The summer is here and it brings with it blistering heat and a lot of sweat. In order to shield your skin from the damage that harmful sunrays can do, it is essential that you apply a good sunscreen on the exposed areas before you step outside.
SPF stands for ‘sun protection factor’. It protects our skin against UV-B rays, the specific rays of the sun that cause tanning, sunburn and skin cancer. So when you look darker after a day out in the sun, it is due to those pesky UV-B rays.
Technically, an SPF of 15 means that you can stay in the sun 15 times longer than without sunscreen before getting sunburnt. A sunscreen with SPF 30 is more than enough to handle the sun rays Indians are exposed to. Even though we are exposed to more UV-B rays than the western countries, our darker skin acts as good, natural protection.
Organic agents absorb the UV-B light and prevent it from reaching the skin. There are many different ingredients that do this, but they stop working after about 3-4 hours, so the sunscreen needs to be reapplied regularly. Inorganic or mineral agents reflect UV-B light. Sunscreens made of mineral agents can cause the skin to look white by forming a thick layer on it and can be a bit unpleasant to use.
There are many benefits of using a sunscreen with both UV-A and UV-B protection. UV-A light is the number one cause of aging and pigmentation. So regular use of sunscreen will keep your skin glowing and young! UV-B light causes tanning and skin cancer. So UV-B protection is also extremely important.
A regular sunscreen routine will ensure that your skin stays supple, fresh and healthy. It is highly recommended to use a sunscreen in the summer months as your skin is highly prone to sun damage during this time.
