You're listening to life kit from NPR.
Hi, I'm Julia Furlan.
This is NPR's life kit.
This episode, we're talking about the ins and outs of something that's a big part of my life right now, maybe yours.
Sunscreen, as in the different things that are in sunscreen, and namely, where sunscreen goes outside of your body, on your skin.
To share her overwhelming knowledge on this topic, I'm joined by Barry Hardyman, a senior editor at NPR's Weekend Edition and a sunscreen evangelist.
Hi, Barry.
Hi, Julia.
Okay, we're gonna start at the beginning.
We're gonna go with our basics here.
Do it.
What is sunscreen, and why is it so important, and why are you so passionate about it?
First of all, sunscreen is the thing that's going to protect you from the sun's rays, Uva and UVB rays.
And they each have different effects on your skin.
UvB.
Think of b for burns, a for aging.
That's doctor Cheryl Burgess, a dermatologist in Washington, DC.
Everyone has to wear sunscreen just like you have to brush your teeth every day.
And as long as the sun is shining, we're going to have photo damage.
So these sun protection and sunscreens are primarily preventing you from harming your skin or causing sunburns or skin cancers.