The benefits of wearing sun cream/SPF (sun protection factor) have always been noted in the medical industry, but they have also taken the skincare world by storm over the past few years.
Discover our latest podcast
Despite a prevailing misconception that SPF only needs to be worn on days spent entirely outside, or only when sunny, to reap the many many skin and beauty benefits of wearing SPF, it needs to be worn everyday.
However, choosing a product to apply to your face everyday can be a difficult task, so we're here to make life a little easier with a guide to SPF!
Why you should wear SPF every day
In short, exposure to UV rays from the sun can harm your skin and increase its susceptibility to ageing. As well as being directly linked to skin cancer, when exposed to UV light, the skin's connective tissues become damaged over time, resulting in sagging skin and facial lines.
This means that without using SPF, all the effort you are putting into your skincare routine, especially if you are using preventative ageing ingredients like retinol, is for nothing. In fact, SPF is one of the best preventative ingredients against premature signs of ageing, and has been scientifically proven to delay the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots!
How to choose an SPF
There are two different types of SPF that you can choose between: chemical or physical. Chemical sunscreens are made to absorb, reflect, and transfer UV radiation into very little amounts of heat energy. Physical sunscreens, on the other hand, use tiny mineral particles to reflect and absorb UV rays (usually zinc oxide or titanium dioxide).
Deciding between these two formulas will depend on your skin type, skin tone, and other personal preferences like product consistency, budget, or environmental concerns. However, to reap the benefits of sun cream, be sure to choose one with a high SPF (between 30-50).
So how to choose? Well, chemical suncreams are widely accessible and available in various textures from fluids, to creams, to sticks, making them suitable for most skin tones and types.
Physical suncreams are better suited to those with sensitive skin (where chemical suncream may cause irritation) or oily skin, as they typically give a matte finish. However, some physical suncreams leave a slight white cast (a whitish appearance on the skin), making them unsuitable for darker skin tones.
At the end of the day, you might need to shop around to figure out your preferences, but remember the right sun cream is the one that you are happy wearing every day!
Sources used:
Beauty Bay: '5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD USE SPF EVERY DAY'
La Roche Posay: 'WHY YOU NEED TO WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY'
Read more:
⋙ Snail mucus could be one of the secrets to glowy skin
⋙ The 3 best skincare ingredients for acne-prone skin
⋙ Here's what you should avoid wearing for healthy skin, according to science
