When it comes to taking proper care of our skin, prevention is always better than cure – this is especially true when it comes to sun damage. Wearing a face SPF every day is key to healthy – and healthy-looking — skin.
Harmful UV rays affect your skin every single day – 365 days a year. Even when it’s not sunny and even when you’re inside. It’s therefore really important to protect your skin every single day by always using a day cream formulated with a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 20 or higher.
A good quality sunscreen blocks the harmful effects of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, which affects the health of our skin and its cells, leading to decreased collagen and elasticity, fine lines, pigmentation and an increased risk of skin cancer if the sun cream is not used.
What is SPF?
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It’s a measure of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, which are always there, even on cloudy days.
UV rays are the main cause of skin ageing, such as fine lines, brown spots and wrinkles and a dull complexion. UV rays can also be the trigger of skin cancer.
By protecting your skin every day with a SPF cream rated SPF 30 or higher, you will be keeping your skin glowing, as well as healthy.
UVA/UVB
The sun emits ultra-violet radiation, which is split into UVA and UVB rays. UVB has a shorter wavelength and it’s a bit more damaging in that it can cause sunburn and is associated with causing skin cancers in future life. UVA is a little bit different, although it can also cause skin cancers. It penetrates deeper into the skin and causes problems with photo-ageing, breaking down collagen and elastin.
It’s important we use sunscreens that cover us against UVB and UVA, both for skin cancer prevention and for ageing.
SPF every day
Our Esse&Co Skin expert stresses the importance of wearing Sunscreen on your face every day – even when the sky is cloudy. Applying SPF every day makes a difference, not only from the perspective of protecting against skin cancer, but also from an ageing point of view in the long-term. Most of us are more likely to use SPF only during a hot-weather holiday and many of us neglect to wear an SPF moisturiser in our everyday lives, despite the fact that sun damage can, of course, be caused on home soil too.
We should be applying face SPF as the final step in your skin care routine every morning to protect against UVA, when you’re out-and-about and even when it’s cloudy outside. This is because the clouds don’t block the harmful UVA and UVB rays from penetrating your skin. Never skip sunscreen, regardless of the weather.
Re-apply SPF
It is really important for your skin health to re-apply it during the day.
SPF numbers are based on how much the sunscreen will block UVB rays from damaging your skin over a period of two hours. Usually, after that time, the effectiveness of the protection decreases dramatically. This leaves your skin vulnerable to overexposure to the harmful UV rays. Always re-apply sunscreen if you want to deliver the best care to your skin.
Protect your skin always
No sunscreen offers complete protection, no matter how high the SPF. There is no single sunscreen that can block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. This is why it’s important to wear protective gear such as sunglasses, loose protective clothes and hats — to reduce the risk of a sunburn. In addition, we recommend staying in the shade as much as possible. If it’s possible avoid sun exposure during peak hours — between 10 am and 2 pm.
Remember to apply sunscreen over commonly overlooked areas like your back, feet, ears and hairline.
SPF and makeup with Sun Protection Factor
Our Skin Expert often hear this question: “Do I still need to wear sunscreen if my makeup contains SPF?
Even if your makeup products contain Sun Protection Factor, you should not skip the application of a good quality sun cream. To protect your skin only with SPF from a foundation, you would have to apply quite a bit of product. By applying the normal layer of makeup you are not getting the full amount of coverage. Wear sunscreen under your foundation (even if it has SPF) to make sure you’re getting all the protection you need.
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