Your A-to-Z Guide to Sun Protection

We’ll say it until we’re blue in the face: Sun protection is a must for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing SPF-infused makeup or even sitting inside, just inches away from a computer screen all day. UV rays are pretty much everywhere and with other factors such as global warming and skin diseases thrown into the mix, we have to be on guard at all times.

MORE: 20 Under-$20 Sunscreens with Safety Approval From the Environmental Working Group

And health-specific consequences aside, skin that’s been overexposed to the sun doesn’t feel or look too good, either. At the same time, we understand how daunting choosing one formula can be. Some look too chalky. Others refuse to stay put. And that all-too-common sunscreen smell isn’t the most pleasant side-effect, either.

MORE: 5 Black-Beauty-Editor-Approved Sunscreens That Won’t Make Your Skin Look Ashy

So, in lieu of another summer season officially here, we’re digging into 26 must-know facts about sun protection with the help of licensed dermatologist and director of the Virginia-based Laser and Cosmetic Center, David McDaniel, M.D., FAAD.