5 tips for healthy skin 1. Protect yourself from the sun One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots, and other skin problems. It also can raise the risk of skin cancer. For the most complete sun protection: Use sunscreen. Use a palm-sized amount of broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Put on more sunscreen every two hours or more often if you swim or sweat. Seek shade. Try to stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. That's when the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays are strongest. Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and wide-brimmed hats. Clothes with dark colors tend to give more protection than do those with light colors. Some sun-protective clothing is made to block UV rays. You also can use laundry additives tha...