Sunscreen – A must have

Men and women should use sunscreen daily which can lessen skin cancer that has been trying to form since youth. Anyone over the age of 6 months should use sunscreen daily. Skin is the biggest and longest organ, so we need to take care of it.

·         Sunscreen protects our skin from sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which comes in two forms – UVA and UVB rays.

·         UVA rays penetrate deep into our skin, causing premature ageing and skin cancer and this damage is not reversible, while UVB rays cause sunburns.

·         Choose a sunscreen with ‘broad spectrum’ protection which means it can protect against both UVA and UVB. It protects sensitive skin against sunburn and it reduces the appearance of sun damage – discolorations and dark spots, sagging or leathery skin – wrinkles.

·         There are two types of sunscreens – physical and chemical.

·         Physical sunscreens are which contain the active ingredients – titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide and are also called mineral sunscreens which protects us by sitting on top of our skin and deflecting the sun’s rays. They provide a physical barrier between skin and sun’s rays.

·         Chemical sunscreens are which contain ingredients such as oxybenzone, avobenzene and homosalate – works by absorbing the sun’s rays, changing UV rays into heat, then releasing that heat from skin.

·         A chemical sunscreen is applied after applying toner and serum but before moisturizer while physical sunscreen is applied on top after moisturizer.

·         Physical sunscreen tend to last longer when you’re in direct UV light and are less likely to cause burning or irritation, which can be a side effect of some chemical sunscreen.

·         Chemical sunscreen is a better option if you play sports or sweat a lot or are swimming and need a water-resistant formulation. ‘Water resistant’ does not mean ‘water proof’- you must reapply to keep your skin protected. Because the sun’s rays are not only reflected by water but can also pass through it upto 3 feet, wearing sunscreen in water is very important. However water proof sunscreens are formulated to last twice as long as water-resistant formulas.

·         At the end of the day, both are equally effective.

·         You can also opt for a sunscreen that contains both physical and chemical blockers.

·         Sunscreens come in many forms – creams, lotions, gels, sticks and sprays.

·         Creams are good for people with very dry skin, especially around their faces.

·         Lotions are better for large areas like your chest, back or legs, since lotions tend to feel lighter and less greasy than creams.

·         Gels are best for hairy areas, like your scalp or a man’s leg or chest.

·         Sticks are useful for applying around delicate areas such as eyes.

·         Sprays are also a good idea but can be trickier as it can irritate our upper airways, and we don’t know how safe the ingredients are to breathe in. So, you can cup your hand and spray sunscreen into it, then apply it like a gel or lotion. If you do spray, keep the nozzle close to your skin.

·         Use an SPF of atleast 30 or higher. SPF – sun protection factor – measures a sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB rays from damaging your skin. SPF 30 blocks 97% of sun’s UVB rays. SPF of 50, blocks 98%, that may not seem like a big difference.

·         Whatever the SPF, all sunscreens last around the same time. It’s important to reapply atleast every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.

·         If you are in makeup, use a powder sunscreen to the face every 2 hours.

·         If it is cloudy outside, then too you need sunscreen. Upto 80% of sun UV rays can pass through clouds.

·         If you are indoors, then also you need sunscreen. Because glass effectively blocks UVB rays, but UVA rays do pass through glass which are longer rays and penetrate deeper into our skin and can cause wrinkles, sunspots etc.

·         There is a myth that aloe vera gel can be used as a sunscreen. Aloevera, in itself, doesn’t provide any sun protection of its own. It cures the damages caused by sun’s rays. So, you can call it more a after-sun treatment than calling a sunscreen. It can treat sunburns and can slow down the ageing of the skin.

·         Some natural sunscreen are:

Almond oil – SPF 5

Coconut oil – SPF 4-6

Red raspberry seed oil – SPF 25-50

Carrot seed oil – SPF 35-40

Shea butter – SPF 4-6

It doesn’t matter how old you are, your skin is fair or dusky, your gender, you need protection from the sun’s rays everyday.

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                                                Take Care!