“The best thing to keep your skin youthful is your sunscreen”. UVA rays are the number one cause of long-term skin damage, including wrinkles and skin cancer.
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Check the sunscreen’s expiration date – some ingredients lose their effectiveness over time, especially in extreme temperatures. If you spy a slew of names ending in “enzone” (oxy, avo, et al.), it’s chemical, while components like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide mean it’s physical. If you’re like most people, you probably do not. More and more beauty brands are incorporating SPF into their products, and sunscreen itself is getting more and more luxurious. Then the researchers asked the patients about the definition of sun protection factor (SPF), whether it protects against early aging, and how well the patients thought the sunscreen would protect them against skin cancer.
Dr Paul – a holder of the Chair’s Award, the NZ Medical Association’s highest honour, for his research and services in the field of skin cancer – and a senior lecturer on skin cancer at the University of Queensland, advises parents with dark-skinned children to avoid applying sunscreen until they are at least two years old.
In general, it takes about 10 to 20 minutes without sunscreen for a person’s skin to start burning.
If you have to be outside midday, find some shade, like an umbrella or a tree. According to Jaliman, this group includes anyone who is sun-sensitive (due to a condition like lupus or medicinal prescriptions like tetracycline or Accutane) or tends to burn easily (blondes, redheads and people with blue eyes).
Sunscreens with SPF help protect the skin from ultraviolet B (UV-B) rays.
What to Do: For the body, allot at least a shot-glass-size portion of sunscreen and, for the face, a tablespoon.
Thirdly, sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, because after this period of time, its effect fade.
When it comes to choosing a sunscreen, consider any allergies you may have. Because creams tend to be a bit thicker than sprays Jaliman advises starting with the ex- and using the latter for reapplication. Only a few study subjects were aware that UV radiation is the source of skin cancer. “Infrared radiation penetrates through the ozone layer and can contribute to facial pigmentation and collagen damage”, explains Zeichner. People are advised to look for broad spectrum written on the product..
This sheer pink lip balm hydrates and protects your lips while providing a pretty pink tint. And lab tests assess protection from UVA rays – the kind that cause wrinkles.
Get your vitamin D through diet, not sunshine.
Cover up with long sleeves, pants, a hat and sunglasses whenever possible. While SPF is as important as ever, gone are the days of greasy, oily sunscreen that ruins your foundation.
Though most follow the basic rules of sun protection, many don’t know what they are buying, according to the study.
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What to Do: “I always recommend the pill Heliocare, which has a high concentration of antioxidants that helps prevent UV damage”, says Jaliman.
