Sunscreen 101

We all know that the sun's harmful rays can be so damaging to us. The one thing that we hear so many dermats and beauty bloggers tell us is to wear sunscreen.

Since the hottest months are going to hit us soon, I thought that we should talk some more about sunscreens. Why is it so important? Which one is perfect for me?

I will be trying to answer some sunscreen questions in my latest #vanitysparklesexplains post. So let's get started.

Although it is important to wear sunscreen in the summer, do not skip it in the winter! Wear it always. It is the best anti aging that you can give yourself from an early age.

The sun gives out two kinds of sun rays. UVA and UVB rays.

UVA rays are the aging rays and UVB rays are the burning rays.

UVB  rays penetrate till the dermis and affect the skin by making it red. They can also give us freckles, age spots, hyperpigmentation and sun burns.

UVA rays penetrate deeper into the layers of the skin and affect the DNA of our cells. They decrease the collagen production and harm the cell at the molecular level. They lead to wrinkles!

So what is sunscreen? What does it do?

A sunscreen is a product that you apply on your skin to protect it from these harmful rays of the sun.

Which step of the routine should you apply sunscreen?

It is the last step of your routine. After moisturizer. You then continue with your makeup on top of the sunscreen like compact or bb cream or foundation.

When do you apply it?

At least 20 mins before stepping out of the house so that it absorbs in the skin properly and starts working.

Some people also apply sunscreen indoors or when they are in front of the computer due to the harmful blue rays of the screen. I personally do not! You are free to do so if you want. But when I step out of my house, I do not leave without applying sunscreen.

I'll be talking about types of sunscreen and SPF in the next post. So stay tuned!

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There are so many sunscreens available in the market with different textures and different SPF that you are bound to get confused at times. In the #vanitysparklesexplains, let's talk about SPF in detail and bust some myths related to it.

What is SPF?

Sun Protection Factor is a measure of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from UVB rays, the kind of radiation that causes redness, sunburn, age spots and damages skin.

There are different SPF levels available. However, the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) scale is not linear:

• SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays
   
• SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays
   
• SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays

So, one way of looking at this is that SPF 30 sunscreen only gives you 4% more protection than SPF 15 sunscreen. Sunscreens with really high SPFs, such as SPF 75 or SPF 100, do not offer significantly greater protection than SPF 30 and mislead people into thinking they have more protection than they actually do.

Many companies market their sunscreens based on these fears. But now you know better!

But what about UVA rays? They are more harmful, remember. So if SPF is a protection against UVB rays, how do you make sure you are protected against those bad boys as well?

It’s important to remember that SPF only protects against UVB rays; those are the rays that are causing the “reddening”, or surface burns. SPF doesn’t account for UVA rays; those are the rays that cause long-term damage including aging and wrinkles.

Broad spectrum sunscreen (also known as full spectrum sunscreen) protects against both UVA and UVB rays. And, frankly, it’s a must. In order for a sunscreen to be considered “broad spectrum”, its UVA protection must be proportionate to its UVB protection. As SPF and therefore UVB protection increases, as must UVA protection.

What is the measure of UVA protection then?

You must have seen PA+ on your sunscreen labels, right?

Some sunscreens include PA+ rating on their products. The letters “PA” followed by plus signs (PA+, PA++, PA+++, and PA++++) on a label are a rating system developed in Japan to represent how much UVA protection the product offers.

This is what each PA rating means:

• PA+ = Some UVA protection.
   
• PA++ = Moderate UVA protection.
   
• PA+++ = High UVA protection.
   
• PA++++ = Extremely High UVA protection.

So if you are looking for sunscreen, don't just look at SPF, include Broad spectrum and PA+++ in your search as well.

But are we getting the maximum benefit of the sunscreen that we apply?

Watch this space for more on that!

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So last time we spoke about the protection factors in sunscreen. Today let's talk about how much protection we are actually getting!

Most people don’t apply enough sunscreen, which is why undesirable sunburns and tanning can occur despite sunscreen application. Most people only apply 25-50% of the recommended amount of sunscreen.

