After we find a few fine lines around our eyes we inevitably start searching for anti-age skin products. But what if we told that you could make skin aging so much slower only by following one simple routine? And that is of course applying a sunscreen every time before you go outside.
UV-types and what they do
There are two types of UV-rays, we call them UV-A and UV-B. The latter is the one that can make you sunburnt after you spend way too much time on the beach. When people apply sunscreen before going to the beach, avoiding sunburn is their main goal. But there is another type of ultraviolet rays — the UV-A. This one is sneaky, these rays don’t do any visible harm to the skin. But that’s why they are particularly dangerous — the damage they cause is hard to notice at first. These rays are the reason the skin ages faster, moreover — they can cause skin cancer. That is why the skincare products industry has developed a variety of sunscreens — the substances that can either reflect or absorb and deactivate the UV-rays.
Types of the UV-shield
The sunscreens can be physical, they work like tiny mirrors and reflect the UV-rays. The ones that are the most used in this group are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. They are simple, effective, but they can cause breakouts if your skin is prone to acne. They are also rather thick, and sometimes can be visible on skin. The chemical type of sunscreens absorbs the UV-rays and blocks them so that they don’t harm the skin cells. They are much more comfortable to wear and they don’t pose any risk to those with oily and acne-prone skin. However, many people are scared when they see oxybenzone, octinoxate, or octocrylene in the ingredients list — naturally, if you don’t have a chemistry degree any substance name sounds scary. We are not here to take anybody’s side, we only want to emphasize that you should wear sunscreen outdoors, physical or chemical — whichever you prefer.
Vitamin D
Some people may argue, that sun is crucial for us and the sole fact that we get tan when exposed to the sunrays speaks for it. But tan is skin’s way of protecting itself from the harmful rays. But what about the vitamin D, we do need it and it is synthesized in our cells naturally when they’re exposed to the UV-rays. First of all, we should say that the tanned skin forms smaller quantities of vitamin D. Second of all, you don’t need to sunbathe on a beach to get your share of this sunny vitamin, 15 minutes exposure to the sunlight as often as three times a week is enough. Any extra exposure is an unnecessary risk of premature aging. Not to mention there are dietary sources that are completely safe compared to the UV-light — such as dairy and mushrooms.
SPF is not just for summer
It might seem to you that you only need sunscreen when you sunbathe and enjoy the beach vacation. But the fact is that the UV-rays are everywhere, and even if the weather is gloomy and the sky is cloudy you still get your share of the aging radiation. Usually, you can’t get sunburnt in winter, but that doesn’t mean that the UV-rays of the aging kind don’t attack skin cells. Protecting the youth and health of your skin is easier than trying to get it back with injections and other manipulations.
