Whether or not to use sunscreen can often be a personal debate. In the cooler months, or when the sun has taken the day off, it can be relatively enticing to skip the sunscreen from your skincare routine.
However, sunscreen, as you will come to read, is one of the most important parts of your skincare routine. It not only protects from skin damage and sunburn due to ultraviolet rays, but it reduces your risk of skin cancer.
Throughout this article, we will look through how sunscreen protects your skin and also different types of sunscreen you can consider for daily use.
What Factors Affect My Level of Photosensitivity?
Several factors contribute to how the ultraviolet rays from the sun impact your skin.
For one, your skin tone is a determining factor in your risk following ultraviolet exposure. People with lighter skin tones are more sensitive to the harmful effects of UV radiation. Skin with more pigment, melanin, can block the harmful effects of UV radiation. This limits their chances of getting sunburned, as well as lowering their chances of developing skin cancer following sun exposure.
Age also works as a crucial factor in determining how well you can repair skin damage due to UV exposure. When you are young, any internal damage caused due to prolonged and concentrated sun exposure can repair itself more efficiently than at an older age. You are more likely to develop the effects of sun damage such as wrinkles and hyperpigmented spots at an older age than when you are young. Additionally, your sun exposure over the years can also accumulate and show its signs when you are older, through early signs of aging. This is why it becomes crucial to make sunscreen a routine part of your skincare routine earlier rather than later in life.
A final contributor is the natural environment you are exposed to, especially the changes in weather in your area. The UV Indexdeveloped by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, helps you assess your UV risk on any given day in your zip code. Ranging from zero to eleven, peak UV radiation exposure is noted around noon and is highest in the summer months. It is good to know that ultraviolet rays can also pass through cloud cover or fog present during rainy or winter seasons, which should make sunscreen a year-round routine for you.
How Does Sunscreen Work?
There are two variants of sunscreen, physical and chemical sunscreens.
Physical sunscreen, or mineral sunscreen, contains ingredients such as zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, which work as physical filters for ultraviolet rays. Sunscreens containing these ingredients are the ones that often leave a white and creamy texture on the skin. These sunscreens work great for sensitive skin types and are frequently hypoallergenic.
Chemical sunscreens contain organic compounds which undergo a chemical reaction when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The UV rays are then converted to heat and released away from the skin. Avobenzone, oxybenzone, octisalate are among the few chemicals used in chemical sunscreens.
Another component that always confuses is the sun protection factor or SPF rating on the sunscreen that you use. Say you use a SPF 30 sunscreen. This indicates that 1/30 of the sun’s UVB rays, only about 3%, are capable of penetrating and possibly causing sunburn. So the higher the protection factor, the more effective your sunscreen is at blocking harmful ultraviolet rays.
What Type of Sunscreen Should I Use?
The type of sunscreen you use boils down to factors such as your skin tone, the month of the year, and the amount of time you are planning on spending out in the sun.
First, if you have a darker skin tone you can opt for lighter SPF15 sunscreens which can protect you on your grocery run or even an hour or so in the sun. Those with lighter skin tones should start with sunscreen with SPF30 and increase to SPF50 if they are planning to spend a few hours outdoors. It is ideal to reapply sunscreen if you have been out in the sun for over two hours since factors such as sweat, physical rubbing away, and even a swim could have taken away some of the sunscreen.
It is important to remember it is more about the exposure to the ultraviolet rays, than the visible sunlight which should be considered when using sunscreen.
Next, understanding your skin type is also crucial to deciding which type of sunscreen would work best for you. The only crucial drawback of using a physical sunscreen is the thick white layer it leaves on your skin, which is also likelier to rub off than a thinner chemical sunscreen. However, physical sunscreens are frequently broad-spectrum, protecting against both UVA and UVB rays. They are also less allergenic and also work great if you have skin conditions such as rosacea as it reflects the heat off your skin. These sunscreens are also less likely to clog up your pores.
Chemical sunscreens are thinner and more accessible to apply. However, most of them protect from either UVA or UVB and not both at the same time. Some of these chemical sunscreens also work as photosensitizers increasing the production of free radicals in the skin. Some of these chemicals are also endocrine disruptors affecting hormones such as estrogen and thyroid hormones. Chemical sunscreens can block your pores increasing acne risk. While they are easier to apply and spread, they may require frequent top-ups, especially if you are in the sun for a while.
While using sunscreen, it is good to apply a generous amount on all areas likely to be exposed to the sun, such as your face, neck, arms, and legs. If you are planning a day out at the beach, where clothing is going to be minimal, apply sunscreen on all areas of your exposed skin, and reapply after a few hours for maximum effectiveness.
It is also important to wear sunscreen if you are sitting indoors all day, as the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate through glass windows in your home and even in your car. Studies have also shown that blue light from persistent screen exposure can also hasten the aging process, which can benefit from regular sunscreen application.
Summary
Sunscreen is a vital part of your skincare routine, not only to prevent skin cancer but also to reduce the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays resulting in skin burns and damage. Sunscreen comes in two varieties, chemical and physical sunblock. The one you decide to use depends on your needs and skin type. Regardless of your skin tone, it would be beneficial to use an SPF of 15 to 30 for daily use and increase your sunscreen’s protection factor when you spend prolonged periods outdoors, remembering to reapply your sunscreen every few hours for maximum benefit.