Choosing the Right Sunscreen

In my previous post, I talked on how the sun can seriously damage your skin and what is the best protection against sun exposure. Although clothing, sun-hats are important to sun protection, an efficient sunscreen is important is essential to protect the bare part of your body fully exposed to the UV rays.

Heading to the local drugstore and choosing a sunscreen which will work for you can be quite a task. Which one to choose? Do I go for a water resistant sunscreen? Which SPF do I need? How much do I want to pay for it. And yes, we also ensure what they smell like...

Let's look at what kind of SPF you need. First SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and we all know the higher the SPF number, the longer you can stay out of the sun without burning. How it is graded is as follow: take the common SPF 15, if you are using an SPF 15, for a person that it generally take 15 minutes to burn with an SPF 15 will allow the same person to stay in the sun 15 times longer without burning. That is the principle of the number with the acronym SPF. Of course factors such as a proper application like a certain amount prior to head out in the sun are important. Most dermatologist and health care specialist will recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 and higher. Myself, depending on the UV index of the day, I will often use a 30 or even higher. Also factors such as where you are located geographically and how you are planning to be outin the sun are also issues to consider. Most of the sunscreen found out there in drugstore or from dermatologist range from 2 to 60. It's important you choose what is best for your skin. Some people have a darker complexion and pigmentation which is also a factor. If you burn easily, you will want to go higher than an SPF 15 and consider an SPF 30 or even SPF 45. keep in mind that an SPF 50 will only provide 2% more protection than an SPF 30.

Next you want to consider what kind of sunscreen will best fit your activities for the day. Do you want a water resistant sunscreen or a waterproof one. If you are planning to be in the water such as swiiming, surfing, you will want to select a waterproof sunscreen. The difference resides in the amount of time you will be protected from the sun exposure while in the water. A waterproof sunscreen will be more effective and should normally last 60 to 90 min while a water resistant should last half that time.

Next thing you want to understand are the types of UV rays. There are two types: the UVA and UVB. Try to find a sunscreen that will cover both types of rays. It will be indicated on the tube or bottle and should be verified prior to purchasing a sunscreen. The difference in the types of rays that UVA are mostly responsible for the aging effect of the sun while the UVB are the one causing sunburns. Both can cause skin cancer and shouldn't be overlooked.

Like I said above, people will even buy sunscreen because they smell nice but that shouldn't be the dominating factor in purchasing a good sunscreen. be careful on possible allergies some may cause you. depending on the ingredients used in them, some suncreen may be allergenic to some people's skin and create rashes and itchy skin. One other part not to forget to protect is your lips. There are good sunscreen lip balm that will keep you lips moist while protecting them from the sun.

Bottom line of all this is to get a sunscreen which will protect your skin based on your activities for the day. i recommend buying two different SPF level and at least a SPF 15 as your lowest SPF level of sunscreen. I strongly disagree in buying  the oil one with an SPF 4 that makes your skin smell like a coconut tree. What you need is sun protection. Your skin will thank you when get back from the beach... In my next post, i will look at some of the efficient sunscreen out there which will make your skin soft, not oily and water resistant / water proof.