We are back again with our favorite guide to spf! Here are the who, what, whys of sunscreen:
1) WHO: everyone. Literally everyone needs to be thinking about using protection...come on guys, we're still talking about the sun. It doesn't matter about how much you "neeeever burn" or how tan you get. It's not about race or sun exposure. We will dive more into why later but just know that everyone, even if you don't burn, can get sun damage!
2) WHAT: sun protection includes clothing items like long sleeveshirts, hats, sunglasses AND sunscreen! According to EWG, articles of clothing can reduce your burn risk by 27%! Sunscreen is another amazing option and in our opinion, a must have for your skin this summer. Head over to the EWG 2020 sunscreen website to do your own research on brands. We look for a mineral based, cream sunscreen that is reef safe!
3) WHY: We’re going to assume you’ve heard of UVA and UVB rays…those are the ones from the sun that do more than just give you that JLO glow or lobster burn. What is the “more” you ask? Well UV radiation causes oxidative stress which then leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species or maybe you’ve heard them called free radicals. And you guessed right…free radicals are NO BUENO. In fact, UV radiation exposure is cited as a cause in 65% of melanomas and 90% of other types of skin cancer, thus making it the number one risk factor in the development of skin cancer THAT YOU CAN CHANGE (D’Orazio et al., 2013). Well I bet you are probably thinking right now…”That’s just like if you get really burned not if you are tanning, right? I’m just trying to get that glow though.” We are here to tell you that you are wrong. That glow now while you are young is going to cost you later, big time. Oxidative stress doesn’t just play a major role in the development of skin cancer but it also causes damage to fats and proteins in the layers of the skin, and is directly linked to wrinkles (Purba et al., 2001).
when you are shopping for spf this summer, use this guide to help you! We know it can be confusing, so we suggest saving this image to your phone for easy access!
For help combating summer skin, make sure you check out our new Sun Down Summer collection that helps hydrate and replenish your dry summer skin!!