While sunblock is a critical element of skincare, there are pros and cons to choosing the right sunblock and understanding the impact these chemicals have on your skin. With the summer months approaching sunblock is going to be used far more regularly. Although it is essential to use sunblock all year round, we definitely do tend to reapply sunblock more often in the summer months. When we are on holiday and actively in the sun, enjoying the beach and swimming, it is especially important to know how to best protect our skin.
What is SPF?
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. SPF is a measure of how much solar energy (UV radiation) is required to cause a sunburn on protected skin in the presence of sunscreen in relation to the amount of solar energy on unprotected skin. As the SPF goes up, the protection goes up.
There is a common misconception that the SPF indicates the time that can be spent in the sun but this is not true as the SPF is not relative to the time spent in the sun but rather the intensity of the sun exposure. The sunburn will be far worse without protection at midday versus later afternoon for example.
Another important component to consider is skin type. Fair skin will burn much faster than a darker skin type and respond very differently to the sun and sunburn. When choosing an SPF number, keep in mind that a sunscreen with SPF 15 will offer around 85% protection of UVB Rays while SPF 30 will protect you from around 96.7% of UVB rays, and an SPF of 50 means protection from about 98% of UVB rays. Anything beyond SPF 50 makes very little difference in terms of risk of sun damage, and no sunscreens offer 100% protection from UVB rays but each time these numbers go up in SPF, the chemicals double and triple. The truth is that we don’t know what the long-term effects of SPF are but we know that the protection is more valuable than the harm of the chemicals.
How does SPF Work?
A physical sunscreen or “mineral” suncreeen contains inorganic physical UV filters that reflect, scatter and block UV rays before they penetrate the skin. The SPF sits on the epidermis instead of being absorbed into the skin. They do wash off with chlorine and salt water and so it is important to reapply sunblock regularly while swimming.
How does sunscreen affect the skin?
Unltraviolet rays are always present, even in an office with lighting. So it is very important to wear sunblock every day. Some sunscreeens can cause irritation to the skin such as reddness, itchiness and swelling. The quality of your suncreen plays a big part in the reaction on your skin. Like with any product, a patch test is advised if you have sensitive skin. Most adverse reactions are caused by fragrances and preservatives found in sunscreen.
In the short term, suncreen can have negative effects if it get’s too close to the eyes as it can cause irritation. In cases where acne is present on the skin, an oil based sunscreen can cause congestion on the skin and can worsen acne.
In the longterm there has been links to skin cancers being caused by sunscreen but the cases of sun damage causing skin cancers are far higher.
It is recommended that you wash suncreen off at night and avoid having the chemicals on the skin when they are not needed.
Should you use a different sunscreen on the face and body?
You can use the same sun cream on the face and body but it is generally recommended to use a different one. Most people do prefer to use a less oily cream on the face and typically invest more in a high end sunscreen for the face while using a commerical suncreen on the body when outdoors.
If you have had any laser or peeling treatments or you have new scars after surgery, sunscreen really is a must. In South Africa we are lucky to enjoy the best weather in the world (in my opinion) and protecting ourselves from the sun is the best way to enjoy the heat and feel and look good.