Sunscreen Facts Everyone Needs To Know

There are many opinions about sunscreen and mixed information in regards to whether they are more harmful to use than "not" to. What is SPF and why do we need it, if at all? Sound confusing? Well, not if you choose to protect your outermost layer and become your own advocate on a subject that just may save your life.

Sunscreens main purpose is to "protect" our skin from the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays. The protection sunscreen offers our skin is preventative because the number one cause of skin cancer and premature aging is damage brought on by sun exposure. Approximately 90% of wrinkles are caused by excessive sun exposure (along with smoking and drinking alcohol) and 10% is the natural aging process we were promised at birth. I personally want to avoid the 90% of unnecessary aging by all means! How can this be accomplished? By wearing SPF every day, all year round, rain or shine!

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. Its definition is simple; An SPF number represents the degree of exposure, or amount of time you can sustain exposure to the sun before your skin starts to "burn". For instance, if your wearing SPF 30 this would indicate that you may be out in the sun 30 times longer than you could without any protection. BUT, you must be responsible and reapply your sunblock every hour or so depending on your activities. If your swimming, sweating, being hit by water reflection or if its windy out, you are required to reapplication. Always "read" the instructions so you may reap the full benefits of wearing sunblock. Yes, the men too! I know reading instructions is not your thing but this is not a child's birthday toy with 75+ pieces, it's a happy bottle of sunblock wanting to protect you!

Most of us have experienced a really bad sunburn or two by now but what exactly is a sunburn and why does it happen? We know it hurts like hell, keeps us from sleeping comfortably and always makes us the easy target for cruel jokes that we very much deserve. But truly, a sunburn or a tan is our bodies way of attempting to protect itself from the damaging effects of the sun. Let me explain; Our skin is the largest organ of the body, and other than the brain, it is the most complex! Melanocytes give our skin its color by producing Melanin, which is packaged into intracellular vesicles called Melanosomes (which are found deep within our lowest layer of the Epidermis). When we neglect to provide protection to our skin, it makes every effort to do so on its own. This is a shame considering how much damage we would be saving ourselves many years from now by simply wearing sunscreen daily.

MYTH- "You don't have to wear sunscreen when your not going to spend time outside." FALSE! Sunscreen should be part of your daily, A.M. skin care regimen because you are NOT protected by the glass of your car or home windows. When indoors, the UVA rays can and will come right through only to wreak havoc on your skin that you may not see immediately! Excessive exposure to UV rays can eventually destroy protective Melanocytes.

To "destroy" something is to put an end to : RUIN/KILL.

Let's shop for sunscreen! Always look for a sunscreen that offers protection from both UVA and UVB rays. These are the sunscreens that will contain "blockers" and "absorbers". We want the ingredients to absorb the sun's rays and deflect them throughout the layer of skin. UVA and UVB blockers actually block the sun's "burning" rays by reflecting them off the surface of the skin. Mission accomplished!

I will admit, most everyone does look a smidge nicer when they have been sun kissed but as I have said before, no one should look like the sun has barfed cheese puffs on their face or looks as though you were broiled by Satan himself. It's not attractive and the inside damage you are causing is not going to be worth it when you hear those stabbing words, "you have skin cancer". PREVENTION is key when avoiding damage.

Since "everyone" should be wearing a daily moisturizer, just find one with SPF already in it. You could add your own in a pinch but sometimes mixing two products is a bad idea. Some SPF's are greasy and may cause buildup. You don't want your face to look as if it's prepped to fry an egg. SPF for the face should always absorb and never look greasy especially if you will be wearing it under make up. Keep in mind the SPF you use for your face is different than the SPF you will use on your body. It is also important to allow the product to absorb before you rush into the sun. Almost every sunscreen has a waiting period, again, read the instructions carefully before applying and setting out in the sun.

Protecting yourself is "your" responsibility and finding the right product for your skin type is crucial to prevent premature aging. I personally never want to look my age and feel confident that in 20, 30 years from now I will be happy with the image I see looking back at me in the mirror. I hope you can do the same.