Confused about Sunscreens-Choose the Best Sunscreen Lotion for Your Skin-A Complete Guide!
The sun is shining bright and the summer season is approaching real fast. While basking in the sun is fun, protecting your skin from harmful UV radiations is challenging. When we speak about skin protection, sunscreen is our first line of defence. But there is a lot of confusion and misconceptions associated with choosing the right sunscreen suited to your needs and skin type. So read on to know all about sunscreen, and pick the right one suited to your skin type.
It is almost summer-time, and the sun is shining bright. While you should use sunscreen lotions and cream every day of the year, it is more important to use sunscreens during the summer months. During the summer season, the days are longer, and the sun is harsh, and it is inevitable to spend more time outdoors. Using the best sunscreens lotion is very important, and one should not ignore it. But the question is how to choose a right sunscreen? It is advisable to choose the best sunscreen for everyday use and make it a part of your over-all skin care regime to get the best results. So if you are looking for the best sunscreen for face, or the best sunscreen for everyday use, look no further. Stop wondering how to choose sunscreen for Indian skin and choose the best sunscreen for men or the best sunscreen for women. Our guide will help you make you choose the best sunscreen for everyday use.
Recommended Read: Ditch Expensive Moisturizers & Find 10 best Natural Moisturizers at Home!
What are Sunscreens?
Sunscreen, also known as sunblock, is a lotion spray, gel or other topical product that absorbs or reflects some of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thus helps protect against sunburns. Proper & consistent use of sunscreen lotion and creams can also slow down or prevent the development of wrinkles, dark spots, sagging skin, skin darkening or tanning.
What are Types of Sunscreen Lotions and Creams
There are mainly two types of sunscreens :
Topical Sunscreens:
Topical sunscreens are applied externally on the exposed skin to prevent sun damage.
OralSunscreens:
Oral Sunscreens are the newest trend in the world of sun protection. Some dermatologists/cosmetologists/skincare experts advise using oral sunscreens in combination with topical sunscreens for best results. Oral sunscreens are oral supplements that claim to protect the skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Oral Sunscreens provides your skin with maximum sun protection when used in conjunction with topical sunscreen. However, it does not replace the need for topical sunscreen lotion and creams. Topical sunscreen is still your first line of defence against harmful UV rays. Oral Sunscreens are available over the counter easily, online and in-stores. Most Oral sunscreen also provide antioxidant benefits.
Please consult a skincare expert, dermatologist or cosmetologist for choosing the best oral sunscreen for yourself. However, there is a word of caution over the usage of oral sunscreens as per the FDA. The FDA thinks that if people believe that the pills will protect them from the sun, they may be less inclined to apply a topical sunscreen. And if people are not wearing sunscreen while being exposed to the sun’s rays, they are not truly protected from the sun. “There is no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen”, as per FDA.
Who needs Sunscreen?
Everyone needs a sunscreen. Sunscreen cream and lotion use can help prevent skin cancer by protecting you from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Anyone can get skin cancer, regardless of age, gender or race.
How to Choose the Best Sunscreen Lotion
Read on below to know how to choose the best sunscreen lotion and best sunscreen for face:
What Sunscreen Lotion or Cream shall you use?
It is advisable to use sunscreen that offers the following:
- Broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays both)
- SPF 30 or higher
- Water resistance
When to apply, how much to apply and how often ?
- Apply enough sunscreen cream and lotion to cover all skin that clothing will not cover (apply to all exposed parts you want to protect like hands, feet, neck ears etc)
- Lips are prone to darkening and sun damage too. To protect your lips, apply a lip balm, or lip cream with SPF 30 or higher.
- Sunscreens lotion should be applied at least 30 minutes before the sun exposure. These 30 minutes give the cream to set in and create a shield on the skin to prevent sun damage.
- Reapply the sunscreen every two hours when outdoors, even on cloudy days. It also means reapplying the sunscreen after swimming or sweating as per the directions on the bottle.
- Sunscreen lotion for body should also be applied when inside the house as UV rays also permeate through windows and doors and may cause damage to the skin. It is especially advisable for people with more sensitive skin types.
- Please note that snow, sand, and water increase the need for sunscreen because they reflect the sun’s rays. So application of sunscreen at such an environment becomes all the more important.
What is SPF and its importance ?
- SPF (Sun Protection Factor) refers to the ability of sunscreen to shield your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. It is a measure of the time it would take for a person to start getting red if he /she was not wearing sunscreen. The SPF is a rating of how well the sunscreen blocks the sun.
- The higher the number, the better it works at blocking UVB rays.
Is a high-number SPF better than a low-number one?
- The Dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, which blocks 97 per cent of the sun’s UVB rays (as per the American Academy of Dermatology)
- A higher number SPFs block slightly more of the sun’s UVB rays, but no sunscreen can block 100 per cent of the sun’s UVB rays. An 80 SPF sunscreen, for example, does not let someone stay outside longer than a 15 SPF sunscreen. The 80 SPF only blocks more rays while the person is out in the sun.
- It is also important to remember that high-number SPFs last the same amount of time as low-number SPFs. A high-number SPF does not allow you to spend additional time outdoors without reapplication.
What SPF is the best?
Can someone use low SPF like SPF 15?
