I am always preaching to my family and friends about the benefits of wearing sunscreen every day. As if skin cancer weren't scary enough, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, up to 90 percent of preventable aging is caused by UV exposure.
Twenty years from now, you will regret not applying sunscreen when comparing your skin to someone who wore it on a daily basis. Why have any regrets? Sunscreen has been proven to decrease the development of skin cancer, it helps prevent skin discolorations, and it slows down the development of premature aging. This sounds like a miracle product to me!
Chemical sunscreen
There are chemical sunscreens and physical sunscreens to choose from. Physical sunscreens work by deflecting or blocking the sun’s rays. Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing the rays, while some chemical filters can scatter the sun rays as well.
Chemical sunscreens can be more irritating to the skin, but offer more protection against UVA and UVB rays depending on the particular active ingredient and its stability. Physical sunscreens contain both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
The titanium dioxide protects against UVB ways, but not the full spectrum of UVA rays. Zinc oxide protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
Daily sunscreen
Your daily sunscreen should have a minimum SPF of 30, even if you’re sitting in an office all day like me. Sunscreen must be applied every day whether you are indoors or out. Customers ask all the time if they need to apply an SPF if it’s cloudy outside.
The answer is, yes. Do not let clouds, cold weather, or shade give you a false sense of security that you’re protected from the sun’s harmful rays. As long as there is light, the UV rays can put your skin at risk for both skin cancer and premature aging.
Wearing sunscreen is even crucial when driving, or sitting next to a window, as these reflective surfaces can create more damage to the skin. Sunscreen is really the only way to keep your skin looking healthy, young, and radiant.
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