Sun Protection

Arguably the most important step in your daily routine, sunscreens or SPFs (Sun Protection Factor) are vital in the protection against the harmful damage of the sun’s rays. Broad spectrum SPF’s often will protect against both UVA and UVB, these harmful rays can cause our skin to burn or worse, lead to potential skin cancers. Some sunscreens will also be formulated with other additional benefits such as free radical neutralisers and blue light filters to protect from screens and artificial light that damage our skin.

Our Recommendation

We love Heliocare 360 for its unique formulations against broad spectrum UVA, UVB and visible light. Heliocare fractional biomimetic melanin is synthesised from plant-derived tyrosine which absorbs visible light without absorption into the skin. There are several products in the range suitable for all skin types and levels of protection.

What is a sunscreen?

Sunscreen aids in shielding the skin from the sun’s damaging rays. Sunscreens offer protection from both ultraviolet A and B radiation by reflecting, absorbing, and scattering both types of energy. Sunscreen-containing lotions, creams, and gels can help shield the skin from harm that could cause skin cancer and premature ageing.

UVA rays can cause premature skin ageing, wrinkles and age spots, whereas UVB rays are for tanning the skin, and are responsible for the burning we may experience.

Physical (mineral) sunscreen

These include the inorganic mineral compounds titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, that block and scatter the rays before they penetrate your skin.

Chemical

These include the organic minerals avobenzone and octisalate, which absorb the UV rays before they can damage the skin.

What is SPF?

The SPF on sunscreen bottles stands for “Sun Protection Factor” and states how well the sunscreen protects against UV radiation, called UVB. UVB rays cause sunburns and several types of skin cancers, and so protection of this is highly important!

Another type of radiation that SPF protects against is UVA radiation. This penetrates deeper into the skin and can cause premature wrinkling, fine lines, age spots and can heighten the risk of some cancers. A broad-spectrum sunscreen blocks against both UVA and UVB.

Using a sunscreen with an SPF between 15 and 50 is recommended every day, 365 days a year, to protect against the sun’s rays! It does not need to be warm or sunny outdoors for UV rays to damage your skin, so be sure to wear your sunscreen all year round.

Although, no SPF can block 100% of the UV rays, it is still very important to protect yourself, ideally with an SPF of 50, as this will give you longer protection against the UV rays. The number of SPF protection refers to roughly how long it will take for a person’s skin to become red when out in the sun. Sunscreen with a SPF of 50 will prevent your skin from becoming red for approximately 50 times longer than usual. However, as most people do not use enough sunscreen, or it rubs or washes off, it is important to reapply sunscreen within two hours regardless of its strength.