Remember to protect your skin this holiday weekend and wear sunscreen. The Centers for Disease Control advises that the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause skin damage in just 15 minutes of exposure.

Washington County Public Health Director Danielle Pettit-Majewski recommends a broad-spectrum sunscreen, “You’re going to want to find sunscreen that has UVA and UVB protection. So, like a broad-spectrum protection from UVA and UVB rays. So, UVA they penetrate deep into the skin and that’s what causes premature aging, and up to 90% of our visible skin changes that are commonly attributed to aging are caused by sun exposure. So, you want a sunscreen that has that UVA protection to prevent long-term damage. Now you want the UVB protection because the UVB rays are the primary cause of sunburn.”

Remember to reapply it every few hours and do so more frequently if you are sweaty or getting in and out of a pool. Pettit-Majewski also encourages people to put on sunscreen about 10 minutes before going outside so your skin has time to absorb it.