THE IMPORTANCE OF WEARING SUNSCREEN

Before getting to know the review of sunscreen products, I would like to share you some of information about sunscreen and the importance of wearing it everyday. It is not only about the skincare routine, but this is about how bad the UV rays for our health.

One of the most important thing to keep your skin healthy is using the sunscreen. Sunscreen is a must to be used in day because the damage that caused by solar ultraviolet radiation is really scary af even though the sun is necessary for life. Sunburn or "erythema" is a sign of short-term overexposure, while premature aging, suppression of immune responses, eye cancer and skin cancer development are side effects of prolonged UV exposure.

UVA ray is a long wave light that could penetrate the glasses during day light time. That is the importance of wearing sunscreen indoors. UVA also exists regardless of seasons and weather. Moreover, it is also the main contributor of forming wrinkles, destroying collagen and leading to skin cancer. On the other hand, UVB ray is less penetrates the skin compared to UVA ray but still has effects on the skin such as sunburns, discoloration and skin cancer. UVB is more powerful on sunny day than the other days.

these sun protection that I always use these days. Both of them are SPF 50+.

Sunscreen protection is expressed by the sun protection factor (SPF), the UVA-Protection Factor (UVA-PF) and the critical wavelength. SPF is equivalent to a standardized degree of protection against UVB radiation: "low protection" (SPF equal to 6 or 10), "medium protection" (SPF equal to 15, 20 or 25), "high protection" (SPF 30 or 50) and "very high protection" for a labelled SPF equal to 50+.

So you would ask me "what is the best SPF level for my skin?". Firstly, rate the time it takes for your skin to get sunburn. For me it is 10 minutes. Secondly, look at the SPF level on the sunscreen (e.g. I use SPF 50), then multiply your skin rate with the SPF level (e.g. 10 minutes x SPF 50 = 500 minutes). But remember to reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours! Moreover, mostly the SPF is followed by PA++ or more. What exactly is PA? It is a rating factor indicating how much protection your skin can get for UVA protection. So the more + sign that you get, the more protected your skin will be.

the left one is a cream sun protection and the other one is gel sun protection

Every year when summer comes around, you will able to see many kind of sunscreen product such as sun gel, sun stick, sun cream, sun cushion, sun spray and the list still goes on. There are 3 types of sun protection (physical, chemical and hybrid). Physical sunscreen contains Zinc oxide and Titanium oxide. It creates a physical barrier on the surface of the skin and even sensitive skin type will feel less irritation. But because of it remains on the surface, it may leave a white cast but protects the skin immediately after application.

Furthermore, the chemical sunscreen that contains Octylcrylen, Avobenzone and Octinoxate penetrates the dermis and epidermis. You must apply it minutes before being exposed to the sun and then the chemical compounds will work within the skin to absorb the sun rays before it penetrates and damages the dermis layer. Chemical sunscreens also do not leave the white cast but may be irritant for sensitive skin because of its consistent coverage. The third sunscreen type is hybrid sunscreen, the mixture and the best of all.

The right photo is my skin after applying cream sun protection and the other is using the gel one

So, you would ask me "what kind of sunscreen that the best for me?", I would like to say, you have to try different kind of sunscreen and you can choose based on your own judgement which one is the best for you. The best sunscreen is the ones for your own skin type. But important to know that compared to any other sun protection product, cream type works effectively for protecting your skin thanks to its effective coverage.

That is all about sun screen and I hope this post will help you to understand the importance of applying sun screen in day activity. See you on my review posts about 3 sun protection products that I use currently (COSRX, Biore and Skin Aqua). CHEERS! 🍺