There are an increasing number of gadgets in the market that now monitor the strength of UV rays so you can apply the appropriate SPF. One of them is the Sunmate, which we wrote about here.
Another nifty gizmo is the UV Sun Sense bracelet that you wear whenever you go outdoors. Slather on sunscreen and also apply some on the bracelet. The UV Index is a scale given to the level of UV radiation on any given day (the range is from 0-20). The higher the index, the higher the potential for skin damage.
Then the band is exposed to light, it turns purple (like Barney, but with a purpose!) to indicate that it’s been activated.
When the band is no longer purple, it’s time to reapply sunscreen. When the words “APPLY SUNSCREEN TO THIS SIDE” disappear, it’s time to scoot out of the sun as quickly as the Mad Hatter
We say beach SPF sense simply doesn’t get easier than this.
A 7 Pack retails for $5.87 at Amazon.com
Popularity: 4% [?]
From Lisa Simone:
Sometimes your brain does weird things. I misread the title of your post to mean that there was a new gadget to monitor the UV rays coming out of your MONITOR – your COMPUTER MONITOR! I was thinking, “LCD monitors have no such health concerns,” and was ready to chalk it up to that whole “sucker born every day” marketing thing.
(BTW – it was X-ray radiation with the older CRT monitors, and it was a health concern.)
But this sunscreen thing is a neat idea. Even when you try to be conscientious, you still screw up. Also a great thing to monitor sun exposure with children.
From S. Vanessa Hailey:
That is pretty interesting. It would have been handy to have when my son was little.