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Whether you’re outdoors for recreational or
work purposes, repeated exposure to the sun will
have its natural consequences for your skin.
Regardless of color, skin that
is repeatedly exposed to the sun tends to become
tough and thick. Beyond the middle years of adulthood,
the results can include wrinkly, leathery skin.
Irrespective of the circumstances
for sun exposure, selecting a sunscreen product
that offers some degree of protection from the
sun’s UV rays can be one way to protect your skin
from these ageing affects.
Due to the variety and range
of sunscreen products available, here are some
basic factors to consider in making an appropriate
selection:
1. Ingredients:
Sunscreen products can be made
with ingredients to protect against UVA rays,
and / or other ingredients to protect against
UVB rays (which are in fact more harmful for sun
burning than UVA rays). The best products offer
ingredients for protection from both UVA and UVB
rays. Consider also the actual ingredient list.
(I.e. Are they naturally derived / safe, or do
they contain potentially harmful chemicals?).
2. SPF (Sun Protection Factor):
The SPF number on the product’s
label refers to the strength of protection, and
the length of time a sun-screening product will
allow your skin to be in the sun without burning
- relative to the length of time bare skin (or
skin without the product applied) would burn or
redden.
To sum that up, the SPF number
tells people how much longer they can last out
in the sun with protection for their skin, without
being burned. The higher the SPF number, the longer
the period of protection against the sun.
For example, let’s say ‘Joe’,
a young student, would normally burn after 12
minutes of being out in the sun. He applies a
sunscreen, also referred to as a sun block, with
an SPF of 15. This means that he should be fine
for 15 times his average amount of protection
time. In other words, ‘Joe’ would be protected
for up to 3 hours. Here’s the formula for calculating:
12 minutes x 15 SPF = 180 minutes (3 hours).
(Now if ‘Joe’ applied a sunscreen
with an SPF of 30, he’d be protected for up to
6 hours. E.g. 12 minutes X 30 SPF = 360 minutes
(6 hours)).
3. Skin Type:
When selecting a sunscreen,
it’s important to consider the different skin
types and how they react with exposure to the
sun.
Young children: For ages 6 months+,
consider a product with SPF of 15 or higher to
protect against both sun tanning and burning.
Also consider a product label that lists protection
against both UVA and UVB rays (also known as the
"broad-spectrum").
Skin Type - Very Fair: This
skin type generally burns quickly. Tanning is
rare. Consider sunscreen products containing SPF
20 to 30.
Skin Type – Fair: This skin
type almost always burns easily. Some tanning
can occur, although not much. Consider sunscreen
products containing SPF 12 to 20.
Skin Type – Light: This skin
type burns in the moderate range. Tanning is normally
gradual, yielding a light brown shade. Consider
sunscreen products containing SPF 8 to 12.
Skin Type – Medium: This skin
type burns in the minimal range. Tanning happens
much of the time, yielding a moderate brown shade.
Consider sunscreen products containing SPF 4 to
8.
Skin Type – Dark: This skin
type rarely burns. Tanning occurs big time, yielding
a dark brown shade. Consider sunscreen products
containing SPF 2 to 4.
Skin Type – Other: This skin
type includes people with moles (or whose close
blood-relatives have a history of moles), people
with skin cancer in their family histories (including
melanoma), and people with very fair skin and
hair. As this is a high-risk category for health
damage from too much UV exposure, consider using
sunscreen products with the highest SPF available,
combined with light to moderate sun exposure.
Once you’ve selected the most
suitable sunscreen product, and regardless of
your skin type, apply your sunscreen ‘before’
going out into the sun’s rays. To ensure the best
possible UV protection, the sunscreen product
should also be spread fairly thick, and in a uniform
manner over all areas of the skin that will be
exposed to the UV rays.
Whatever your current circumstances
and choices are for going out in the sun, taking
appropriate care of your skin ‘now’ will help
determine a healthier and younger-looking skin
in the future.
 Angela
Perin is author of the 'Sunless
Tanning Exposed' ecourse - 5 essential Factors
Guaranteed To Boost Your Confidence And Dramatically
Improve Your Tanning Result! Get Your FREE copy
of this ecourse
here...
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