Which Sunscreen Is Right For Me?

Which sunscreen is right for you? The one you use!

As skin specialists we value sun protection a lot! It truly is an amazing product in terms of the long term benefits to your skin including preventing abnormal pigmentation, collagen weakening, dermal thinning and wrinkling. With so many on the market it can be tricky figuring out which one is best for you.

There are two types of sunscreens available; chemical and physical. Don’t be afraid of the word chemical, everything is a chemical and physical sunscreens contain chemicals, too – even water can be written as dihydrogen monoxide. Whichever you prefer, make sure you select a product that is a broad spectrum sunscreen; blocking both UVA and UVB rays.

Physical

A physical sunscreen protects you by sitting on the surface of the skin to block and scatter UV rays. Most commonly this is achieved with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Luckily you can choose this option without having to look like a cricketer with white zinc over your face these days as the particles are now microscopic.

As the product sits on the skin and does not absorb it is great for people with a sensitive skin. This nature can also make them problematic for people with acne prone skin unless they are thoroughly removed afterwards.

Chemical

A physical sunscreen sinks into the skin and from there it absorbs UV rays before they can damage the dermis.

SPF
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and represents the time it would take for your skin to redden when exposed to UVB. So if your skin would burn after 1 minute on a particular day, an SPF 30+ would increase that time to 30 minutes. A high SPF is important, however the difference in protection between the individual higher levels isn’t significant; SPF 30 blocks nearly 97% of UVB radiation, SPF 50 blocks about 98%*.

Keep in mind that the UVA protection is not mentioned on a label. To classified as Broad Spectrum, the performance of the sunscreen against UVA must be at least 1/3 of the SPF number. Remember also that UVA penetrates through glass and exposure during driving or sitting by your office window all day may be high.

It’s important to remember that the SPF is also dependent on correct application. Many people don’t use enough sunscreen or don’t reapply it often enough. The Cancer Council recommends one teaspoon (5ml) for each arm, leg, body front, body back, and face (including neck and ears) applied 20 minutes before sun exposure. That equates to 35ml for one adult – an entire tube of some travel sunscreens.

Read your sunscreen packaging to find out the suggested reapplication time for that product, remembering that sweat, water and towel drying will shorten the time indicated.

Controversy

Absorption of active ingredients – there is some absorption of organic compounds into the body, but more recent studies suggest that this occurs very little at typical sunscreen dosages; minerals including nanoparticulate zinc and titanium are not absorbed.

Skin cancer prevention – it is recognised that sunscreen use may be associated with less care in other UV prevention such as hat wearing, or staying out of the sun; overall though it is clear that sunscreens reduce cancer risk.

Sunscreen and Vitamin D levels – this issue has not been entirely resolved, but most evidence points to only a small effect on our serum vitamin D level.

Makeup

Jane Iredale formulated her first SPF mineral makeup more than 25 years ago at a time when sunscreen in makeup was not common. If the idea of rubbing a sunscreen all over your makeup makes reapplication unlikely, then a mineral makeup like PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation that you can brush over your face as a touch up of both sunscreen and coverage is an attractive solution.

Top Tips

• Choose a sunscreen you like the smell and feel of – you’re more likely to reapply it if you do
• Avoid the sun between 11am – 2pm when the UV rating is at it’s highest
• Cover up! Wear a long sleeved shirt, a hat and sunglasses and stay in the shade where possible
• Check the expiry date – expired sunscreen loses it’s efficacy

Recommended products

Aspect Physical Sun Protection SPF 50+
Aspect Hydrating Face SPF 50+
La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+
Cetaphil Sun SPF 50+ Kids Liposomal Lotion