Protecting your skin from the summer sun’s harsh UV rays is something you don’t want to neglect. Even heavily melanated people should wear sunscreen to protect their skin from the sun’s harsh rays. The ultraviolet light can cause serious damage to your skin. Overexposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause premature signs of aging such as wrinkles, a reduction in skin elasticity, dry appearance, liver spots and actinic keratosis. Overexposure to the sun is also listed as the leading cause of skin cancer.
Take time to protect your skin from the harsh summer sun.
There are some simple steps you can take to avoid the harmful effects of the sun has on your skin.
- Make wearing a sunscreen a part of your day-to-day beauty regimen.
- Avoid the sun between the times of 10am and 3 pm. The ultraviolet rays (that cause sunburn) are strongest during this time.
- Wear protective clothing and sunglasses that filter through UV light.
The safest sunscreens have roughly 4 qualities that you want to look for. According to Sfenvironment.org you should look for the following things in a sunscreen.
Safer Sunscreen (Sunblock) Guidelines
Reduce the amount of sunscreen you need in the first place. Staying in the shade and wearing hats and clothes like long sleeves that cover you are great ways to protect your skin this summer. Consider wearing fabrics like loose cotton or linen, these materials will help keep you cool while protecting you from the sun.
Look for these qualities to find the safest and most effective sunscreen.
Check the label for products that are lotion-based (instead of spray), water-resistant, and are broad-spectrum (protect from both UVA and UVB rays).
Look for products that do not come in aerosol containers, since you can potentially inhale the product chemicals when sprayed.
Look for mineral based sunscreens such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These block UV rays better than chemical sunscreens, and have less adverse health and environmental effects.
Check the ingredient label and try to avoid products that:
1. Contain Oxybenzone or Octinoxate, which are hormone disrupting chemicals and are known to cause damage to coral reefs.
2. Contain Vitamin A (also known as retinyl palmitate or retinol) which may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions.
3. Contain methylparaben or ethylparaben (also known as parabens) or fragrance. Parabens are a class of chemicals that may have estrogenic activity (can affect your hormones) and may also react with UVB rays, resulting in DNA damage.
Information sourced from:
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/anatomyvideos/000125.htm
https://sfenvironment.org/
