Summer Skin Tip: How To Choose The Right Sunscreen
It goes without saying that sunscreen is one of the most important essentials one must have this summer. In addition to protecting our skin from the harmful rays of the sun and accompanying diseases, it also helps us achieve that healthy-looking tan. It is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to protect your skin this summer. However, with the wide range of sunscreen options on the market today, choosing one could be quite overwhelming for some. So to keep things simple, let me share with you some tips on how to choose the right sunscreen for your skin.
1. Make sure the sunscreen you buy has these ingredients: zinc oxide, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, and sulisobenzone. These ingredients offer full spectrum protection, which means that they block both UVA and UVB rays. Always choose a sunscreen that is effective against both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light. Most sunscreens only offer protection against UVB rays, so be careful and read the label carefully. Your sunscreen should block both UVA and UVB rays.
2. If you plan to spend more than 4 hours in the sun, choose a sunscreen that offers a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more. Note that the SPF number only indicates how effective the sunscreen is against UVB light.
3. Choose your sunscreen based on your activities and lifestyle. For example, if you plan to do a lot of water sports and sweaty activities this summer, you should choose a waterproof sunscreen. Most, if not all, sunscreens lose their effectiveness to some extent when the skin is submerged in water. Water-resistant sunscreens have ingredients that help the product adhere to the skin. But keep in mind that even if you use a waterproof sunscreen, you need to reapply it every hour or so to make sure you stay protected.
4. Like any beauty product, if you have oily or acne-prone skin, choose a sunscreen that has an oil-free base so it won’t clog your pores. There are a host of sunscreens to suit different skin types, so choose accordingly.
5. If you are the type of person allergic to all kinds of things, it is best to choose a sunscreen without PABA. Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) is known to cause allergic reactions in some people. Therefore, people with allergies should stick with PABA-free sunscreens to avoid attacks.