When we finally feel the hot sun after a long winter period, all we want is to be perfectly tanned. The next picture in our head is us who lie on the beach all day, read our favorite book, and wait for our skin to become darker. Perfect relaxing moments, right? However, experts advise that you shouldn’t relax too much during sun exposure. The skin is our largest organ that reflects our youth and beauty and therefore deserves all the necessary protection and care. Excessive exposure to UV rays can endanger the health of the skin and cause numerous diseases, ranging from burns to cancer. To be able to preserve health, and at the same time achieve the desired results, the cosmetics industry has found a solution and ensured the production of sunscreen.
Are sunscreens a reliable protection means? Which SPF factor should you use? How is it applied correctly? Do Sunscreens Prevent Tanning? These are all questions we will try to answer in this article. We believe that you have a lot of questions related to this topic, but that the different answers of acquaintances and friends confuse you. Let’s check what is really true.
The animosity between UV radiation and the skin
The negative effect of UV radiation is well known to everyone. This radiation is one of the basic components of solar radiation and UVA, UVB, and UVC are its forms. UVC rays move in the direction of the atmosphere and remain absorbed there. Therefore, they don’t affect humans. On the other hand, the same cannot be said for UVA rays, which cause changes in the skin and lead to premature aging. UVB rays are considered the most harmful for us and they are the causes of various diseases.
The higher harmfulness of UVB is explained by the shorter wavelength compared to UVA and they don’t have as much power of deep skin penetration, but affect the surface layer, endangering DNA and causing larger and smaller burns, depending on the length of exposure. UVA rays have a higher penetrating power, thanks to the longer wavelength and thus endanger the secretion of collagen, which leads to aging.
Every woman has a goal to look youthful for as long as she can. Also, a sunburned body doesn’t look nice and the pain is terrible. That’s why it’s very important to provide all the necessary UV protection on hot summer days. There is a permissible length of exposure to these rays during the day, and at a specific time. These instructions should be followed to avoid consequences.
Which SPF is recommended?
When you take sunscreen from the shelf in the store, you should pay attention to the sun protection factor. This number indicates the ability of the product to protect your skin from side effects during prolonged exposure to UV rays. For example, a factor of 30 means that you can be exposed to 30 times more radiation if you apply the cream, compared to how long you can be exposed without it. But you must not rely entirely on it because the intensity of the radiation can be different today and in a week.
Which factor will be ideal for you depends on how long you spend sunbathing. If that’s really a lot in your case, you should consider a bigger factor. Dermatologists recommend daily use of sunscreen with SPF 30. According to some research, it allows the penetration of only 3% of UVB rays.
In case of a longer stay in the sun, you can also consider a factor of 50. The next question that arises is whether SPF 50 prevents tanning? Research has shown that SPF 15 prevents 93.4% of UVB rays from reaching you, SPF 30 allows the skin to absorb 3.3%, and SPF 50 allows the skin to absorb 1.9% of harmful rays. Since no factor has the power to block 100% of radiation, you can still tan, even with SPF 50.
Is tanning prevented by these sunscreens?
This is a question that worries many ladies who want the perfect summer tan. Well, let’s see if using sunscreen can make the hours spent in the sun wasted.
This fact is true, but only to some extent. All creams intended for this purpose contain various molecules, some of which repel and some absorb UV rays. An example of an absorber molecule is octisalate, and a reflector molecule is, for example, titanium dioxide. Therefore, some of them provide you with all the necessary protection, while others allow the radiation to reach where you do not want.
Precisely because there is no 100% effective type of protection, but at least 1% of UV rays find their way to your skin, you can still tan. On the other hand, you can never determine the exact amount of cream you need. As a result, a lot more sunlight can touch your skin than you think.
On the other hand, you can forget to apply sunscreen often enough. This may result in less absorption than you expect. So, the cream is not effective in 100% of cases because of some things you cannot predict. This leaves the space for tanning that all ladies want so much. But, to a certain extent, it still prevents the color from becoming more chocolate
Make sure you apply sunscreen properly
You may now be confused and think, “Come on, is there really any science behind applying suntan lotion?” But trust us, the proper technique is crucial. In addition to proper technique, the brand you use is very significant. DeListProduct believes that finding a great brand at an affordable price with lots of active ingredients that guarantee the quality of protection of your skin is the most important step towards success. Once you provide that, the moment is to change the technique.
The basic mistake that many people make is skipping certain parts of the body. It’s not hard to understand that when you get out of the water, you just want to lie down on a towel and enjoy yourself. But, to preserve your health, do not rush and dedicate a few minutes to proper application.
Remember that when you get out of the water, it’s time for the second layer. You should have applied the first layer before entering the sea or pool. So, more layers = better protection. Don’t forget the smaller parts of the body, such as the ears, the neck, as well as the parts that suffer from skin damage and that require stronger protection.
There is no doubt that by following the prescribed rules, you can get the perfect tanning formula you want, and protect your health at the same time.
