Keeping Your Skin Covered With SPF Sunscreen

SPF sunscreen should be on top of your shopping list if you don’t already have some

The weather is glorious right now in England, we have had such nice sunshine and it is expected to last a couple of weeks

With the sun being so hot we need to make sure we are looking after our skin and keeping it covered with SPF sunscreen

SPF sunscreen is not just for when you are vacation and you will still get a tan wearing it

Keeping your skin covered with SPF sunscreen needs to be a part of your daily routine, especially during Summer months

A few daily moisturiser such as Elizabeth Arden great 8 already contain SPF, but most don’t

SPF Sunscreen

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It is a measure of how well protected you will be from the the UVB rays from the sun. UVB and UVA rays are the rays that cause sun burn and damage to our skin, as well as contribute to skin cancers. UV stands for ultra-violet

The higher the SPF the higher the protection for your skin

For example, SPF 30 will block half the radiation that an SPF 15 would let through to your skin

Skin Types

Each skin type has a different tolerance to the sun and burns at different levels

Light to fair skin is likely to burn within 5 – 10 minutes. Medium to Dark skin in more likely to burn in 15-20 minutes. These are both still very short lengths of time to be exposed to the sun and not be wearing SPF and cause skin damage

This image below will give you an idea of how the sunscreen factors protect

Image source

Which SPF to use

The best way to explain the number factors would be SPF 15 would take you 15 times longer to burn or redden in the sun. SPF 30 would take you 30 times longer to burn and so on

Most dermatologists recommend using a SPF 30 sunscreen on all adult skin types

SPF 30 blocks nearly 97% of UVB radiation. SPF 50 blocks about 98%, and SPF 100 blocks about 99%

There isn’t a huge difference once you get above SPF 30 hence this being the recommended

The main things is to make sure your sunscreen covers broad-spectrum, as this means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays

Application

There are liquids, gels and mists all with SPF in them. Use what type of formula is best for you

It is recommended that sunscreen is re-applied every 2 hours to have the best continuous protection

Apply generously, as it is thought that the average adult body would need about an ounce to be totally covered in SPF

Keep safe in the sun

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