English in a pill – Angielski w pigułce, Lesson 9

Should we use sunscreens?

Sunscreen is any substance or material that protects the skin from UV radiation. Sunscreens are available in the forms of topical lotion, cream, ointment, gel or spray that can be applied to the skin; a salve or stick that can be applied to the lips, nose, and eyelids; a moistener in towelettes that can be rubbed against the skin; sunglasses that protect the eyes; and film screen that can be affixed to the windows of a car, room or office.

SPF, an abbreviation for sun-protection factor, is a number such as 15, 30 or 50 that indicates how long a topical sunscreen remains effective on the skin. A user can determine the duration of effectiveness simply by multiplying the SPF by the length of time it takes for him or her to suffer a burn without sunscreen.

For example, Mary A. normally suffers a burn in 10 minutes without wearing a sunscreen. If she applies a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, she will be protected for 150 minutes (10 minutes multiplied by the SPF of 15). As another example, Jack B. normally burns in a half-hour without wearing a sunscreen. If he also applies a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, he will be protected for 450 minutes (30 minutes multiplied by the SPF of 15).

Persons with sensitive skin who burn quickly and must spend a lot of time outdoors should consider applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more.

Some sunscreens protect against only one type of ultraviolet radiation: ultraviolet-B (UV-B). Others protect against both types of ultraviolet radiation that reach earth's atmosphere from the sun: ultraviolet-B and ultraviolet-A (UV-A).

It's a good general rule to apply a sunscreen very liberally. Anyone who skimps won't receive full protection. The sunscreen should be applied about a half an hour before going outside to allow time for the sunscreen to soak in and take effect. Therefore, sunscreen should be reapplied at least every two hours and after swimming, bathing, perspiring heavily, or drying off with a towel or handkerchief. Water and perspiration resistant sunscreens are available.

WORDS

• First-aid kit / Apteczka
• sunscreen - filtr ochronny
• UV radiation - promieniowanie ultrafioletowe
• ointment - maść
• a salve - balsam
• a stick - sztyft
• a moistener - nawilżacz
• to rub sth against - wcierać
• towelette - chusteczka nawilżająca
• to affix - przyczepiać, przymocować
• an abbreviation - skrót
• duration - trwanie
• to multiply - mnożyć
• a burn - poparzenie
• liberally - hojnie
• to skip - skąpić, oszczędzać
• to perspire - pocić się
• a handkerchief - chusteczka
• resistant - odporny

A joke

Joan, who was a rather well-proportioned secretary, spent almost all of her vacation sunbathing on the roof of her hotel. She wore a bathing suit the first day, but on the second, she decided that no one could see her way up there, and she slipped out of it for an overall tan. She'd hardly begun when she heard someone running up the stairs. She was lying on her stomach, so she just pulled a towel over her buttocks. "Excuse me, miss" - said the flustered assistant manager of the hotel, out of breath from running up the stairs. "The Hilton doesn't mind your sunbathing on the roof, but we would very much appreciate your wearing a bathing suit as you did yesterday." "What difference does it make?" - Joan asked rather calmly. "No one can see me up here, and besides, I'm covered with a towel." "Not exactly" - said the embarrassed man. "You're lying on the dining room skylight."

„Farmacja i Ja”, czerwiec 2008