Health

Sunscreen: Everything you need to know to use it correctly

Are you one of those who think sunscreen is unnecessary when the day is cloudy? Without sun protection, you are more vulnerable to wrinkles, blemishes, and other factors that gradually wear down the skin, so it is essential to use it every day of the year and not just in summer or when you go to the beach.

Why is it important to use sunscreen?

Although we cannot stop the passage of time and the aging process of the skin, we can stop the damage caused by the sun by using sunscreen. The protector works by blocking harmful ultraviolet rays to protect your skin from side effects that can cause wrinkles, blemishes, or fine lines.

Nevertheless, its benefits go beyond protecting your skin from the sun; let’s see what else it can do for us.

Benefits of using a sunscreen every day

Reduces the signs of aging

If you want to delay and reduce the signs of aging on your skin, make sunscreen your best friend. Exposing yourself to the sun without protection damages the collagen and tissues of the skin, causing it to lose elasticity and, eventually, wrinkles to appear.

It prevents the appearance of spots on the skin.

Unprotected sun exposure is the main cause of dark spots on the skin, which appear as areas of discolored skin with different shades depending on skin color and usually appear on the face, back, arms, or hands.

Protect skin from sunburn

Spending too much time in the sun without protection can cause burns at different levels, sometimes very painful. These burns even increase the risk of skin cancer, so sunscreen is essential daily.

Reduces the risk of skin cancer

One of the best ways to lower your risk of skin cancer is to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen (minimum SPF 30) throughout the day and reapply as often as needed.

Take care of and improve the health of the skin.

Sunscreen also acts as a barrier to protect essential skin proteins like collagen, keratin, and elastin, which are necessary to keep it smooth, shiny, and healthy.

What is the difference between sunscreen and sunblock?

It is common to get confused between sunscreen and sunblock, but there are big differences between the two. Do you know what they are? 

Sunscreen acts as a chemical defense that penetrates the skin to absorb UV rays before damaging the dermal layers. Some of its most common active ingredients, including oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate, react to radiation before it passes through the skin, absorbing the rays and releasing their energy as heat.

On the other hand, sunblock sits on the skin without being absorbed and forms a physical barrier to protect it. It’s called a sunscreen because its active ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, among others, literally form a physical shield to block UV rays.

What does FPS mean, and what is the difference between FPS 30 and 50?

The acronym SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and represents the unit of measure for protection against sunburn and UV rays. The number that usually accompanies this acronym has to do with the percentage of sun rays that sunscreen can block, the degree of sensitivity of the skin, and the time it will be exposed to the sun. 

The dermatological recommendation is to use an SPF of at least 30, enough to block 97% of UVB rays. A protector with SPF 50 will block this type of sun rays a little more, but none can defend us 100% from its harmful effects.

Regardless of the number, their protection lasts the same amount of time, so using a high SPF protector is not enough to expose yourself to the sun longer without reapplying. You should always reapply sunscreen every two hours, even when it’s cloudy and even more so after swimming or if you’re sweating.

Conclusion

For an individual who practices morning run exercise, the sun is always a barrier for you to covering enough distance during your morning run. To overcome this barrier, you need to buy sunscreen that protects you from the sun’s rays. You can shop at Tanri Outdoors today to get a natural sunscreen protector for outdoor activities.

James Morkel

Tech website author with a passion for all things technology. Expert in various tech domains, including software, gadgets, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. Dedicated to simplifying complex topics and providing informative and engaging content to readers. Stay updated with the latest tech trends and industry news through their insightful articles.

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