Sunscreen Facts
Know your sunscreen facts for helping to protect your skin, and keep you looking younger.
How does sunscreen work? It helps to protect the skin from the sun, so less of the suns rays reach the deeper layers of your skin and cause wrinkles.
Never leave the house without it on your face, make a conscious effort to put it on every morning after you have cleansed and moisturised your skin. Apply it everyday no matter what the weather.
Even on those cloudy days when you think no damage can be done, still put it on. If you are not putting on makeup, reapply sunscreen during the day sometime. Don’t bother if you are working indoors.
Sun damage is responsible for a lot of problems, such as wrinkles, freckles, brown spots, broken capillaries, skin cancer and the breakdown of elastin in the skin.
The last thing you want to do is get sunburnt, it has been discovered not only can it cause problems with the body’s immune system, it can cause vulnerability to other health problems.
Even many actors will avoid the sun, look at Nicole Kidman, she has beautiful skin, and avoids the it at all costs.
Make sure it contains broad spectrum, this means it blocks out both types of suns rays, UVB and UVA, as well as one or more of these ingredients; avobenzone, Mexoryl (well known for protecting against UVA rays), titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide for significant UVA protection.
How Does Sunscreen Work
SPF - Sun Protection Factor, will have different numbers such as SPF15 or SPF30, these numbers refer to the product’s ability to block out the suns rays. The higher the SPF, the greater you will be protected. It is usually better to use one for your face that is SPF30 or higher.
UVB – Is strongest between the hours of 10am to 2pm, this is the time you can get sunburnt.
UVA – rays are the wrinkle causing rays, they can also penetrate through glass and damage the deeper layers of the skin. When driving, put sunblock on your hands as well, as the UVA rays affect you all year round, even in the winter.
Both of these rays are what contribute to aging of the skin and wrinkles.
Sunscreen Facts - it works by absorbing and reflecting the sun’s rays. It is usually best to apply it at least 1/2 hour before you head out doors. Make sure you also apply it to your lips, around your eyes, especially if you suffer from dark circles under eyes, and always remember to wear sunglasses even on cloudy days.
Sunburn is the most common effect of too much exposure to UV rays. This is caused to the skins cells, when they have absorbed too much energy from the UV rays, and can ultimately lead to skin cancer.
Some studies suggest that a bad sunburn suffered more than 20 years ago, can turn into cancer in later life. So it pays to cover up! When I was younger, I can remember a time, when my whole body got completely sunburnt, and I could hardly walk, and I couldn’t go to school the next day. I shudder now when I think about it, because I dread going out on very hot days now.
Over exposure can also lead to a high number of free radicals within your body, so much so, that often the amount of these radicals, is way too much for the body to fight against.
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