Before you put away your list of New Year’s Resolutions, we’ve got a few “sun care centric” goals for you and your clients to add to the stack. According to the 2019, RealSelf Sun Safety Report, only 10% of adults use sunscreen daily, and almost half, 47%, never wear sunscreen. Let’s make 2020 the year you and your clients do. Here are 10 sun care resolutions you can share with clients.

ALWAYS CHECK THE DATES

Head to your bathroom drawer, purse, car, medicine cabinet, makeup bag, and anywhere else you might have sunscreen hiding from last summer and check the expiration dates. Toss anything that is past its prime or getting close and take stock of what you have left.

DIVERSIFY

Ideally, you should have a daily sunscreen, a face appropriate product, and a waterproof or sport sunscreen for the beach, pool, or those outdoor workouts. Have kids? Make sure you have kid-friendly products, as well. Make sure your lineup has broad-spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreens with an SPF of at least 15.

BE ECO-FRIENDLY

If you are going on vacation soon, make sure that your sunscreen doesn’t contain ingredients that harm coral reefs and other ecosystems. Check local laws and regulations before you travel, so that you know what ingredients and products might be banned.

PUCKER UP

Until they get blistered, we all forget about our lips when we go out into the sun. For an easy fix, look for lip balms and glosses that have SPF and apply as a base layer under a lipstick or wear alone.

BE SNEAKY

Just like you do your vegetables, sometimes you might need to sneak your sunscreen in. Look for a tinted moisturizer or foundation that has sunscreen and add this step into your daily routine.

PAY ATTENTION

This year more than 96,400 people will get diagnosed with melanoma and more than 419,000 people will get some form of skin cancer. We get annual exams to ensure our bodies are healthy, but when was the last time you got an annual skin cancer examination or even checked your skin yourself? Call your dermatologist and make an appointment or do it during Skin Cancer Awareness Month – which is May. That entire month, the Skin Cancer Foundation offers free skin cancer checks from dermatologists throughout the country who volunteer their time and services. Check skincancer.org for a doctor near you. Besides your annual professional check, you should do a monthly scan of your own skin. Most melanomas pop up in the form of a new spot on your skin, not an existing mole. It’s important to pay attention to anything that may have changed but also anything new that might pop up.

SEEK THE SHADE

At your child’s soccer game or enjoying an afternoon at the park? Resolve to seek cover from the sun between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. Look for a tree or covered seating to help block the rays.

SAY GOODBYE

Adios tanning beds! Make this the year that you don’t go back, and your skin will thank you. Spend the money that you save on an extra spa treatment or skin rejuvenation treatment every month and repair as much of the damage that you’ve done as you can.

KEEP TRACK OF TIME

Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before you head outdoors. It should be reapplied every two hours or right after swimming or excessive sweating.

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

Eating foods (not taking supplements) that are high in vitamin A, C, and E, zinc, selenium, beta carotene (carotenoids), omega-3 fatty acids, lycopene, and polyphenols are among the antioxidants many dermatologists recommend including in your diet to help prevent skin cancer.

With these 10 sun care resolutions set, you and your clients are on your way to a great 2020.

Kelly Richardson has over 13 years of experience educating the beauty, spa, and skin care industries on marketing, sunless tanning, and business topics. She is the president of VENONE, a communications and marketing company that supports beauty and skin care brands and businesses.