(Post 013)
Make SPF your BFF - why applying sunscreen is not an option but a must
Prevention / 08•08•23
I learned the hard way. When I developed melasma I was not using sunscreen daily, I thought of it as something you only did when going to the beach. Long story short, I would slap on my glycolic acid in the morning and walk out the door, little did I know with no protection this was causing my skin to photosensitize and well, hyperpigment. It’s pretty common knowledge that wearing sunscreen is a good idea, but what might not be as widely known is WHY it’s so important. Our skin is the barrier that protects our internal organs from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation, but our skin needs protection from those UV rays too. The accumulation of cell damage over years of exposure can lead to the development of dark spots, wrinkles and even cancer. UV exposure can also – you guessed it! – trigger melasma flare-ups.
Regardless of whether you’re prone to melasma spots, dermatologists recommend the daily use of a topical product that contains SPF. You might not spend a lot of time in the sun most days, but the sun’s rays penetrate your skin even while indoors and this exposure can add up to significant negative impact on skin cells and the elastin and collagen that are essential for the maintenance of skin’s natural smoothness and elasticity. Skin aging is an inevitable fact of life, but it’s true that people who look decades younger have probably been applying their SPF religiously for most of their lives. On the other hand, people who experience premature aging, or photoaging, have probably spent an above-average amount of time outdoors without sunscreen or other protective barriers. Because of diminishing cell turnover your 20s and 30s are especially critical years when it comes to keeping skin safe from UV damage.
The daily application of sunscreen is one of the most effective ways to prevent a ton of skin issues including the biggest and scariest of all, the development of skin cancer, which affects 1 in 5 Americans by the age of 70. Layering a strong base SPF with other products containing sunscreen like moisturizer, BB cream, CC cream, primer, setting spray, etc. can also discourage the appearance of discolorations like sun or liver spots, which commonly develop on areas of the body most often exposed to UV rays – the face, head, hands, arms, and shoulders. And it can help to protect against surface and subcutaneous (under the skin) inflammation, a perk especially relevant to individuals who have skin conditions like psoriasis and rosacea, or who experience melasma and find that the patches become more distinct after spending time in the sun. I learned this first hand, only understanding the importance of SPF after it was too late and I got melasma.
Not just any sunscreen will offer the same protection. First, it’s crucial to look for a product denoted “broad spectrum,” as this indicates effectiveness in protecting the skin against both UVA and UVB rays and up to 97% of the harmful radiation from the sun. UVA rays make up about 95% of the radiation that penetrates the earth’s atmosphere. They contribute to wrinkles and sun spots, as well as skin cancer development. UVB rays produce sunburns and are linked to the formation of malignant melanomas, the type of skin cancer that appears as a black mole and can sometimes be deadly. So it should be pretty obvious why we want to block as many of these types of rays as possible, for many reasons beyond the prevention of dark spot flare-ups.
Another key factor in choosing a sunscreen product is the SPF (sun protection factor). No matter what number you choose, you’ll probably need to reapply throughout the day, but SPF 30 is the minimum number for full protection. SPF 50 or higher is ideal – but don’t make the mistake of thinking that a higher SPF number means you can spend a whole day in the sun without reapplying! If you’re spending several hours outside, I usually reapply sunscreen every two hours and when I’m swimming or sweating, reapply after you towel off.
Even when you limit your sunscreen search to only SPF 30+ products that offer broad-spectrum protection, there’s still an enormous number of options to choose from. My advice for finding one that works well with your skin is to try different samples from different brands. Sephora is great for this, or you can use a resource like the Environmental Working Group to find a “clean” sunscreen product.
The EWG evaluates thousands of products for efficacy and toxicity, providing ratings that highlight environmental safety, potentially harmful ingredients, and erroneous claims to help guide informed purchasing decisions. Their findings have determined that mineral sunscreens, which sit on top of the skin to prevent the penetration of UV rays and are made with active ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are safer than “chemical” sunscreens, which are absorbed into the skin and can be made with a number of ingredients that may cause allergic reactions or contribute to toxic buildup in the body.
To sum it all up: Daily sun protection is essential, and not all sunscreens are created equal. It might take some trial and error to find the product(s) that fits your lifestyle and plays nicely with your skin, but the long-term benefits for your skin health are so worth it. Already got your go-to’s? Tell me about them!
https://mahoneydermatology.com/5-important-reasons-to-wear-sunscreen-daily/
https://www.laroche-posay.com.au/article/why-you-need-to-wear-sunscreen-every-day
https://uihc.org/health-topics/what-difference-between-uva-and-uvb-rays
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/executive-summary/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-beauty/chemical-vs-mineral-sunscreen-whats-difference/
