about the types of damages caused by
excessive sun exposure to human skin.
In today's talk, we're going to talk about
all you need to know about sun protection.
Sun protection is not a new idea.
In the early ages, the use of sunscreens is extremely popular among soldiers
in order to avoid severe, painful sunburn. This definitely contradicts the typical
gender stereotype that sunscreen is not the approach to masculinity.
In case you're wondering, sunscreen is a topical product
that serves to reflect or absorb the harmful UV radiation from the sun,
so that UV isn't in contact with skin to cause problems such as sunburn.
Sunscreen products can exist in a bajillion of forms :
they can be either in gel, cream, lotion or even spray form.
Of course, there's no way you can differentiate a good one
from the bad ones by simply judging the form of sunscreen.
Yes, it all goes back to the ingredients!
Sunscreen Ingredients
There are two types of these ingredients,
where one offers chemical protection
while another gives physical protection.
The chemical sunscreen ingredients function by absorbing
the UV rays and converting them into harmless heat
before they pass through your skin.
These ingredients are normally organic compounds
such as avobenzone, octylcrylene, octinoxate, helioplex, tinosorb...
Hence the chemical sunscreen is also called organic sunscreen.
The physical suncreen ingredients are much more simple.
Just like a mirror, they reflect the harmful rays so that they don't reach the skin.
At the same time, some visible light is also bounced back by the physical sunscreen
and therefore the skin would appear to have a white film, termed ghosting.
These ingredients are normally inorganic, metallic compound,
such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Hence the physical sunscreen is also known as inorganic sunscreen.
You may also come across some sunscreens labelled as broad spectrum suncreen.
This means that the sunscreen is effective against both UVA and UVB rays.
Another essential question about the label of sunscreen,
What is SPF ?
SPF is known as the Sun Protection Factor.
When you use a sunscreen under the ideal conditions,
the SPF number indicates how much longer than usual
you can stay under the sun before getting sunburn.
If a person can usually stay in the sun unprotected for 30 minutes
before getting sunburn, using an SPF 20 sunscreen would allow
he/she to stay in the sun for 20 times longer without burning.
As UVB is the chief cause of skin reddening and sunburn,
SPF only indicates the protection against the UVB.
Here comes the importance of PA ratings.
PA rating indicates the protection offered by the sunscreen against the UVA.
In simple terms, PA+ provides the least protection while PA+++ gives the most.
[ HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD SUNSCREEN ]
While there's no a universal best sunscreen for everyone,
we do have some general advice on choosing a sunscreen.
1. Sunscreen below SPF 50 is suitable for
outdoor activities, while sunscreen below
SPF 30 is sufficient for indoor and
occasional sun exposure.
2. Opt for the highest PA+++ for the
maximum protection against UVA.
UVA rays can easily penetrate through glasses into your offices/rooms.
Hence, UVA protection is needed even for indoor activities.
3. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen.
These sunscreens are effective against both UV rays.
4. A mixture of both types of
sunscreen has the best results.
Some people are afraid of the name 'chemical' sunscreen.
In fact, chemical sunscreen offers more coverage
against UVA and UVB than physical sunscreen.
(For example, Avobenzone protects against full spectrum UVA rays.)
It is also runny, unlike physical sunscreen, because the solvent
used in the physical sunscreen is normally greasy and thick.
Take note that the chemical sunscreen requires up to 20 minutes to work,
while the physical sunscreen works immediately upon application.
5. If you're using a chemical sunscreen,
or a mixture of both physical & chemical sunscreen,
look for additional antioxidant ingredients.
free radicals will be generated from the skin.
Antioxidants eliminate these unstable free radicals
by donating their free electrons, stabilizing the radicals.
According to an article by the American Academy of Dermatology,
the combination of sunscreen & antioxidant can offer a second 'active' protection.
For additional protection, we also suggest using
antioxidant-rich serum, right before the sunscreen.
6. Some individuals may have reactions
to particular sunscreen ingredients.
There's nothing to be afraid of. There are also people
who develop allergic reactions towards honey.
Some well-known offenders in sunscreen are
PABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid), fragrance and heavy occlusive oils.
Hence, PABA is now rarely used in sunscreen.
If you have a sunscreen reaction, compare the labels
when you need to buy a new sunscreen so that you can
try to eliminate the irritants that caused the problem.
[ THE CORRECT SUN PROTECTION ]
Simply having a good sunscreen and applying it every day
aren't good enough to get all the benefits from your new bottle.
You might even get sunburned easily.
The problem that everyone faces is that
people understand the concept of SPF and PA ratings,
but they do not know the correct amount of sunscreen
they should be using in order to get effective protection.
The simple answer is -- apply in thick layer.
Having said that, the precise answer, if you're wondering,
is to apply it at a density of two milligrams per squared centimeter.
(which is approximately equivalent to a quarter of a teaspoonful!)
Alright, that's a wrap for this week's post!
We hope you had a great time reading :)
Comment below if you still have doubts about sunscreen & sun care.
We will get to answer you as soon as we possibly & humanly can!
YOU'LL NEVER WANT TO MISS THIS: 4 TIPS BEFORE BUYING ANY PRODUCTS
If you are interested in any topics on skincare that you want to know more,
kindly email us (voracura@gmail.com). We're happy to serve you!
Yours truly, K & Z.
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