Sunscreen 101: Everything You Need to Know About Sunscreen

Thursday, 21st October 2021

By Tam Kah Ee

(Image credit: Onela Ymeri/Unsplash.com)

Sunscreen should be worn religiously as it protects one from harmful UV rays which produce skin diseases, sunburn and premature aging.

Many have heard the importance of wearing sunscreen protection, yet there are still innumerable amounts of people who continue to forgo the sunscreen. But do you really know why it is necessary to wear sunscreen?

Two types of UV rays that comes from the sunlight.

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To get an idea of how sunscreen works, it is extremely important to understand what UV rays are. There are two types of harmful rays when it comes to sunlight and that is UVA (long-wave ultraviolet A) and UVB (short-wave ultraviolet B). What UVA rays do is that they can age the skin prematurely before one hits the age of 40. UVB rays damage the DNA in skin cells and are responsible for producing sunburn that can cause skin cancers. To differentiate the UVA and UVB, just remember that UV(A) is referred to as aging and UV(B) is referred to as burning.

Chemical sunscreen acts as ‘absorbers’ while physical sunscreen act as ‘reflectors’.

There are two most common types of sunscreen sold in the market and that is physical and chemical sunscreen. Physical sunscreen is also known as mineral sunscreen as their active ingredients literally contains minerals such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. They usually sit at the top of the skin that act as a physical barrier to block and reflect the UV rays before it reaches and penetrates into the skin. Whereas chemical sunscreen absorbs UV rays while converting the rays into heat and releases them from the body. The common type of active ingredients of a chemical sunscreen are Oxybenzone, Avobenzone as well as Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate.

Confusing, right?

To summarize, chemical sunscreen acts as ‘absorbers’, while physical sunscreen ‘reflectors’.

SPF30 sunscreen.

(Image credit: Wendy Wei/Pexels.com)

It is recommended to wear sunscreen at least SPF 30.

Moreover, it is recommended to wear sunscreen at least SPF 30. The SPF rating stands for Sun Protection Factor. The number beside the SPF rating indicates the measurement of how long one can be protected from the UV rays. For example, sunscreen with SPF 30 would take 30 times longer before getting a sunburn compared to no sunscreen at all.

Furthermore, choosing a sunscreen can be overwhelming when there is a variety of sunscreen to choose from the shelf. Therefore, it is important to look out for a label that says ‘broad-spectrum’ on the bottle itself. Broad spectrum can help prevent the UV rays from harming the skin. Besides that, some sunscreen bottles also do include PA+ ratings instead of broad spectrum. It can usually be found among Asian sunscreens, while broad spectrum ratings can be found among Europe sunscreens.

The recommended amount for applying sunscreen should be approximately 2mg of sunscreen per cm2 of skin to ensure an optimum protection. Not into mathematics? Try the 2-finger method for face coverage. Squeeze the product into a strip along the length of the index and middle finger.

2-finger method for face coverage.

(Image taken by the author)

Moreover, give some love to those neglected spots such as hairline, neck and ears by applying sunscreen over it as it is the most common prime spots for skin cancers and early aging. In addition, sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours especially spending time outdoors as rubbing and sweat can break down the effectiveness of sunscreen.

Everyone with any skin color has to wear sunscreen, nevertheless.

Always wear sunscreen, no matter you skin tone.

(Image credit: Tara Winstead/Pexels.com)

Some people may think it is unnecessary to wear sunscreen just because they have darker skin. However, that is not the case. Everyone with any skin color has to wear sunscreen, nevertheless.

Here’s why.

When it comes to sun exposure, it does provide a great deal of health benefits such as producing vitamin D and melatonin to the body. However, most people still have little to no knowledge about the downside of sun exposure. Hence, this is where sunscreen comes in handy. Studies have shown that applying sunscreen can prevent sunburn, skin cancers and premature aging. Without sunscreen, it would lead to getting an inflammatory reaction, also known as sunburn, which heightens the risk of getting skin cancers. Malignant Melanoma is the most common skin cancer, a lethal one, caused by UV rays’ exposure from tanning beds and sunlight. Furthermore, using sunscreen can avoid premature aging especially in their 20s and 30s. Signs of premature aging include pigmentations, fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration and so on which are all caused by damaged skin elastin and collagen from sun exposure. No wonder they say sunlight is the silent killer.

Don't skip the sunscreen.

(Image credit: Tara Winstead/Pexels.com)

Regardless of how good the quality of a sunscreen is, it is all about consistency at the end of the day as applying a sunscreen is better than no sunscreen.

However, that does not mean everyone should be avoiding the sun completely like a vampire, but a small amount of sunlight is more than enough. Furthermore, there are also some precautions needed to take before it is too late such as not wandering under the sun, wearing fabric protections over the skin and choosing the right sunscreen. Regardless of how good the quality of a sunscreen is, it is all about consistency at the end of the day as applying a sunscreen is better than no sunscreen. So next time when you’re preparing to go out under the sun without sunscreen, think again.