Sun’s out, it’s a bit warmer, we’ve swapped our winter clothes and in are our summer clothes. Lunches at our desks just don’t seem to have the same appeal anymore now our weather has improved, but are you aware of the effects the sun’s rays are having on your skin?
Sure the warmth of the sun feels nice and reassuring and having the sun out immediately puts you in a better mood but it is also creating damage in your skin cells. This damage can be seen on your skin over time in the form of pigmentation, i.e. freckling, brown spots (age spots), fine lines and wrinkles as too much sun can prematurely age you and dehydrate your skin causing the skin to look leathery.
This is why it is so important to be wearing a stand alone SPF. It should always be a huge part of your skin care routine at home. Not just in the spring/summer either, we should all be wearing sun protection all year round. The sun, even though we can’t see it in miserable weather and don’t get a lot of it here in the UK, is always there. The sun is always emitting UVA and UVB rays all year round, 365 days a year, which means the UVB and UVA rays are always present on your skin all year round, 365 days a year. By using an SPF we are protecting the skin, preventing premature ageing and pigmentation.
So in general which SPF is better to use? There are 2 types of SPF; physical broad spectrum and chemical. What’s the difference between them? Physical broad spectrum sun protection contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide both give you instant protection as soon as you put it on your skin, they help to reflect the sun rays away from the skin. This will help to prevent inflammation within the deeper layers which means the skin cells are safe and stay healthy. Chemical SPF will have instructions on the packaging instructing you to apply 30-45 minutes before going into the sun, this is to give your skin time to absorb the cream and start working. Chemical sun protection allows the rays to be absorbed by the skin causing inflammation in the deeper layers but you wouldn’t know it’s happening unless the skin burns. It’s the inflammation within the deeper layers of the skin which is the most damaging.
At Beyond Skin we stock a range of physical SPFs and have one to suit every skin type.
