through a cursory internet search, awareness of the perils of UV damage is on the rise. "Tanned" is still the American standard for good looks, but with melanoma taking one American life an hour, we need to re-evaluate our relationship with sunscreen -- a product many Americans only pull out from under the bathroom sink when they go out for a dip mid-summer. But the rules for sunscreen and sunblock have been evolving for years and old wisdom or instincts about application are outdated.

This week, have some tips and trivia about sunblock, how to use it, and what all those random numbers and letters mean anyway. (And if you're a fan of infographics, take a gander over here.)

Who Needs Sunscreen? Everybody needs sunscreen, regardless of skin tone. Skin cancer develops across the board, and statistically is diagnosed in more advanced stages in those of darker skin tone. #

When Should You Wear Sunscreen? You should wear sunscreen everyday (or at the very least, everyday you will be exposed to sunlight for over 20 minutes). Do not be deceived by the relative visibility of the sun! On a cloudy day, up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can pass through the clouds. And even the ground can be treacherous: snow and water reflect 80% of the sun’s rays, and sand reflects 25% of the sun’s rays. #

How Much Is Enough? One ounce -- a shot glass full -- is enough to cover the exposed skin on the average person. When they say that you should "generously coat" all exposed skin, they mean it: most people only use 25 to 50% of the necessary amount of sunblock. And don't forget your lips, which are just as susceptible to UV damage as the tips of your ears and your shoulders! Most lip balms have a UV rating now, but gravitate to SPF 30 to protect your smackers. 

And How To Wear It? If you're out of doors already, you're doing it wrong. 15 minutes before you leave the house, apply sunscreen to all exposed skin while it's still dry. Reapply in the same quantities every two hours or, if you've been swimming or sweating, immediately after you've toweled off. 

But My Sunscreen Says It's Water-Proof! Well it's lying to you! "How well the sunscreen stays on the skin after swimming, bathing or perspiring is just as important as the SPF level. The FDA considers a product 'water-resistant' if it maintains its SPF level after 40 minutes of water exposure. A product is considered 'waterproof' if it maintains its SPF level following 80 minutes of exposure to water. If you participate in outdoor recreational activities including swimming, you may want to choose a waterproof sunscreen." # If you're doing the math, neither of those time periods are the full two hours of longevity for dry skin.

These Labels, What Do They Mean? Let's start at the top: sunscreen and sunblock are two different things. They indicate two different types of protection, defined as chemical and physical. "Chemical sunscreens contain special ingredients that act as filters and reduce ultraviolet radiation penetration to the skin. These sunscreens often are colorless and maintain a thin visible film on the skin. These sunscreens usually contain UVB absorbing chemicals and more recently contain UVA absorbers as well. Physical Sunscreens, most often referred to as sunblocks, are products containing ingredients such a titanium dioxide and zinc oxide which physically block ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Sunblocks provide broad protection against both UVB and UVA light." # 

Okay, What's The Deal With UVA And UVB? This month should see a roll-out of new labeling standards in the US, introduced and regulated by the FDA, meant to make the selection process a little less confusing in general. All labels will now indicate whether they protect against UVB rays and/or UVA rays. This is important, because the two types of rays do two different things and SPF ratings only ever address the UVB ray protection. UVB rays are the primary reason your skin burns and are stopped by window glass. UVA rays prematurely age your skin, encourage wrinkling and age spots, and can pass through window glass. Both ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer and all UV radiation -- whether it be from the sun, tanning beds, or sun lamps -- is classified as a "known carcinogen" or cancer-causing substance by the United States Department of Health & Human Services and the World Health Organization’s International Agency of Research on Cancer. In short, both are bad and there is no "safe" way to tan. Tanning damages your skin and speeds up the aging of your epidermis. #

Do The Numbers Mean Anything?  The new labels will also let you know if the product only protects against sunburn, or whether it also lowers the chance of skin cancers.  In order to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging, the sunscreen must offer two things: broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays) and an SPF of 15 or higher. Without both, the sunscreen only helps prevent sunburn. # The American Academy of Dermatology recommends going no lower than SPF 30, where "you get the equivalent of 1 minute of UVB rays for each 30 minutes you spend in the sun. So, 1 hour in the sun wearing SPF 30 sunscreen is the same as spending 2 minutes totally unprotected." # Going higher is better, but beware the folly of assuming that you're getting twice as much protection: "SPF 15 sunscreens filter out about 93% of UVB rays, while SPF 30 sunscreens filter out about 97%, SPF 50 sunscreens about 98%, and SPF 100 about 99%. The higher you go, the smaller the difference becomes. No sunscreen protects you completely." # Something to keep in mind about the numbers, though. The instant you apply the sunscreen to your skin, your natural oils and sweat will begin shaving away at the strength of the product. SPF 15 freshly applied to the skin operates more on a SPF 10-12 level, then quickly deteriorates once you head outside and begin even lightly sweating. SPF 30 is the safest minimum choice of sunscreen for real UV protection, though it is mostly beneficial for preventing burns at that potency. 

What Other FDA Regulations Should I Be Aware Of? Sunscreen manufacturers can no longer print "waterproof" or "sweatproof" on their bottles, because this is a fallacy as all sunscreen eventually washes off. Additionally, it's become popular rumor that sunscreen has a shelf life of one year, which is untrue. FDA regulations demand that all sunscreen on sale in the US have a stable shelf life at original strength of three years. # The effectiveness will diminish after three years, especially if the bottle is left in direct sunlight, exposed to extreme changes in temperature, or left open. If you're using that ounce of coverage, this shouldn't ever be a concern. 

C'mon. Is It Really That Important? In a word, yes. In two: five years, which is how long it takes for your skin to fully recover from one case of sunburn. # It usually takes about 20 years after exposure for skin cancers to manifest, but tanning beds can actually increase that pace. Tanning beds can give you an endorphin high, so they are considered addictive as well as toxic to your skin. Some people like to use the vitamin D deficiencies in our country as an excuse, but sunscreen has not conclusively been shown to inhibit vitamin D. Additionally, most people get all the vitamin D they need from a reasonable diet or from supplements. Finally, in addition to sunscreen you should seek shade between 10am and 4pm especially (when your shadow is shorter than you are), wear hats with at least a 3 inch brim and as much clothing as you can comfortably stand. (Lighter colors reflect sunlight!)