Oh Mr Sun!

So now that the awful long winter is over ( I don't enjoy the cold, can you tell? ), and we finally have sunshine and nice weather, it is time to think about sunscreen a little more. With skin cancer awareness month coming it is good to brush up on the facts and clear up some of the confusion around SPF UVA and UVB.

What is SPF ?
( sun protection factor ) is a measure of a sunscreens ability to protect against UVB and UVA, it indicates how long it will take for UVB rays to redden skin when using a sunscreen.
An SPF 15 sunscreen, screens 93 percent of the sun's UVB rays. SPF 30 screens 97 percent and SPF 50 screens 98 percent.
Both UVB and UVA are both harmful so look for an SPF 15 or higher, and broad spectrum or UVB/UVA on the product. Apply product 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours and after water use.


UVB
Ultraviolet Burning rays ( short wave )
Damages your outer most layer of the skin causing redness and burning. It is a key player in skin cancer. The majority of UVB rays affect us from April to October during the day from 10am to 4pm, however can still affect us all year round especially if you are around high altitudes or high reflective surfaces like snow and ice in the winter.


UVA
Ultraviolet Aging Rays (long wave)
Although UVA are less intense than UVB, they still affect us. UVA causes aging and wrinkles.
In recent years it has been discovered that UVA has damaged cells in the epidermis called keratinocytes therefore UVA contributes and maybe even initiate the development of skin cancers.


Applying sunscreen is very important in preventing skin cancer. Sunscreen has other benefits like protecting your skin and face from toxins and preventing moisture loss in your skin.

There has been recent discussions' of how the chemicals in sunscreen are doing more harm than good, and if this bothers you, there are sunscreens that have more natural ingredients and "physically" block the sun.

For those of you who cringe at the thought of chemicals sinking into your sink I found a site that has a great list of physical sun screens : http://safemama.com/cheatsheets/sunscreen/
Personally I think I'm going to check out the badger sunscreens, it is great to know what goes into our bodies!

Check out these links for more information:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/your-sunscreen-might-be-poisoning-you

http://www.skinacea.com/sunscreen/physical-vs-chemical-sunscreen.html#.U1caDLmNTIU

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb/understanding-uva-and-uvb

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/sunscreen-benefits_n_3464687.html

http://theglossy.sephora.com/articles/506



Enjoy the sun & be safe!

Amy xo