What kind of sunscreen is good for your skin? What are the important criteria for choosing a sunscreen and what should we consider to prepare a suitable sunscreen?
For many of you, comparing two or more sunscreens is complicated and confusing, and choosing one of them will definitely challenge you. Although choosing the most suitable sunscreen is an important task, the correct use of sunscreen is also very important, and the correct use of sunscreen is even more important, which many of us do not know properly. So before going to the beach or being exposed to the sun, learn these two principles about sunscreens.
What is the best sunscreen?
Sunscreens protect your skin from harmful UV or ultraviolet rays in two ways. Some of them reflect and reflect sunlight and prevent it from reaching your skin, while others absorb light and prevent it from reaching your skin. Until several years ago, choosing the right sunscreen meant choosing a sunscreen with a higher sun protection factor or SPF, which actually indicated the level of protection of that sunscreen against a cancer-causing ray, i.e. UVB.
In fact, the definition of SPF is “the amount of skin protection against UVB rays only”. However, extensive studies have shown that ultraviolet A or UVA rays are also carcinogenic and increase the risk of skin cancer. But UVA will not cause you sunburn and will only penetrate your skin and cause wrinkles. Even according to the statistics of the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 90% of skin changes caused by aging are caused by exposure to harmful UVA rays throughout life.
New broad-spectrum sunscreens:
Which is the best sunscreen for you? Naturally, you want a broad-spectrum sunscreen with multiple protection against both UVB and UVA. The contents of such broad-spectrum sunscreens usually include benzophenones (oxybenzene), cinnamates (octyl methyl cinnamate and sinoxat), sulisobenzene, salicylate, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzene (Parsol 1789) and ecamsol (Mexoril SX).
1- Sunscreen with SPF more than 15:
SPF or UVB protection factor indicates how resistant the sunscreen is to sunburn caused by UVB. For example, if you usually get sunburned within 10 minutes when exposed to the sun, using a sunscreen with a protection rating against the sun or SPF equal to 15 will increase this time by 15 times, that is, after 150 minutes of exposure to the sun, You will get sunburned.
For most people, SPF 15 is suitable, but people with more sensitive skin, people with a family history of skin cancer, or a history of diseases such as lupus that increase sensitivity to sunlight should use sunscreens with SPF 30 and above. Keep in mind that the higher the SPF of the sunscreen, the less beneficial this increase will be! Contrary to your opinion, SPF 30 will not be twice as effective or protect against UVB as SPF 15, a sunscreen with SPF 15 filters approximately 93% of UVB from the sun, while a sunscreen with SPF 30 filters approximately 97% of UVB. UVB will filter out sunlight.
2- Sunscreen with protection against UVA rays:
Currently, there is no exact standard to measure and compare how good a sunscreen is in protecting against UVA. But you can achieve noteworthy results by being precise in the contents of a sunscreen:
Look for a sunscreen with the following ingredients:
ECAMSULE ECAMSULE, AVOBENZONE, OXYBENZONE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, SULISOBENZONE and ZINC OXIDE. Each of these ingredients helps your skin protect against UVA.
Ecamsol:
A newly known and approved composition protecting against UVA, which also has a relatively high price.
Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide:
Much cheaper options for protection against UVA that have existed in sunscreen compounds since the olden days. Although in the past they made the face look dull and pale, new methods have solved these problems.
3- Water and sweat resistant sunscreen:
If you plan to exercise or be in the water, it is worth using a sunscreen that is resistant to water and sweat. The US Food and Drug Administration or FDA says that a water-resistant sunscreen can be applied after 40 minutes of exposure to water. Maintain your SPF level. Very Water Resistant is a sunscreen that maintains its SPF level after being in water for 80 minutes. These sunscreens are not WATERPROOF and need to be renewed at certain intervals.
4- Sunscreen from a brand you like:
Even if all experts recommend a brand to you, if you don’t like that brand, you won’t use it. Personal experience is very important.
5- Child-friendly sunscreen:
The sensitive skin of babies and children is easily irritated by the chemical content in adult sunscreens. Avoid buying sunscreens containing PABA or PARA AMINO BENZOIC ACID as well as benzophenones such as deoxybenzene, oxybenzene and soliisobenzene for your children and babies. Children’s sunscreens contain less irritating compounds such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which unlike chemical compounds do not harm the skin of babies and children.
6- Sunscreen suitable for sensitive skin and skin problems:
People with sensitive skin or diseases such as rosacea also benefit more from using sunscreens for children or similar to children. These people, like children, should refrain from buying sunscreens containing PABA or PARA AMINO BENZOIC ACID, as well as benzophenones such as deoxybenzene, oxybenzene, and sulisobenzene. Also, these people should not use sunscreens containing alcohol, perfume, and preservatives. do
