Sun Lovin’ the Safe Way!

“Who Should Use Sunscreen?”

Everyone.
The only exception would be babies 6 months or younger… then check with your doctor.
When used as directed, sunscreen is proven to decrease your risk of skin cancers and skin precancers. Apparently even an SPF 15 can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by about 40% and lower your melanoma risk by 50% !
And not for nothing, it also helps prevent premature skin aging including wrinkles, sagging and age spots.

“When should I use sunscreen?”

Daily. All year long. This is advised by organizations like the American Academy of Dermatology. Harmful UV rays are emitted year-round, and according the the World Health Organization and other sources and maybe even by your own experience, sun damage can happen even on a cloudy day and even through the window of your car while you are driving around! Up to 80% Of the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate your skin on a cloudy day.

For adults, the AAD recommends applying one ounce of sunscreen to cover the exposed parts of your body.

And for both kids and adults, apply 15 minutes before sun exposure and then, whether you are swimming or not, whether you are sweating or not, reapply every 2 hours! If you are swimming or massively sweating, then reapply when you’re out of the water or once you towel off.

“What KIND of sunscreen do I use?”

Cream or lotion is better than a spray on, if you have a choice. According to dermatologists, with a spray, you might not be getting a good enough layer.
Either way, you want it to be Broad Spectrum.
Broad spectrum means it’s protecting you from both UVAs and UVBs, cuz turns out, there are multiple ways the sun’s rays can harm you.

“What are these UV ray things?”

UV light, short for ultraviolet light, is invisible to humans because it has shorter wavelengths than the light we CAN see. And within that spectrum, the UV spectrum, there are 2 types of rays that can damage the actual DNA in your skin cells which is what can lead to skin cancer. And it’s important to protect your skin from BOTH types, UVB & UVA.

UVB rays are the ones that cause sunburn. These are the ones that play a role in developing skin cancer.
UVA rays are the ones that cause skin damage like skin aging and wrinkles. These are the rays, too, that can penetrate glass.

I want to take a second here to point out Visible Light because this too, penetrates your skin, and the blueish part that penetrates produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), also know as free radicals.
Why are these bad? Free radicals or ROS cause inflammation and damage to the DNA in skin cells.

Lastly, don’t forget Infrared rays. Infrared rays penetrate deeper into your skin. They are also invisible to the eyes, though you can sometimes feel it as heat. These rays can also generate those free radicals I was talking about.

“What is SPF?”

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor.
The number tells you how long the sun’s UVB rays would take to redden your skin if you apply as directed. So, if you use an SPF 30 product properly, it would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you used no sunscreen.

“So what SPF should I be using?”

SPF 15 or higher.
If you are spending a lot of time outdoors, especially if it’s when the sun in strongest between 10am and 2pm, then you need an SPF 30 or higher.

And in case you were wondering… you canNOT get a higher SPF by adding the SPFs from 2 bottles. For example… SPF 30 + SPF 15 does not equal SPF 45. It would just be the amount of the highest number, in this example, it would just be SPF 30.

Now this is important… no matter if you are wearing SPF 15 or SPF 60, you still need to reapply every 2 hours. You don’t get extra time by wearing a higher SPF.

It wasn’t until the early ‘80s that The Skin Cancer Foundation raised awareness in the US about the concept of SPF as a way to protect against UVB rays. They created a Seal of Recommendation as a guide to shoppers and set SPF 15 as the minimum standard. This was revolutionary because up until then your choices were “Suntan” lotion and “dark tanning” oil with very little protection.

It wasn’t until 2011 that a Seal of Recommendation was added for UVA rays which is when people started getting serious about using “Broad Spectrum” sunscreens.

“Mineral or Chemical?
And What’s the difference?”

Some refer to mineral as “Physical” sunscreen. And that’s really the 1st difference.
Mineral sunscreens provide a physical barrier on the top of your skin. Both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Oxide are used. It sits on the skin and deflects the rays of the sun. Interestingly, it does NOT block your pores though! And Mineral Sunscreen is best for sensitive skin.

Chemical sunscreen works like a sponge. It absorbs the sun’s rays so they don’t penetrate Your skin. They are easier to rub into your skin and don’t have a white residue.

Mineral is recommended over chemical because it’s safer and better for the environment, but bottom line, just use SPF.

“What is Reef Safe and Why?”

If you are headed to Hawaii, you will need something like Arbonne because Hawaii is now requiring “Reef Safe” sunscreen. “Reef Safe” means it doesn’t contain chemicals (as some cause coral bleaching), but also that the zinc-oxide and titanium dioxide minerals are non-nano (aren’t broken into smaller bits, which if they were, could be ingested by marine life).

“If I wear too much sunscreen, will I get enough Vitamin D?”

According to most sources, No. The AAD does say it may decrease your skin’s production of Vitamin D, so focus on getting your Vitamin D through your diet as there are no “safe” levels of UV exposure.

“What do I do if I get sunburned?”

Drink extra water and take something for swelling if needed.
Cool baths, cooling gels, etc. might be effective.
Call your doctor.

“Where do I find Safe Sunscreen?”

B Corp is a great place to check for safe products in general. Another place to look is the Skin Care Foundation for their recommendations. And, as I am an Arbonne Independent Consultant working with skincare, I highly recommend Arbonne! If you know someone looking for effective protection, I recommend Arbonne’s SPF 30 for the body and their DermResults Soft Focus Veil SPF 30 for the face. All Mineral based, Reef Safe, and B Corp Certified.

But no matter where you get your spf, just get it! Use it! Cover up that beautiful skin of yours and protect yourself for years to come!

Resources used for this blog post:

American Academy of Dermatology: https://www.aad.org/
SPF links: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/center-drug-evaluation-and-research-cder/sun-protection-factor-spf
Skin Care Foundation: https://www.skincancer.org/
UVA chart: https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/uv-index-scale-0
Hawaii Reef Safe: https://hawaii.com/reef-safe-sunscreen/
Sunburn First Aid: https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-sunburn/basics/art-20056643
World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/
Links to Arbonne: www.LydiaGray.Arbonne.com
B Corp: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/arbonne/

Information compiled and written by me! Lydia Gray! An actual human 🙂 . Nothing against Ai… just wanted you to know!

Content provided by Women Belong member Lydia Gray