According to the CDC, fewer than 15% of men and 30% of women wear sunscreen on their exposed skin. This is bad news for preventing skin cancer and painful burns. Children are more sensitive to the sun’s damaging rays, so it’s especially important to practice sun safety. Because children learn by example, and because your health also matters to your children, parents need to wear sunscreen, too.
Free Sunscreen Dispensers in East Coast Cities
Citylab reports that free sunscreen dispensers have been popping up from Boston to Miami. They’re funded by community organizations, nonprofits on an anti-cancer mission. As a public health initiative, these dispensers are comparable to hand sanitizers in public buildings or wipes available for shopping carts.
What do these East Coast cities have to do with Phoenix? Well, skin cancer rates have been increasing nationwide over the past decade, except for in the Northeast, where prevention efforts like these are credited with the reduced instances of cancer. It’s worth looking into public health initiatives in the Southwest.
Sunscreen Dispensers in Phoenix?
Although you should apply sunscreen before even going outdoors, it’s often an afterthought. Public availability serves as a reminder, and supplies sunscreen for those who forgot to put it on at home. So far, we haven’t seen free sunscreen dispensers in Phoenix. One of the challenges is the heat, since sunscreen will degrade at temperatures above 77 F.
If you encounter any dispensers in Phoenix, please let us know! If you travel down to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, you can find sunscreen dispensers in the restrooms.
For now, shop for sunscreens rated with an SPF of 30 or higher. Try products until you find one you’re most likely to put on every day. Make sure you store sunscreen properly and throw it away if it’s no longer effective.
