Sunscreen
From LoveToKnow Skincare
Why Wear Sunscreen?
Who needs sunscreen when we all want to be tan and beautiful? For a quick visual of the long-term effects of the sun, check out this link that shows a pair of identical twins at age 59. One stayed out of the sun; the other basked in it. It's not surprising to note that there are differences in their skin. What is surprising, though, is the extent of the differences.
Anti Aging Benefits
Vanity is often what makes a person turn to the sun--and away from it. We strive to be tan. However, protecting yourself from the sun is one way to cut down on the lines and wrinkles you'll gather with time. If you must have that sun-kissed glow, try sunless tanners.
Health Benefits
If you are not motivated by vanity, health is an even more important reason to wear sunscreen. Just one serious sunburn in your life increases your risk of getting skin cancer by 50 percent. If you add more sun exposure, you up your likelihood. The math is simple. To protect yourself from the damaging UVA/UVB rays, you'll need a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 every day. Since you don't have to be sunburned to suffer damage, you should wear sunblock even on overcast days. Skin cancer is not something to be taken lightly; melanoma is a potential killer.
It is also vital that you protect your kids with a high-quality sunscreen. Most of the damage to your skin comes before the age of 18. Good habits learned in childhood will protect your children for life.
For more information about the damaging effects of tanning, visit Maui.net.
Mandatory Ingredients
While UVA rays cause skin cancer and wrinkles, UVB rays will burn your skin. An effective sunscreen protects your skin from both. The SPF number on the bottle is important, but it doesn't tell you everything you need to know. The SPF explains what sunburn protection is offered. What it doesn't tell you is how many UVA rays are getting by and damaging your cells. According to the Cosmetic Cops website, several ingredients offer both types of protection. They are:
- Titanium Dioxide
- Avobenzone
- Parsol 1789
- Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
- Mexoryl SX
- Tinosorb
While not all of these are necessary, at least one must be on the "active" ingredients list for the product to be truly effective. You can order great sun protection products online at places like Cosmetics Cop or just shop at your drugstore for convenient products in brands you already trust.
How to Apply
- You should apply sun protection at least 20 minutes prior to going outside. Try to avoid exposure to sunlight between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM as much as possible. This is where those dreaded office jobs come in handy! They keep you out of direct sunlight.
- Don't skimp. You must apply sunscreen liberally to reap the benefits. Your efforts to rub in your sunscreen every morning are pointless if you don't use enough.
- When outdoors, re-apply your sunscreen every few hours throughout the day.
- Waterproof sun block isn't completely water resistant, so re-apply more frequently if you're swimming or surfing.
- One more rule to remember, 15 + 30 does not equal 45. In the sunscreen world, it still equals 30. You can't add numbers to come up with a higher level of protection.
Comments
Tom, great question. This is actually a good opportunity to go through the basics of sunscreen, because even though we're approaching the cooler months of the year, sunscreen is still crucial whenever the sun is out!
- Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen. This means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
- An SPF 15 sunscreen is fine for most people. Here's how you calculate what it can do for you. Let's say your skin normally burns within 20 minutes of being under the sun. Multiply 20 by 15 (or whatever the product's SPF is) and your result is the amount of time you could be outside without burning (in this case, 300 minutes). Needless to say, this is more than enough for most people unless you plan to spend all day outside. If this is the case, simply reapply your sunscreen at appropriate regular intervals.
- Don't forget to apply it at least 20-30 minutes prior to heading out.
Hello! Thanks for website. My question is this: I work in the sun and would like to know the very best brand and highest SPF of sunscreen you can suggest. I don't tan. I go from white to red in a little over an hour. Now, I know a sunscreen like I'm talking about is probably going to be one and/or all of 1)expensive, 2)hard to find/not available in stores and 3)quickly depleted. But for me I think it would be worth it. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!
-Tom Cate -- Contributed by: TOMThis page has been accessed 2,291 times. This page was last modified 02:49, 5 August 2008.
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