It’s officially SPF season, and while wearing sunscreen is essential all year long, the lighter brighter days of spring and summer call for additional coverage!
Of course, the best kind of coverage depends on the best formula for your skin type and how and when your sunscreen should be applied. The skin experts at Skin NV weigh in on the key do’s and don’ts of SPF, just in time for the spring season.
Do: Choose a Broad-Spectrum SPF
To protect your skin against both UVA and UVB light rays, broad-spectrum SPF is a must! While UVB is the UV light responsible for visible sunburn, your SPF must protect against UVA as well. While damage from UVA rays is not as immediate as a sunburn, it can lead to larger problems such as fine lines, pigmentation, uneven skin texture, large pores, and the loss of collagen.
And don’t just cake on the sunscreen during spring break or your summer vacation! You should apply a broad-spectrum SPF every day to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.
Do: Pick the Right Sunscreen for Your Skin Type
There are two different categories of sunscreens – chemical (formulas that contain ingredients such as octinoxate and oxybenzone and act as sun filters, absorbing UV light to prevent skin damage) and physical (mineral-based formulas that include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect the skin and reflect light away while also absorbing it).
The best protection is a hybrid of both chemical and physical as it provides ample broad-spectrum coverage against UVA and UVB rays. Here’s the problem. Certain skin types and conditions react to chemical formulas. If you have rosacea, facial eczema, or are prone to redness, a mineral-based sunscreen is ideal. This is also the case if you just had a laser treatment, peel, or any type of treatment that affected the skin barrier.
Do: Apply Enough Sunscreen and Apply It Evenly
When it comes to how you should apply your sunscreen, the general rule of thumb is a quarter of a teaspoon applied evenly on your face and neck. We recommend the “13-dot technique” – a foolproof method that involves applying 13 different dots of SPF around the face and rubbing them in together.
You should apply about a tablespoon of sunscreen to your arms and legs and another tablespoon to your back and stomach (if exposed). Again, make sure to apply it evenly!
Don’t: Rely on Your Make-Up for SPF Protection
While we recommend using a foundation or tinted moisturizer with SPF protection, it should not be your only barrier from the sun. To truly protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays, you need a dedicated sunscreen that goes underneath your make-up.
Don’t: Apply a Low SPF Sunscreen
At Skin NV, we recommend a minimum of SPF 50 as your main protectant from the sun. UV light is well-known to not only cause premature aging, but also skin cancer. SPF 50 offers 95 percent protection from UV rays compared to SPF 30 that offers just 93 percent – a two percent difference that can add up over time!
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