Darker skin types may not sunburn easily as compared to those with fair skin due to higher melanin content in their skin. Hence darker skin types can use lower-level SPF sunscreen like SPF15. But they are still at risk of skin damage from sun exposure. Hence a minimum of SPF 30 is recommended for all skin types as a general thumb rule.
What are broad spectrum sunscreens? What is UVA/UVB?
- Sunlight consists of two types of harmful rays that reach the earth — UVA rays and UVB rays. Overexposure to either can lead to skin cancer.
- UVA rays (or aging rays) can prematurely age your skin, causing wrinkles and age spots, and can pass through window glass. PA+ Rating System represents blocking UVA rays.
- UVB rays (or burning rays) are the primary cause of sunburn and are blocked by window glass. SPF represents blocking of UVB rays.
- Broad Spectrum Sunscreen contains protection against both UVA and UVB says.
What is PA + rating on sunscreen ?
Today most of the sunscreens include PA+ rating on their products. PA is a rating system developed in Japan to represent how much UVA protection the product offers. The sun’s UVA rays do not cause sunburn; rather, they cause skin to turn brown and tanned. UVA rays are known as the silent killers because you don’t feel them affecting skin. Despite the lack of pain associated with UVA rays, they penetrate deeply into skin, causing a somewhat different type of damage than UVB rays.
This is what each PA rating means:
- PA+ = Some UVA protection.
- PA++ = Moderate UVA protection.
- PA+++ = High UVA protection.
- PA++++ = Extremely High UVA protection.
Other steps to protect skin from sun damages apart from Sunscreen?
Since sunscreen alone cannot fully protect you, one needs to take the following steps to protect your skin
- Try to seek a shade: Whenever possible, try to lookout for shades and avoid direct sun exposure. Always remember sun rays are strongest between 10 AM to 2 PM.
- Wear clothes to cover maximum body parts: Try to wear clothes to protect the majority of your body parts to avoid direct sun exposure. If possible, wear full sleeve shirts, caps & hats, pants instead of shorts. Do not forget to protect your eyes by wearing high-quality sunglasses.
- Take extra caution near water, snow and sand: Water, snow, and sand reflect the damaging rays of sun, which in turn increase your chances of sunburn.
- Eat Vitamin D: As a part of your healthy diet and nutrition regime, include Vitamin D supplements in your diet. Don’t forget to source vitamin D from natural diets sources like fish, eggs, mutton, orange juice, soy milk, cheese etc.
- Avoid tanning with direct sun: You are fair and love little tan right? But this can be damaging to the skin. Try to avoid getting tanned under the direct sun even with SPF on. Try using self-tanning products with added sunscreen.
What type of Sunscreen should you select based on functionality?
- Use Sunscreen which offer broad spectrum (UVA & UVB) protection
- Use Sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 or higher for UVB protection
- Use Sunscreen which have PA+ rating or higher like PA++, PA+++, PA++++ for UVA protection
- Use Sunscreen which are water and sweat resistant to help them to be more effective
What type of sunscreen to choose based on your skin type?
Dry Skin: Use Cream based Sunscreen to add extra layer of moisturiser. Any sunscreen enriched with moisturizing ingredients such as ceramides, glycerine, hyaluronic acid, honey are ideal.
Oily Skin: Use Gel based or water based sunscreen with matte finish. Look for ingredients such as green tea, tea tree oil, or niacinamide in your sunscreen as they can also help you to control oil production.
Combination or Normal Skin: If you have normal skin type, you don’t have much to worry about while choosing the right sunscreen. Organic, inorganic, gel based or cream based all will suit you. Feel free to choose as per your preference.
Sensitive Skin: If you have sensitive skin type there are several ingredients you’ll want to avoid when shopping for sunscreen. These ingredients could cause a reaction and include alcohol, fragrances, oxybenzone, para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), salicylates, and cinnamates. Aim for a mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as it is your safest bet and is advisable because it’s less likely to cause negative skin reaction. It is best to consult your dermatologist for best sunscreen for sensitive skin type.
Acne Prone Skin: Just like for sensitive skin, it’s always best to avoid using any sunscreen with ingredients that might aggravate inflammation that already exists. Therefore, mineral sunscreen is, again, your safest bet if you have acne-prone skin. Since many people with acne often have an issue with excessive sebum production, products for oily skin or sensitive skin are the perfect match. Try to opt for something that’s less likely to cause irritation in a lightweight, water-based formulation.
What type of Sunscreen you should choose based on availability?
- Cream Based Sunscreens: As already discussed above
- Gel Based Sunscreens: As already discussed above
- Stick Sunscreens: Are good for use around the eyes
- Spray Sunscreen: Use spray for full body application near beach areas or to add convenience while applying the sunscreen. Word of caution is do not inhale these products or apply near heat, open flame or while smoking.
- Mineral Based: As discussed above
Disclaimer: This article gives you an overview of sunscreen lotion and creams, their types and how to choose them correctly as per your skin type. This article represents the author’s wisdom based on his personal experience and interactions with his dermatologists, cosmetologists, skin experts & aesthetician over a period of time. Please consult your Dermatologist, Cosmetologist, Skin Care Expert, Doctor, GP, or aesthetician for assessing which sunscreen lotion is best suited to your needs based on your skin type & sensitivity, duration of sun exposure, medical conditions, drug interactions (for oral sunscreens) etc.
Originally published at https://theeasywisdom.com on April 19, 2020.
