If winter comes can spring be far behind………….. And with spring follow the hot sunny days…but you cannot stay indoors all the time to shun sun. So let’s face it.
Hot facts• Spending some time, say about 10 to 15 minutes a day, in the sun, helps the body produce vitamin D, which might protect against various illnesses.
• An over dose of the harsh ultra-violet (UV) rays can trigger serious skin problems, like sunburn, hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles, premature skin aging, and skin cancer, especially melanoma, the most virulent and the fastest growing cancer.
• A sigh of relief for the darker skinned- People with darker skin have higher levels of melanin, which absorbs ultra-violet rays and acts as a natural sunscreen. But, though this does reduce the risk of skin damage, it does not offer full protection.
That makes the application of sun block every time you step outdoors, a must.
Why sunblock and not sunscreen?
Sunscreens absorb UV rays and are also inconspicuous on the skin. The chemicals that are most often found in sunscreens include PABA, Benzophenones, Cinnamates, and Salicylates. Sunblocks act as barrier against the solar radiation. They reflect rather than absorb UV rays. They appear white on the skin and usually contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Highly effective for the sensitive skin, sunblocks do not contain any of the chemical irritants present in other products. It is believed to be stronger than sunscreen as it cannot be broken down by sunlight and also because of its two important compounds, Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, which are quite safe for the skin. People with skin diseases such as lupus erythematosus, rosacea, or other sun-sensitive conditions benefit a lot from sunblock preparations.
What to look for when buying sunblockTitanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, the two essential ingredients, protect the skin from both UVA and UVB radiation by preventing the sun from penetrating and burning the skin through their light refracting properties, basically by reflecting and scattering light back, away from the skin. Mineral powders are ideal and are an added bonus and the best way to protect your face from further sun damage.
Always look at the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) when deciding what level of sunblock is going to meet your needs. The higher the SPF, the more protection it offers against the UVB and UVA rays. You have the option of choosing sunblock with an SPF anywhere from 5 to 50, sometimes higher. Usually an SPF of 15 is recommended.
Choosing the number that will be most effective for you depends on the skin type, the quantity that is to be applied and how frequently you will apply it, what kind of activities you will be doing outdoors, the time of the day and certainly the season and of course the amount of sunblock that the skin has absorbed.
Go for a water resistant sunblock if plan to go for swimming. But do check the label to see whether it is water-resistant sunblock or very water-resistant. Water-Resistant sunblock maintains the SPF level after 40 minutes of water immersion and Very Water-Resistant sunblock maintains the SPF level after 80 minutes of water immersion
Follow this and nothing can stop you from basking.
A few tips to remember.
Avoid sun between 10 am and 5 pm, hours when sun radiation is strongest.
Always apply sunblock 20 minutes before stepping out, so that it gets absorbed well in the body and dosen’t get washed away due to sweating.
As their effect lasts only for 2 to 3 hours , one must reapply it frequently throughout the course of the day.
Do not stick to the same bottle of sunblock for more than a year. Pick up a new one every year for maximum effectiveness. Also keep it out of the sun and away from heat as this can further degrade the product.
