SUN SMART
The smile the sun puts on our face, the spring it puts in our step and the flowers it brings for our pleasure, it's hard to believe that the warm and wonderful sun we enjoy can be damaging & dangerous. Facts are, however, that over exposure to the sun has caused a dramatic increase in skin cancer.
Scientists believe the sun causes 90% of the ageing of the skin and that the most effective tool in the war against this and skin cancer is the use of SPF(Sun Protection factor). This is a number assigned to a product to measure the length of time it can, in theory, protect skin from reddening from UVB rays compared to not having any protection. Eg, if someone's skin takes 20 minutes to redden without sun protection, a product with an SPF 15 will protect the skin 20 X 15 or 300 minutes, in theory, i must stress. SPF only measures protection against UVB rays, UVA rays are not covered by the SPF rating.
A good SPF product should provide a broad spectrum of protection until a basis for UVA protection is established. Broad spectrum indicates the capability to provide some protection from both UVA/UVB. If a product contains Zinc Oxide and or titanium oxide, then it should be effective against UVA rays. Broad spectrum sunscreen provides protection against melanoma, whilst a sunscreen that does not carry broad spectrum protection will not.
Have you also heard mention of UVC rays? Don't worry, these rays are almost completely absorbed by the ozone layer and do not affect the skin.
UVB rays stimulate Vitamin D production in our bodies but are also the cause of sunburn and harmful skin cancers if exposure is regular and prolonged. UVA rays are not fully blocked by the ozone layer and they are instrumental in photosynthesis in plants. 90% of the suns rays that hit the earth are UVA and unfortunately penetrate deeper into the skin than UVB, where they damage collagen and elastin fibres in the dermis causing premature ageing and risk of skin cancers. It is worth noting that UVB rays cannot penetrate through glass and water, but UVA rays can. They are also present in fluorescent lighting, so even if you work in an office, wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen is highly recommended.
UVA and UVB rays are at their highest between 10am-4pm, making sun protection essential between these times. Over exposure can irreparably damage skin cells, mutating the DNA that keep cancer cells in check. UBB rays don't penetrate the skin as deep as UVA, as previously mentioned, but still cause damage to DNA.
A physical sunscreen is not absorbed by the skin, it reflects the rays away from the skin. Products that include zinc are shown to have no adverse reactions to the skin. Zinc's only downside is that it makes the product leave a white/ashen film to the skin. Things have improved in recent years, with less white filminess and a UVA sun protection of SPF 15. Moreover, products that have used nanotechnology leave no white residue and have an SPF 30 without the use of additional chemicals.
Chemical sunscreens provide broad spectrum protection against UVA/UVB. They can irritate certain sensitive skins, so a patch test is advised and leaving for 48 hours before applying broadly onto the skin to avoid a major skin reaction.
In closing, even products with broad spectrum SPF's cannot completely block the sun. Some UV radiation reaches & penetrates the skin, generating free radicals and attacking the living cells of the dermis. Common sense and care should always be taken when heading out into the sun.
The smile the sun puts on our face, the spring it puts in our step and the flowers it brings for our pleasure, it's hard to believe that the warm and wonderful sun we enjoy can be damaging & dangerous. Facts are, however, that over exposure to the sun has caused a dramatic increase in skin cancer.
Scientists believe the sun causes 90% of the ageing of the skin and that the most effective tool in the war against this and skin cancer is the use of SPF(Sun Protection factor). This is a number assigned to a product to measure the length of time it can, in theory, protect skin from reddening from UVB rays compared to not having any protection. Eg, if someone's skin takes 20 minutes to redden without sun protection, a product with an SPF 15 will protect the skin 20 X 15 or 300 minutes, in theory, i must stress. SPF only measures protection against UVB rays, UVA rays are not covered by the SPF rating.
A good SPF product should provide a broad spectrum of protection until a basis for UVA protection is established. Broad spectrum indicates the capability to provide some protection from both UVA/UVB. If a product contains Zinc Oxide and or titanium oxide, then it should be effective against UVA rays. Broad spectrum sunscreen provides protection against melanoma, whilst a sunscreen that does not carry broad spectrum protection will not.
Have you also heard mention of UVC rays? Don't worry, these rays are almost completely absorbed by the ozone layer and do not affect the skin.
UVB rays stimulate Vitamin D production in our bodies but are also the cause of sunburn and harmful skin cancers if exposure is regular and prolonged. UVA rays are not fully blocked by the ozone layer and they are instrumental in photosynthesis in plants. 90% of the suns rays that hit the earth are UVA and unfortunately penetrate deeper into the skin than UVB, where they damage collagen and elastin fibres in the dermis causing premature ageing and risk of skin cancers. It is worth noting that UVB rays cannot penetrate through glass and water, but UVA rays can. They are also present in fluorescent lighting, so even if you work in an office, wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen is highly recommended.
UVA and UVB rays are at their highest between 10am-4pm, making sun protection essential between these times. Over exposure can irreparably damage skin cells, mutating the DNA that keep cancer cells in check. UBB rays don't penetrate the skin as deep as UVA, as previously mentioned, but still cause damage to DNA.
A physical sunscreen is not absorbed by the skin, it reflects the rays away from the skin. Products that include zinc are shown to have no adverse reactions to the skin. Zinc's only downside is that it makes the product leave a white/ashen film to the skin. Things have improved in recent years, with less white filminess and a UVA sun protection of SPF 15. Moreover, products that have used nanotechnology leave no white residue and have an SPF 30 without the use of additional chemicals.
Chemical sunscreens provide broad spectrum protection against UVA/UVB. They can irritate certain sensitive skins, so a patch test is advised and leaving for 48 hours before applying broadly onto the skin to avoid a major skin reaction.
In closing, even products with broad spectrum SPF's cannot completely block the sun. Some UV radiation reaches & penetrates the skin, generating free radicals and attacking the living cells of the dermis. Common sense and care should always be taken when heading out into the sun.
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