To achieve the Sun Protection Factor reflected on a bottle of sunscreen, you should use approximately two milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter of skin. How much is that?

Around a shot glass (two tablespoons) of sunscreen to the exposed areas of the face and body – a nickel-sized dollop to the face alone. If you’re using a spray, apply until an even sheen appears on the skin.

We generally do not apply enough sunscreen since we do not like the greasy feeling but would a sunburn and some age spots be better than that?

If you choose the correct sunscreen for your skin type, you might not face the issue of greasiness.

If you still do, just apply some compact. It's always better than paying the price of no sunscreen!

Now that you have applied sunscreen properly and stepped out, how long would the protection last?

It is generally recommended that you reapply sunscreen every 3-4 hours. If you perspire a lot or if you have been swimming then, more frequently.

Dot and key has a range of sunscreen for the hair, for swimming and they also have a spray sunscreen which makes reapplication easier.

There are many different textures of sunscreens available including clear gels, sticks, powders, and sprays, to best accommodate individual preferences and to make applying sunscreen more pleasurable. After all, the best sunscreen is one you actually use.

Nowadays there are moisturizers, compacts and even foundations available with SPF. Most people feel that is enough coverage. They end up buying and using just those in place of sunscreen! Now that you know the amount of sunscreen required to get maximum protection, do you think you can apply that much foundation and compact on your face?

That would just lead to clogged pores and cakey finish! Do not replace your sunscreen. SPF in other products is just an added layer of protection.

Also, so many people talk about using Vitamin C with sunscreen in your am routine. Why?

We know that UV rays cause a decrease in collagen production, cause redness and age spots. They also produce free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that cause damage to the skin cells and accelerate the process of aging.

Sunscreen helps to reduce this.

Antioxidants also help to reduce this free radical damage by neutralizing them. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. So when you apply Vitamin C also, it increases the protection levels for you.

Other antioxidants include Vitamin E, CoQ10, green tea and grape seed oil.

I hope you actually learned something new from this #vanitysparklesexplains

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In this last edition of #vanitysparklesexplains of sunscreen, let's talk about the type of sunscreens available.

There are two types of sunscreens available in the market.

A physical sunscreen and a chemical sunscreen.

A chemical sunscreen contains chemicals in its ingredients list. (Chemicals do not mean harmful substances, chill). It contains organic UV filters.

Ingredients like  Avobenzone (Parsol 1789), Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Oxybenzone, Ecamsule (Mexoryl), Homosalate, Padimate A, Padimate O are present in the chemical sunscreens.

This type of sunscreen is absorbing. It absorbs UV rays and then neutralizes them, releasing heat.

It is lightweight and easy to blend. 

Sensitive skin types may find this formulation to be bothersome or irritating on their skin. It also takes a few minutes for it to work, about 15-20 minutes.

A physical sunscreen contains natural ingredients like Zinc oxide and Titanium dioxide in them. They are inorganic UV filters.

This type of sunscreen is reflecting. It reflects the rays away from the skin, imagine a barrier or a shield over your skin when you apply a physical sunscreen

This is great for sensitive skin types and babies as it is less irritating and the most effective. 

Works immediately upon application.

However, it can feel thick and often leaves a white cast.

You can choose either of the two, whichever works best for you. If you have sensitive skin, you might prefer a physical sunscreen more.

Some Sunscreen recommendations:

Lakme Sun Expert SPF 50 PA+++ Ultra Matte Gel Sunscreen

Ponds Sun Protect Non-Oily Sunscreen SPF 50

Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Uv Screen Matte Gel Pa+++ SPF - 50

Plum Green Tea Day-Light Sunscreen Gel SPF 35 PA+++

Reequil Ultra Matte Dry Touch Sunscreen Gel SPF 50

VLCC De Tan SPF 50 PA+++ SunScreen Gel Crème

Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 50+

LOreal Paris UV Perfect Super Aqua Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

L'Oreal Paris UV Perfect Even Complexion SPF 50+

Some physical sunscreens include:

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF50+ (For Sensitive Skin)

Re'equil Oxybenzone And Omc Free Sunscreen SPF 50 PA+++

Purebypriyanka mineral sunscreen