The sun is back and it's time to start thinking about UV protection. Conveniently, some day creams already provide a sun protection factor. But: brings something
Why is sun protection so important
You know the typical effects of sun rays on the skin. They create a complexion on the skin, but can immediately cause dry skin, redness, and sunburn. Even wrinkles and skin cancer in the long term.
Ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation) is to blame. Based on the wavelength, science distinguishes between the types of radiation UVA, UVB and UVC. The UVC rays from the sun do not make it to the earth's surface, which is why our skin only has to deal with the UVA and UVB rays.
UV radiation has a strong effect, its rays can penetrate deep into the dermis and cause a lot of damage:
- UV radiationdries out the skin.
- She causesredness and sunburn.
- skin cancer is also a consequence of UV radiation.
- arise through themfree radicalsthat weaken the connective tissue of the skin.
- As a result, the rays contribute toskin aging and wrinkling at.
Our skin protects itself to some extent by producing melanin. Melanin darkens the skin and is able to convert radiation into harmless heat. But even this self-protection has its limits: Depending on the skin type, the body's own sun protection only lasts a few minutes (for light skin types) to about an hour (for dark skin types).
In order not to endanger your skin in the first place, you should use oneSun protection with SPF50 apply in the form of sunscreen or suntan oil.
How does sun protection work with sun cream and sun oil
You can also protect your skin against UV radiation with sun oils or sun creams. They bring with them two mechanisms of action, namely mineral sun protection filters and chemical sun protection filters.
Titanium dioxide or zinc oxide are often used as mineral sun protection filters. The minerals physically protect the skin by reflecting the UV rays, i.e. sending them away from the skin.
This protection is very effective. However, it often leaves a white film on the skin and not everyone likes it. For this reason, sunscreens combine the mineral filters with chemical filters.
Chemical filters are able to convert UV radiation into heat and thereby render it harmless to the skin. The problem is, chemical sunscreens aren't always good for your skin or the environment. Organic filters such as Oxybenzone, Octocrylene and Octinoxate, for example, put a strain on coral reefs and are sometimes also hormonally effective. Unfortunately, it is precisely these substances that are used particularly frequently in sun creams.
Therefore our tip: Before you buy sunscreen or suntan oil, check the ingredients! You can do this, for examplecode check use.
Is the sun protection factor of my day cream enough for sun protection?
The function of a day cream is to moisturize your skin and provide it with important nutrients. This should protect your skin from the formation of wrinkles and make its contribution to anti-aging.
Sun creams and sun oils have a different task: They are supposed to protect your skin from UV radiation and therefore have UV filters in their formulation. Depending on the level of the sun protection factor, the proportion of UV-filtering substances can already make up a fifth of the recipe!
There are day creams or face creams that provide a sun protection factor. That sounds practical, after all the cream is supposed to protect against the dangers of UV radiation as well as against everyday skin aging factors.
The only problem is that the better an anti-aging cream is supposed to protect against UV rays, the less capacity it has for anti-aging factors. If 20 percent of the formula goes to UV protection, 20 percent is missing for the supply of moisturizing substances, valuable oils and important nutrients for the skin.
Can I use the sun protection factor of my skin cream as sun protection?
Unfortunately, in our opinion, the answer is yes.
Sunscreen and anti-aging creams have different functions and therefore different formulations. This starts with the cream base, which varies from case to case, and ends with the composition of the ingredients.
OneDay cream with SPF will protect your skin from UV rays and care for your skin to a limited extent, but will not develop the same anti-aging potential as a specialized face cream.
So it all depends on what you want good sun protection or one excellent anti-aging formulation
How do I protect my skin from wrinkles and also from the sun
What you should not forget: The best protection against UV rays is still shade.
Avoiding direct sun exposure is the best way to protect your skin. You can also use the nourishing day cream of your choice, wear a protective hat and sit in the cool shade under the parasol.
However, this comes with some restrictions: you should not aim for walks and sports in the sun and no summer tan.
So if you want to spend some time in the sun without sacrificing your anti-aging regimen or risking sunburn, here's what you can do:
Apply your nourishing day cream as usual and let it absorb well. Then apply your sunscreen with mineral filters for sun protection. This allows the nourishing ingredients of your face cream to penetrate the skin and unfold their effect, while the physical UV filters protect your skin against the radiation.
Incidentally, the order would be reversed with chemical UV filters: the chemical blockers have to penetrate the skin in order to be effective. A day cream would only get in the way. However, since the chemical filters are not always perfect for reasons of skin health and environmental compatibility, sunscreen with mineral filters seems to us to be the better choice.
Enjoy the sun and take good care of yourself! #staysober
Simon