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Photo: Courtesy of ksoo.com
Here in New York, the sun will soon be at its peek. Summer is less than a month away and temperatures are growing incrementally towards the 90’s. We’re well aware that the most important beauty product out there for the next few months is sun screen. Sunscreen products protect our skin from the penetrating rays of the six billion year old star, though, an in-depth look into the suns rays and what that means for our skin is fundamental to the notion of beauty. Beauty, first and foremost is about our taking the best care of our exterior. That may not always be about makeup and products, rather its understanding the basics of skin care.
While there’s no feeling more synonymous with summer than those warm rays soaking into our skin, the Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays emitted from the sun can cause severe damage, if you’re not protected. From premature age spots, cancerous outcomes, and painful sunburns, your skin is most vulnerable at this axial time of the year. There is a third Ultraviolet ray, referred to at UVC, but those rays are so short, they’re absorbed into the ozone and don’t make it to our atmosphere. Though, UVA and UVB rays are longer, so they stretch far our ozone and into our atmosphere. When your skin is directly exposed to the sun, those rays are absorbed bodily.
The inner layer of skin, known as the dermis, is affected by UVA rays. These rays can pierce through clouds, so just because the meteorologist predicts overcast, we’re still at risk if we don’t use sun protectants. UVA rays are the common causers of aging, wrinkling, and damaging skin cells, meaning, UVA is the initiator of certain skin cancers. Externally, UVB rays are at fault for causing the unsightly pigmentation of redness and sunburn. This is because UVB rays are shorter than UVA, and they only reach our epidermis, the outer layer of skin.
UV radiation can be prevented by sunscreens. These formulas are created with various numerical sun protectant factors (SPF) and each indicates the amount of protection you’ll receive from UVB rays on the epidermis. A daily use of SPF 15 enough to keep you protected at all times. Certain products will have SPF’s of up to 50, but the protection value increases very little by number. Rather, when it comes to UVA and the dermis, the ingredients in sun screen are key. Ecamsule, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide attribute to defending your skin of radiation. Remember: sunscreens must be applied thirty minutes before direct exposure and reapplied every few hours.
Though, it isn’t just our skin at risk. Seldom known fact, our eyes are just as susceptible to the harmful rays of the sun. Studies have found that direct exposure to the sun can cause temporary photokeratitis and more seriously, cataracts. While we obviously can’t apply sun screen to our eyes, it’s important to buy sunglasses, specifically those with UVA and UVB lens. Take heed to the season of sun, while we spend much time curling our toes in the sand, remember our proximity to the sun infinitely closer these three months. Skin care is one of the most essential aspects of beauty. Our daily regimens need to incorporate sun protectants or we’re setting ourselves up for long term disaster.
In terms of beauty products, many foundations and concealers contain SPF within their formulas, and while that’s certainly revolutionized the world of beauty and preventative skin care, sunscreen chemically contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These chemicals are white, finely powdered, opaque minerals. Unfortunately, with flash photography, these chemicals commonly causes a white cast to reflect back in pictures. Remember that when you’re applying SPF inclusive cosmetics!
Sometimes beauty isn’t just about the best products to cover up blemishes or imperfections, and it isn’t always about how to enhance your natural features. It’s about taking a step backwards and preserving those natural features. Age spots will tell tales about how much you neglected to protect yourself years prior and cancer ruin your skin for life. Our skin is frequently subject to everything life throws our way: it’s the external armor your body wears, so do well to remember it this season when you’re looking for that sun-kissed tan. We all crave a little color, and it certainly isn’t red.
An in-depth sunscreen product guide is on it’s way, so stay tuned!
by- Yasmine Rimawi