Health News

Do you really need to wear sunscreen every day?

Wearing a sunscreen helps prevent sunburn, protects from skin cancer and helps prevent skin aging. Experts recommend using a wide spectrum and water resistant option with a 30 or more daily sun protective factor (SPF), regardless of the weather.

Jump at the main dishes to remember.

How sunscreen works

The sunscreen can be physical (mineral) or chemical, which effectively protect the skin from the harmful rays of the sun:

  • Physical sunscreen Use ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, and both absorb and reflect the sun’s sun.
  • Chemical sunscreen Works by absorbing the sun’s rays.

The sunscreen works by blocking two types of harmful ultraviolet rays (UV) which can damage your skin and cause skin cancer:

  • Uva The rays cause skin aging and can pass through the glass.
  • UVB The rays cause sunburn and are blocked by the glass.

The use of a wide spectrum sunscreen protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays.

Use of sunscreen in cold or cloudy weather

It is essential to wear sunscreen all year round, regardless of the weather.

It is therefore important that up to 90% of UV rays can go through clouds, so the application of daily sunscreen, even on gray or covered days, is important.

Do not forget your sunscreen in winter either. UV rays can think about snow, ice and water, multiplying your exposure to harmful rays, which can reach you directly (for example, the sun above you) and indirectly (for example, to think about the snow around you).

Bearing a sunscreen inside

The damaging rays of the sun can pass through glass, which means that you can be injured by the windows of your home, school, desk, desk or vehicle, it is therefore recommended to wear a sunscreen inside. However, you may not need to reapplicate every two hours as you would; Every four to six hours are sufficient.

Wear a sunscreen even on the days you stay inside helps build this important habit. If this is part of your daily routine, you will be less likely to forget it on the days when you spend most of your time outside.

Does sunscreen block vitamin D?

Wearing a sunscreen can cause your skin to produce less vitamin D than it would do when exposed to unprotected sun rays. However, no sure level of sun exposure provides your daily vitamin D without also increasing the risk of skin cancer.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends people to draw their vitamin D from food sources rather than sun exposure.

Certain foods (for example, fish, mushrooms, enriched yogurt), drinks (for example, enriched orange juice or almond milk), and supplements provide adequate vitamin D, so wearing sunscreen to prevent skin cancer should not cost you your daily vitamin D.

What level of SPF is the best?

Dermatologists recommend bringing SPF 30 or more.

SPF measures the amount of UV radiation necessary to cause a sunburn on the skin protected by a sunscreen. The higher SPF values ​​therefore offer greater sun protection.

SPF 30 can block 97% of the sun’s rays. The higher level SPF can gradually block more sun rays, but no SPF can block 100% of UVA or UVB light.

However, many people apply much less (20% to 70%) than the recommended dose of SPF (about 1 ounce to cover the exposed skin), therefore they do not receive full advantage as indicated on the label. Therefore, you can opt for SPF 70 or 100 to help compensate.

Whatever SPF level you choose, it is always crucial to reapply every two hours during the sun. The SPF level is not linked to the duration of the sunscreen.

Advice if you don’t like

Dermatologists often say that the best sunscreen is the one you are ready to wear. It is worth taking the time to experiment with different brands, formulas and coherences to find the sunscreen that you like the most, and that will motivate you to apply it every day.

Here are some options to consider:

  • If the chemical sunscreens feel tights or bite your skin, consider a physical sunscreen.
  • If a physical sunscreen leaves a white molding on your skin, go to a tinted mineral sunscreen or a sunscreen.
  • If you wear makeup, use a sunscreen powder or spray designed to be applied to makeup.
  • If you are subject to acne, find the words “non -comedogenic” on the label of sunscreen, which means that it will not get your pores.

In addition to sunscreen to protect your skin, try to avoid direct sunlight when possible. Wear UV protective clothes, hats and sunglasses and spend time in the shade rather than in the sun.

Main to remember

  • The sunscreen can prevent sunburn, minimize skin aging and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
  • Wear a wide spectrum and water resistant sunscreen with a 30 or more SPF per day, and reappear it every two hours.
  • Wear a sunscreen during all the seasons, the cloudy days and even inside.

By Sarah Bené, Otr / L

Bené is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental health environments. She lives with celiac disease and endometriosis.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button