Why is wearing a SPF so important?
As a skincare expert I know that it is really important to wear SPF50 every single day and all year round. It doesn't matter where you live, if you reside in the mostly rainy UK or the sizzling outbacks of Australia please apply sunscreen.
Not only does the hot sun, but just UV daylight AGES OUR SKIN.
So if you want to keep your skin healthy, youthful and want to avoid premature ageing, sagging, wrinkly, leathery skin and pigmentation then please apply sunscreen every day!
There is only a certain amount I can help you with in the salon to reverse signs of sun damage and premature ageing the rest is up to you!
'Even if this is the only thing you do for your skin, make it sunscreen'
What is our skin and what does it do?
Our skin is the largest organ of our body and is a very complex but remarkable biological structure.
Our Skin protects our internal organs from external harm, regulates temperature by sweating to cool us and constricting or dilating blood flow through our vessels near its surface and helps us sense the environment with nerve ending for touch, pain, pressure and temperature alerts protecting us for physical injury.
Our skin acts as a first line of defence and barrier against bacteria, disease and viruses. Our skin uses UV light for the production of vitamin D for bone health. Also our skin helps to keep essential water and hydration within the body to prevent water loss and water penetration keeping us waterproof.
'So it is really important to look after our skin and help our skin on 'it's mission' to keep us well and health'
How does the Sun affect our skin?
The sun’s rays or UV radiation causes both short term and long term effects on our skin. The sun radiates UVA and UVB rays, these rays act differently on our skin and penetrate the skin at different levels.
Ultraviolet A
UVA waves penetrate to the deep layers of the skin reaching the dermis this is the layer beneath the surface. UVA exposure also generates (reactive oxygen species) known as (ROS), which cause oxidative stress, resulting in cellular damage, DNA mutations, and the breakdown of the skin's structure leaded to damage to collagen and elastin fibres.
The breakdown of the skin's structure leads to premature skin ageing, including wrinkles, sagging, and loss of elasticity. UVA rays can pass through windows and clouds, meaning exposure occurs all year round, even on cloudy days or indoors near windows or in the car.
Overtime, these effects contribute not only to visible ageing, but also to an increased risk of skin cancers, as UVA can induce genetic changes in skin cells.
Ultraviolet B
UVB rays primarily affect the outermost layers of the skin, known as the epidermis. When skin is exposed to UVB, it can cause immediate effects such as suntan, sunburn, redness, and in severe cases blistering.
UVB rays have enough energy to directly damage the DNA in skin cells, leading to mutations that increase the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma. This DNA damage also triggers an inflammatory response, resulting in the classic symptoms of sunburn, and can activate cell death pathways in severely damaged cells, forming so-called “sunburn cells”
Over time, repeated or excessive UVB exposure can cause the skin to thicken as a protective response and may lead to chronic conditions like actinic keratosis.
Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common form and typically appears as a pearly or flesh-coloured bump, usually on sun-exposed areas like the face and neck, it grows slowly and rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
It may also present as a sore that doesn’t heal or as a lesion with visible blood vessels and a central indent that can crust or bleed. While BCC grows slowly and rarely spreads, it can become locally invasive, damaging surrounding tissues and causing disfigurement if left untreated.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
Squamous Cell Carcinoma is the second most common type and often presents as a red, scaly, or crusted bump or patch, it can invade deeper layers of the skin and, if untreated, may spread to other tissues.
It can also develop from pre-cancerous lesions called actinic keratoses, which are dry, scaly patches caused by sun damage. SCC is more likely than Basal Cell Carcinoma to grow deeper into the skin and can spread to other parts of the body if not treated promptly, making it more severe than BCC.
Melanoma
Melanoma is less common but far more aggressive, developing from pigment-producing cells called melanocytes (these are the cells that turn brown to protect its self- suntan) it often appears as a new or changing mole with irregular borders and multiple colours, and it can spread rapidly to other organs if not caught early.
This type is much more likely to spread quickly to lymph nodes and other organs, making early detection and treatment critical for survival.
Early detection and treatment are crucial for all types of skin cancer, as outcomes are much better when skin cancer is found at an early stage.
Take Action
If you have a lesion, mole or spot on your skin that has appeared, changed, grown, bleeds, crusty and will not heal please contact your GP and raise your concern and ask to be referred to a Dermatologist. It is always a great idea to take photos of the lesion to help you notice any changes.
How does Sun Protection Factor (SPF) work?
SPF sunscreens protect your skin by using active ingredients that either absorb or reflect the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation before it can damage your skin cells.
Key Ingredients
Chemical filters, such as avobenzone and octinoxate, which absorb UV rays and convert them into harmless energy.
Physical blockers, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which sit on the skin’s surface and reflect or scatter UV rays away.
What does SPF 50 mean?
The SPF number on a sunscreen bottle stands for Sun Protection Factor (SPF) a measure of the level of protection provided by the sunscreen, indicating how much longer you can stay in the sun without burning while wearing the product compared to unprotected skin.
For example, SPF 50 means it would take 50 times longer to burn, SPF 30 means it would take 30 times longer to burn.
So say it normally takes you 10mins to burn without wearing sun protection, wearing a SPF30 theoretically means you could stay in the sun for up to 300 minutes = 5 hours (10x 30SPF)
Say it normally takes you 10mins to burn without wearing sun protection, wearing a SPF50 theoretically means you could stay in the sun for up to 500 minutes = 8.3 hours (10x 50SPF)
But please take in to consideration, while on holiday in somewhere like Dubai when the sun is stronger and the temperature is 38 celsius you won't really know how long you could stay out in that weather without burning! Probably only 5minutes depending on your skin colour, sensitivity and how much exposure you have already had.
