Sunny days are finally here in B.C., and it's crucial that sunscreen becomes a part of your daily routine. The most influential reason? Skin cancer is now the most common cancer not only in Canada, but the world. And the younger generations have a much greater chance of getting it: 1 in 6 people born in the 1990's will develop skin cancer versus 1 in 20 for someone born in the 1960's*. I guess we can blame it on the crazy hair spray styles of the 70's and 80's depleting the ozone layer (if only Marty McFly had shared that with the rest of the world from his round trip in the Delorean!). Seriously though, if skin cancer statistics don't have you slapping on a minimum SPF 30 every day, at least take into account the fact that UVA rays are a contributing factor to wrinkles. Nobody wants cancer, but for many people Mariana-Trench-style crow's feet are just as terrifying.
So what's important to know when buying sunscreen? Well to start, you need to make sure that you purchase a broad spectrum sunscreen, meaning that it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Both of these are key as UVA causes premature aging, whereas UVB rays lead to burning. And while having a golden tan in the long run is the end result of a burn, a burn is actually your body releasing blood to the surface of your skin as a means of defense. The type of sunscreen is more of a personal preference: mineral sunscreens vs. chemical. Mineral sunscreens physically protect the skin by creating a shield on the skin that blocks and reflects UV rays by means of larger molecules (look for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide on the label). Alternatively, chemical sunscreen mainly absorb and occasionally disperse the UV rays (tinosorb or oxybenzone). Mineral sunscreens are more common place as consumers tend to shy away from putting anything on their body with the word 'chemical' in it.
Also important is the level of SPF in your sunscreen, not because a higher SPF necessarily gives you more protection, but because it determines how often you need to reapply (and if you don't ever reapply, then a higher SPF will in the long run will end up giving you more protection). This is how it works: let's say that you go out in the sunshine midday in middle of the summer without any sunscreen and your skin burns in 3 minutes. If you were to apply a 30 SPF sunscreen, you now have 30X the protection (SPF = sun protection factor), and don't need to reapply for 90 minutes (30 SPF x 3 minutes---who thought that math would come in handy with beauty?? Not Einstein, have you seen how deep his wrinkles were?!). So, the higher your SPF the longer you can go without reapplying. But it also depends on your skin type (fairer skins burn more quickly) and what time of the year and day it is, which is why you don't need to slap on an SPF 60 in February, at least in Vancouver where we are more concerned with liquid sunshine.
There are a lot more choices on the market these days when it comes to sunscreens, so how do you know which one is right for you? Well that depends on what your primary use of it will be. If you just need an everyday sunscreen for the summer for face and body in a cream, there are endless possibilities. Do you just need something for the face for being out and about? A lot of companies have come out with ultra-light fluids for the face this season---after having it on your face for 1-2 minutes it literally feels like there is nothing there so it is a great option for people who want the protection without the stickiness of traditional sunscreens (try Lancome SPF 45, Vichy SPF 30 or 50, La Roche Posay SPF 60). And if you are an active person, or are anticipating sweaty days ahead, Sheseido makes an ultra water resistant fluid in an SPF 50 (and it is really resistant--one of the Beauty Boutique experts took it to Costa Rica and it stayed on even in the tropical humidity). Or if you are very fair, have had serious burns in the past, or are concerned about high risk areas (nose, ears, face) both La Roche Posay and Vichy offer 60 SPF sticks, which will prevent any colour on the skin.
So come into the Beauty Boutique and find the sunscreen that's right for you, and ensure that the wrinkles on your face are from too much smiling and laughing and not the sun!
*Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation
No comments:
Post a Comment