Sun Care – Know What You’re Using

So its summer, you’re at the beach with your shades on and a cool drink in one hand or maybe at the park, lounging around on the grass dozing off. Sounds idyllic right, a world away from the chaos of your everyday life? But! Have you considered what’s happening to your (poor) skin while you’re enjoying the sun? In fact, are you even using sunscreen? Or are you like me, thinking that it isn’t that important and you can get away with it? Unfortunately, that’s not going to cut it! Let’s explore why.

UV rays

UV (Ultraviolet) rays from the sun can be categorized into two different groups, UVA (long-wave) and UVB (short-wave). Irrespective of this division, both wavelengths are capable of penetrating the atmosphere and causing dire effects on your well-being. These include premature skin aging, eye damage, skin cancers and suppressed immune activity. Let’s explore some of these in more depth.

Sunburn

It goes without saying that sunburn is an uncomfortable and painful experience. Unfortunately, it has no known cure; all you can do is apply soothing creams then wait (and pray) that your misery subsides quickly! But note, although the pain may disappear, prolonged exposure to UV rays can result in more than just a mild sunburn.

Skin cancer​

UV radiation damages your DNA which results in genetic mutations and in turn premature wrinkling or in more severe cases cancer. 

This man was a truck driver for over 28 years! As you can see, the skin on the left side of his face has a higher degree of wrinkling, thickening and sagging than his right. Why? Because, his left side had faced the window through which the sun had penetrated and damaged his elastic fibers. Conversely, his right side had been facing away from the window and the sun.

Fortunately, this man did not demonstrate signs of skin cancer. But, the WHO (World Health Organization) has stated that UV is a proven human carcinogen (i.e. cancer causing substance) and many experts claim that it plays a key role in melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancers. So, considering everything so far, sun care seems to be more than a luxury! It's a necessity!

Types of sunscreen

There are 2 different types of sunscreen, chemical and physical.

- Chemical products work by absorbing the sun’s rays. They contain organic (carbon-based) compounds such as oxybenxone, octinoxate and avobenzone. These cause chemical reactions that change the UV rays into heat which is then released from the skin. 

- Physical products contain mineral ingredients such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide which sit on your skin and deflect UV rays.

Though sunscreen has to be one or the other, it’s not to say that one is better than the other. Both have their own pros and cons and quite frankly I think it’s more important that you use one irrespective of the type.

Quick note: The easiest way to differentiate these products is by their ingredients.

SPF/PA

Have you ever wondered what SPF and PA meant? Well SPF refers to the products’ “Sun Protection Factor,” a measure of how well it will protect your skin against UVB rays. Similarly, PA or "Photo Aging" refers to how well the product will protect you against UVA rays. In both cases, the higher the value or the number of + the greater the amount of radiation filtered out.

Once sun damage occurs it’s irreversible! This means that prevention is the only way to go! So make sure you invest in a good sunscreen. It doesn’t matter what you choose but remember sunscreen does not last over 2 hours so be sure to reapply it on a regular basis to keep your skin looking vibrant and youthful!

And don’t worry if this seems like a daunting task! We’ve compiled a list of the best K-beauty suncare and soothing items for you to explore. Click here! 

Have a lovely summer everyone! ​​