SPF/Sun Protection factor/ aka sunscreen is a subject that I can go on and on about. Not only is it the most important step in your skin care routine to help slow down ageing, it also helps to protect your skin from skin cancer causing damage. Now I am not saying that you won’t ever get skin cancer or won’t ever age because you are wearing sun protection, but it reduces our risk.
With so much information being at our fingertips nowadays compared to 15/20 years ago, we are becoming more educated on how important it is to wear sunscreen/SPF. Even I didn’t realise how important consistent daily sun protection was 15 years ago. I grew up in a hot climate that always has sun exposure. I certainly took that, and my olive skin, for granted.
Even though the popularity of SPF use has grown (which is great!) it is also being used as a marketing tool as SPF is now included in many daily skin care products such as moisturisers and make-up which can lead us into a false sense of security that we are making the right decision for our skin and protecting ourselves – but is that enough to protect you from the UVA and UVB rays? The short answer is no, it is not. As much as we are more educated on the importance of sun protection now than we were 15 years ago, we still have a long way to go. But why is SPF in your moisturiser or SPF in your make-up not enough? Let’s dive into that…
First of all, when looking for an SPF product the first thing to look for is: is this SPF Broadspectrum ie does it have UVA and UVB protection? 9 times out of 10 your make-up and moisturiser with built in SPF won’t be broadspectrum.
Why is it important to use an SPF that is Broadspectrum? Let’s look at what UVA and UVB is and their most common side effects.
UVA rays are the ageing rays. These rays are present all year round. They have a longer wavelength than UVB and it has the ability to penetrate through clouds, glass, and your epidermis (outer layer of your skin). These rays degrade your collagen and elastin production which is why sun exposure is one of the biggest causes for prematurely aged skin. UVA is also emmited through laptop/phone/computer screens, artificial lighting and is magnified through glass (think office near a window or driving). This is why it is recommended to wear sun protection on any exposed skin(don’t forget your hands!)- even on cloudy days and if you don’t plan on leaving the house/office.
UVB rays are the burning rays. These wavelengths are shorter and stronger than UVA, they stimulate our pigment producing cells within our skin and this is what you feel when sunbathing and what causes us to burn. UVB rays are mostly present when the sun is out. They are responsible for burning and some surface-level skin cancers. Risking your skin to the point of burning increases your risk to skin cancer. When our pigment producing cells start to change colour and we develop a tan (depending on your skin type-some just burn) this is actually a defence mechanism that your body produces to protect itself. A tan is essentially considered a scar. Our skin changing colour means that those pigment producing cells are working in over drive to produce melanin(provides pigment to our skin, hair and eyes) as a way of protection. But over stimulating these cells it often leads to damage of these cells and they start to over produce (or under produce) pigment. This may not happen straight away but it happens over time and sometimes damage doesn’t show up until 40 years later. This is where you may start to notice “sun spots” appearing on your skin. The more sun exposure, the more damage appears later on.
Now that you have an idea on what UVA and UVB is I’m sure you can see why we need to be using an SPF that contains Broadspectrum protection. Unfortunately, what is in make-up and built into moisturisers, is just a low-grade UVB protection. It won’t protect you from UVA rays and won’t protect you for very long.
When it comes to choosing your SPF, you should choose one where being an SPF is its sole purpose. The only time I would consider a “shortcut” in your routine with SPF is when the SPF is the products sole function, but the brand has added a tint to it so that you can skip wearing foundation. A perfect example would be Moisture Matte or Sheer Hydration SPF Universal Tint from AlumierMD (available in my clinic). The sole function of these products is to protect your skin with Broadspectrum protection, with the added bonus of a tint.
When purchasing your SPF, you should take into account the Sun Protection Factor. This is a relative measurement for the amount of time the sunscreen will protect you from UltraViolet (UV) rays. You might recognise this as “Factor 30” or “Factor 50”. The lower the number, the more frequently you need to reapply this product. The higher number, the longer you are protected, however- the more chemicals are in the product- another element to consider when purchasing an SPF. The difference in protection between an SPF 30 and an SPF 50 is marginal, but the type of sun protection filters used can make a huge difference to the quality of protection (more on this in a later blog).
To conclude, it is best to use a product that is purely for sun protective purposes that is broad spectrum, and not rely on what is built into your moisturiser or make-up as this won’t be enough. As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, I could go on about SPF so look out for my next post where I dive a bit deeper into the different sun protection filters commonly used and the best sun protection (SPF) factor to use.
If you can’t wait to find out more, why not get in touch and book in for a skin consultation on info@proteaskinandbeauty.co.uk and we can discuss this in further detail together and find a sun protection product that best suits you.
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