What You Should Know About Sunscreen
What You Should Know
About Sunscreen
Sunscreen is one of the easiest additions to your skincare routine that can make the biggest difference in your skin. Ideally you would’ve started wearing sunscreen in your early teens, but what are the chances that most of us were even thinking about the future at that point? The good news is that it’s never too late! A personalized skincare routine topped with a sunscreen that goes well with your skin type is the perfect recipe for preventing and reversing signs of aging.
The Sun
There are two main types of sun rays that can wreak havoc on the skin. UVA rays are often referred to “aging” rays, and UVB rays are often referred to “burning” rays. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, causing damage from the inside out and giving you a tan, while UVB rays have shorter waves that cause surface burns. UVA rays make up a majority of the Earth’s rays, and can penetrate through windows, and even clouds.
Types of Sunscreen
There are also two main types of sunscreen. Chemical sunscreen absorbs the sun’s rays and disperses the heat from them throughout the body. Active ingredients include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, or octinoxate. Physical sunscreen sits on the surface of the skin and repels the sun’s rays. Active ingredients include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. A blend of these two sunscreens is considered “broad-spectrum”, and contains any mix of the two sets of ingredients. Wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen every day, rain or shine, is going to prevent both UVA and UVB rays from getting to your skin and causing any damage.
What To Look For
When looking for a sunscreen to add to your routine there are a few things you should be noticing on the labels. Personally, I prefer sunscreens that are broad spectrum because they tend to be easier to work into the skin, and wear well under makeup if you’re planning on wearing it. Another thing to look out for is the Sun Protection Factor, or SPF. Dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Higher SPF may block a few more rays, but no sunscreen can block 100% of the sun’s rays. Another added bonus is sunscreen that can protect against blue light, other devices, and the sun at the same time. These products will specify if they include these ingredients.
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