You may have heard about the benefits of wearing sunscreen. It protects your skin from the sun, whose ultraviolet rays can break down our collagen and give us wrinkles, along with causing hyperpigmentation marks such as freckles and age spots. However, what makes sunscreen different from other lotions and how exactly does it work?
Sunscreen protects you from the sun by either absorbing or blocking the sun's ultraviolet light from sinking into your skin. There are a variety of chemicals in sunscreens that are kind of like the "active ingredients" in a medication; they are the components that actually make the difference.
The sun's rays are composed of three different types of ultraviolet lights: A, B, and C. As UVC is mostly absorbed by the atmosphere, we do not have to worry about protecting ourselves from its effects. However, both UVA and UVB are damaging to our skin. Although it was once thought that UVA rays aren't as bad as UVB rays, studies have shown that this is a fallacy. It is important to protect yourself from both types.
The active ingredients in sunscreen can include the following chemicals:
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) - absorbs UVB
Zinc oxide - blocks ultraviolet rays
Cinnamates - soak up UVB
Anthranilates - take in both UVA and UVB
Ecamsules - suck in UVB
Benzophenones - sponge up UVA
The label that you see on sunscreen is usually SPF plus a number. Although this relates to the strength of the sunscreen, it only calculates the sun protection factor (SPF) for UVB rays, not their UVA counterparts. However, the way SPF works is like this: If you are normally okay in the sun for ten minutes without sunscreen, you can use an SPF 10 that would protect you for 100 minutes. An SPF of 15 should work for 150 minutes, 30 for 300 minutes, etc.
However, this is also assuming that the sunscreen does not wear off. Sunscreen gradually loses its potency due to water, sweat, and other factors. Therefore, it is smart to apply your sunscreen ahead of time, so that it will have a chance to soak into your skin before you need its protection. Also, reapply frequently. Being at the beach with the salt spray, scouring sand, sweat, and seawater can reduce your lotion's power.
Although wearing sunscreen is a great way to protect yourself from the sun's aging effect on your skin, there are a variety of other factors (plus the natural aging process) that can make you have wrinkles or sunspots. For more information on techniques to rejuvenate your skin and make you look younger, check out Zimmet Vein & Dermatology today.
