Thanks
to skin cancer and health faculties guided media campaigns we all have received
the message loud and clear that the sun is bad for you. Sure, it facilitates
life on earth, but it also wreaks hyperpigmentation-havoc on your skin among
other serious effects like skin cancer and damages your collagen and elastin
bundles leading to premature wrinkles and aging. And if the sun is the enemy in
this little metaphor, consider sunscreen to be the soldier that shields you and
battles on your behalf against harmful UV rays.
While
SPF is a hero for sure, it can only really protect you from the aforementioned
skin horrors if you are using it correctly. And most skin experts agree, people
despite their best intentions continue to make big mistakes when it comes to
correctly using and applying sunscreen. Because the efficacy of sunscreens is
directly related to how they are used, this is a big deal.
So
what are the common blunders? So glad you asked.
Not Reapplying
It's
great you remember to put sunscreen on in the morning, however by the time the
sun goes down at night, your one application in the morning has totally worn
off. If you are in the sun, you need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours.
Ignoring UVA Protection =
More Damage To Skin
Research
has shown that while UVA rays don't cause sunburn, they penetrate deeply into
skin and cause wrinkles. US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up
to 90% of skin changes associated with aging are really caused by a lifetime's
exposure to UVA rays. There is no rating to tell you how good a sunscreen is at
blocking UVA rays. So when it comes to UVA protection, you need to pay
attention to the ingredients. Look for a sunscreen that contains at least one
of the following: ecamsule, avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide,
sulisobenzone, or zinc oxide. Any of those should do the trick.
Grasping The UVB Protection
SPF Conundrum – 15 or higher?
The
SPF factor rates how effective the sunscreen is in preventing sunburn caused by
UVB rays. If you'd normally burn in 10 minutes, SPF 15 multiplies that by a
factor of 15, meaning you could go 150 minutes before burning. For the vast
majority of people, SPF 15 is fine. Understand the high SPF myth and keep in
mind that the higher the SPF, the smaller the increased benefit. Contrary to
what you might think, SPF 30 isn't twice as strong as SPF 15. While SPF 15
filters out 93% of UVB, SPF 30 filters out 97%, only a slight improvement.
Layering SPFs
Using
two products, say your moisturizer and foundation with sunblock in them, is
fine, but thinking their SPF factors combine to be one larger, more powerful
SPF is not. Women think that the SPF 15 in their makeup plus their SPF40 in
their sunscreen equals a 55, which is just not true. In reality, the most you
are getting is the highest level you apply, and that's it.
Relying On SPF In Makeup
Sunblock
in makeup is usually enough to prevent a burn when used properly, but it isn't
enough to prevent all the harmful rays that age the skin and cause skin cancer.
Makeup products with SPF are usually between SPF 5 and 15, which is not
appropriate for direct sun exposure. I always encourage everyone to wear a
minimum of SPF 15 when exposed to the sun, and the higher the better! Makeup is
also not applied everywhere that sunscreen should be, and we often miss the
neck, ears and hairline.
Finding The Appropriate
Sunscreen
The
ideal sunscreen should be efficacious, aesthetically elegant, photo-stable,
long lasting & preferably Oxybenzone free. These qualities would improve
wearing compliance and prevent premature photo-aging. Look for broad-spectrum
sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection with SPF 15. If you have a family history
of skin cancer, very fair or sensitive skin, go for SPF 30 or higher.
Ingredients with broad-spectrum protection include benzophenones (oxybenzone),
cinnamates (octylmethyl cinnamate and cinoxate), sulisobenzone, salicylates,
titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone (Parsol 1789) and ecamsule (Mexoryl
SX).
Be
good to yourself and stay sun safe.
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