Sunscreens and Sun Protection for Acne and Anti-aging

Understanding sunscreens and sun protection better can help prevent sun burns, acne, wrinkles, and cancer. We all know how important protecting our skin from the sun is, but there are still many who refuse to wear sunscreen for one reason or another. You can find a great sunscreen that you love applying everyday. There are many new sunscreens that come out every year and the science behind the sun protection just gets better and better.

Finding the right sunscreen for you may take a little time, but there is a one out there for every skin type. Yes, oily acne prone skin types, there is even a sunscreen for you. And believe it or not there are even sunscreens that will make your skin less oily. Wearing a sunscreen everyday will protect your skin, allowing your acne to heal faster. And there are thicker sunscreens for winter and liquidly ones for summer.

Incidental sun exposure does add up over time. Running to and from the store, driving to work, and so on, all affects your skin. UVA rays penetrate windows as well, so wearing sunscreen every day is important. Sun is the most damaging factor to your skin and causes the most wrinkles. Start wearing sunscreen to prevent future damage. Also, don’t forget to apply it to your kids, starting at 6 months, yes they make infant sunscreen too.

And many people do not like to wear sunscreen everyday or ever, because they do not like all of those chemicals being put on their body. Well, the skin is a barrier and protects you from chemicals seeping into your blood stream. Plus, did you know that water is a chemical? Yup, H2O is a chemical and you bathe in it everyday. Also, the sun is a lot more harmful, than the tiny bit of chemicals from sunscreen. This is why understanding sunscreens and sun protection for acne and anti-aging is important.

Read Sunscreen Ingredients

Make sure to read the ingredient list of your sunscreen before buying. In order to get the most sun protection, read the active sunscreen ingredients. The SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and protects you from the UVB rays, and SPF 30 is recommended for everyday. Read the active ingredients to understand how much UVA rays protection you are receiving. In Europe you can find sunscreen with the UVA rays marked on the bottle and the United States should be developing a similar sunscreen star rating soon. UVA rays causes the aging and wrinkles, so find a sunscreen with the highest UVA ray protection.

If you like physical sunscreens, check for both Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide and make sure their percentages are high. The higher the percentage, the more protection from the sun’s harmful rays. Physical sunscreens are great for people who are afraid of chemicals, however the UVA ray protection is not as high as chemical sunscreens. Physical sunscreens can be the least irritating for sensitive skin and is good to use around the eye area.

Chemical Sunscreens

Chemical sunscreens have great UVA protection, but you have to make sure the sunscreen is stable. Again the higher active sunscreen ingredients the better the sun protection. When using a sunscreen with Avobenzone, make sure there is not any Oxtinoxate in the ingredient list too. Oxtinoxate destabilizes Avobenzone making it unstable. Think of it like OxtiNOxate. Unstable sunscreens are fine to use if you reapply every hour. Stable sunscreens last for 2 to 3 hours or even the whole day. And stable chemical sunscreens have excellent UVA protection to reduce and prevent wrinkles and age spots. Check out some of the new ones with helioplex and mexoryl ingredients. Many acne prone skin types like chemical sunscreens over the physical sunscreens.

Sunscreen Application

Apply ¼ sunscreen to your face and ¼ sunscreen to your neck. Wait 10 to 20 minutes before applying makeup or going outside. Also, check out the sunblock lotion that you wear during summer time. Those are the most sun protective lotions. Many of the daily moisturizers that contains sunscreen do not have the high broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. In addition, don’t forget to wear a wide brim hat and protective sunglasses for supreme sun protection.

What ever sunscreen you choose to buy make sure you are happy enough with it to wear it everyday. Keep trying new ones to see how your skin likes it. Read reviews of people with the same skin type in order to understand sunscreen and sun protection for acne and anti-aging more. Remember there is that one sunscreen out there for you that has great consistency, not too shiny, and does not irritate acne. Do not give up, you will find the right sunscreen for you.