Most of us are happy to see the sun arriving and revel in the possibility of soaking up the sun’s rays. Those of us living in hot countries are aware of the potential for tanning and getting a healthy glow.
But it’s not all good news. Getting burnt can be an unpleasant side effect. We all need to be aware of the effect on our skin too much sun can have and protect ourselves.
The suns rays are made up of two types, Ultra Violet A (UVA) and Ultra Violet B(UVB)
These rays effect the Epidermis, or outer layer and the Dermis or under layer. UVB light is the most harmful causing redness and burning in the early stages but can have ageing effects over years of exposure. They can also be responsible for melanomas and the least dangerous but most common forms of skin cancer.
Anyone who purchases cosmetics will be familiar with the letter’s SPF on those products.
SPF stands for Sun Protection factor, a rating scale, indicating the strength of the protection afforded from using the product.
The rating is usually from 15 to 50. No sun protection factor can give a hundred per cent protection from harmful rays but generally speaking the number given indicates the amount of time one can stay in the sun without these harmful side effects. If skin burns or reddens after being in the sun for 10 minutes, an SPF factor 15 like Alpha H Absolute Eye Cream SPF 15 20ml, can allow one to be in the sun for 150 minutes, an SPF factor of 50 can afford protection for 500 minutes.
Our skin is the largest organ in our body and It is very important if we want to keep our skin looking and feeling healthy and young to properly protect it.
Of course, the sun provides us with more than just Ultra Violet light and is a source of Vitamin D, a vitamin very important for health and wellbeing.
However, many doctors are advocating taking vitamin D as an additional supplement and protecting our skin with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of the strength suitable for our individual skin types.
Look out for products mentioning SPF on the packaging like Decleor Protective Hydratin Milk 150ml Aroma Sun Expert SPF 30 and Uriage Depiderm Anti Brown Spot Hand Cream 50ml SPF 15 try to use at least one in your daily routine either as a moisturiser or as a sun block. The rewards will be younger looking skin over time and less chance of developing any skin related diseases.
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