The Daily UV Index Guide.

The UV Index is a 0–11+ scale published daily by the National Weather Service that estimates how strong the sun's burning rays will be in your area. The higher the number, the faster your skin starts to burn. This is a quick field guide to reading it — and what to wear from your sun kit at each level.

0–2 — Low

You can be outside without protection, but eyes still benefit from sunglasses, and reflective surfaces (snow, sand, water) push you up the scale faster than the number suggests.

• Wear our Day Kiss SPF 30 Lip Balm on a regular schedule — lips burn first.
• If you'll be near snow or water, a single morning pass of Daily Veil SPF 50 on the face.

3–5 — Moderate

This is most spring and fall midday weather in the U.S. Unprotected skin will start to redden in about 30–45 minutes for fair tones.

• Daily Veil SPF 50 on the face in the morning.
• A Pocket Pillar SPF 50 Sun Stick for ears, the part in your hair, the back of your neck.
• Reapply every two hours if you're outside continuously.

6–7 — High

Most clear summer days fall here. Unprotected skin can burn in 15–25 minutes. Plan around the sun: morning errands before 10am, big outdoor time after 4pm.

• Layer Daily Veil SPF 50 on the face and add the Tone Veil Tinted Mineral SPF 40 on top for the extra zinc.
• Body: Coastal Body SPF 50 on shoulders, arms, chest, tops of feet.
• Reapply every 90 minutes outdoors. Bring a hat.

8–10 — Very High

Common in the desert Southwest in summer (we know — our office is in Albuquerque, where the UV regularly clocks 9+ for half the year). Burns can happen in under 15 minutes.

• Mineral first: Tone Veil SPF 40 or Daily Veil SPF 50 on the face, both if you're going to be outside for hours.
• Reapply with the Trailblaze SPF 50+ Sun Stick every 60–90 minutes.
• Wide-brim hat, UPF clothing, and shade between 10am and 4pm.
• Keep Cool Down After-Sun Gel in the fridge for the evening.

11+ — Extreme

Tropical, alpine, and desert summer noons. Unprotected skin can burn in under 10 minutes. Treat the sun like weather you take seriously.

• Skin you can cover, cover.
• Skin you can't, layer Daily Veil SPF 50 + Tone Veil SPF 40 + a stick reapplication every hour.
• Schedule outdoor time before 10am or after 5pm where you can.

A few rules we live by

• Lips burn fastest. Most people don't reapply lip SPF. Keep a Day Kiss in every pocket.
• Clouds don't help. Up to 80% of UV passes through cloud cover.
• Reapplication beats SPF number. A reapplied SPF 30 protects better than a single morning coat of SPF 100.
• Mineral starts working immediately. No 20-minute wait like with chemical filters.

How our formulas are built

Every sunritualco sunscreen uses non-nano zinc oxide as the only active filter. Tinted shades pair zinc with iron oxide for blue-light defense and a sheer veil; sticks and balms add shea, jojoba, and beeswax for slip; after-sun gels lean on aloe vera, centella, and niacinamide for next-day comfort. We update this guide whenever a formula changes.

Questions about what to wear today?

Email us at support@sunritualco.com or call (575) 271-0629. We answer within a day and we don't upsell you.