So say in 38 Celsius it would take you 5mins to burn without wearing sun protection, wearing a SPF30 means you could stay in the sun for up to 150 minutes = 2.5 hours (5x 30SPF)
Lower than SPF30
Lower SPF like a SPF10 or SPF15 or lower are not effective enough to protect you, unless you are re-apply every 15/30 minutes which is not sustainable and imagine how many tubes of sunscreen you would get though, please always stick to SPF30 and above, no less.
While higher SPF values offer greater protection against sunburn and UV damage, no sunscreen blocks 100% of UV rays, so it is really important to re-apply your sun protection very regularly and additional sun protection measures are still very necessary.
I suggest you re-apply your SPF every 1 to 2 hours while having continuous exposure to the sun. Later in this blog I will go into more detail how to apply your sun protection effectively.
How to correctly apply SPF
It is really important to apply you Sun Protection products correctly and effectively to get the best results from your SPF, and prevent any skin cell damage, burning and signs of ageing to your skin.
Here are my tips to apply your SPF correctly
1. If you are looking to really protect yourself from the UV rays I suggest you please wear an SPF50 or SPF30 no less.
2. Always look for a broad-spectrum protection on the bottle this means it will protect you form all the rays UVA and UVB
3. Always check the expiry date on your SPF and only use if it is in date and keep your product in a cool place.
4. Always apply 20mins before you even expose your skin to the sun, this is to allow the product to be fully absorbed into your skin and ready to start working. I suggest that you apply your first application in your hotel room before leaving. Do not apply your first application while sitting on your sun bed. Your skin will already have been exposed to the UV rays and your skin could have started to burn already.
5. You should be applying 1 teaspoon amount of SPF for your face, neck and chest to be fully protected. Many of us do not apply enough SPF to our skin to achieve proper protection.
6. You should be applying 30ml's of SPF for an adult body to be fully protected.
7. Re-apply your SPF everywhere every 1 to 2 hours or as needed. You need to re-apply another layer of SPF before your last layer is running low.
8. Layering SPF can help you to achieve the correct amount of product applied to keep you protected. For example, Face cream SPF50 and then a primer with SPF30 and then a layer of foundation powder with a SPF30 over the top and finish with a SPF lip balm.
9. There are many different types of SPF products from creams, sprays and even powders so use which ever is more comfortable on your skin.
10. Don't forget to apply to your hands, feet, ears, head and even under your clothes as the sun's UV can and will go through many fabrics.
11. Always re-apply your sunscreen after being in water, either the pool, showering or sweating.
12. Don't forget to protect your lips, especially if you suffer from cold sores. Cold sores can be triggered by the sun's damaging rays. Use a SPF lip balm or make sure your are applying your face SPF over your lips too.
Other ways to help protect your skin from UV rays
1. Protect your eyes by wearing large good quality sunglasses, look for labelling stating the eye protection factor and European CE mark that indicates a safe level of protection. If you wear spectacles I would suggest you get prescription sunglasses as they are a game changer. Ensure your glasses fit and wrap around your eyes.
2. Protect your scalp form burning by wearing a big hat with a wide brim and shades your face, neck and ears, or apply SPF to your head, hair parting and through your hair.
3. Stay out of the sun particularly during the peak UV hours 11am-3pm.
4. Wear protective clothing and keep covered up.
My favourite SPF products
Dermalogica Protection Sport SPF50
The Protection 50 Sport SPF50 is Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, Broad Spectrum sun protection for face and body. This sheer solar protection treatment defends against prolonged skin damage from UV light and environmental assault.
Oleosome microspheres help enhance SPF performance and counteract moisture loss triggered by extended daylight exposure. Lightweight formula helps neutralise damage and bind moisture to skin without a greasy after-feel. BUY HERE
"I love the Protection 50 Sport body and face SPF and I will not travel without it, it feels so nice on my skin and the water resistants is great for popping in and out of the pool"
Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense SPF30
Invisible Physical Defense SPF30 is an Invisible, weightless defence that blends easily on skin, featuring only non-nano Zinc Oxide.
Say goodbye to thick, white residue with this physical SPF formula that provides added blue light protection and helps soothe away the effects of environmental aggressors.
Bio-active Mushroom Complex helps soothe skin, and reduce UV-induced redness and dryness. Antioxidant Green Tea helps defend skin against free radical damage. Ideal for all skin types, including sensitive. BUY HERE
"Invisible Physical Defense face SPF30 is perfect for popping in your beach bag and re-applying on holiday it really is weightless and feels so nice on my skin"
Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF30
Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery is a broad Spectrum moisturiser that helps combat the appearance of skin ageing. Help minimise the appearance of skin ageing with this medium-weight, emollient daily moisturiser with Broad Spectrum SPF50.
Antioxidant White Tea, rich in polyphenols, and a unique polypeptide help improve the appearance of photo-aged skin. Active sunscreens protect against UVA and UVB rays. Blends smoothly over skin for a perfect finish. BUY HERE
"Dynamic Skin Recovery is one of my top sellers. This moisturiser has a highly protective SPF50, so you can feel confident that your skin is protected against premature skin ageing from sun damage and environmental stress. Suitable for all skin types aged 25+ who want to prevent ageing, keeping their skin protected and hydrated for your every day protection"
Where to buy?
I have a whole page dedicated to sun protection products CLICK HERE to find out more.
Summary
Everyone should be wearing a SPF30 or SPF50 every morning no matter what the country, season or the weather to prevent signs of premature ageing like pigmentation, sun spots, wrinkles, sun damage, and most importantly Skin Cancer.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog - The Importance of wearing sunscreen. I hope you have found this blog informative and I hope it has encouraged you to make sure you are looking after your skin and protecting it correctly everyday and in the sun.
If you have any questions or comments please leave a message below.