All of us want to stay young or perhaps age gracefully; that if the fountain of youth exists, we all would die for a sip 😂. But, guess what? a breakthrough in skincare cosmetics provided a solution- sunscreens that is!

UV B for Burns, UV A for Aging

Aging and skin damage, it turns out are caused by the sun. Exposure to ultraviolet rays constitutes to premature aging. The UV B is the reason for skin burns, dark spots, and skin discolorations. While UV A is the main cause of photoaging giving us our wrinkles and fine lines. Sun exposure can cause the collagen in our skin to breakdown, which in turn can damage the enzymes that help build collagen.

To prevent all these skin concerns and help us be protected, wearing a sunscreen is the key regardless if it is cloudy or even raining since UV A is a very persistent skin enemy. Wearing sunscreen everyday reduces our risk of developing skin cancer.

Sunscreens also help us look young by preventing UV lights to mess-up our skin barrier and cause all those harms. With sunscreen, we get an even skintone because it helps prevent facial brown spots and hyperpigmentation (parts of the skin become darker than the normal surrounding skin because of excess in melanin production) from developing.

I started wearing sunscreen just a year ago. If I can only turn back time and save my skin from all skin burns and aging, I would have looked younger that I am now. So, you may want to start making sunscreen part of your morning routine as early as you can get your hands on it. It is a big skincare investment. All the products you apply will be useless without a good amount of sunscreen.

SPF 30/50+ PA++++

When looking for a sunscreen, always look for the label that says SPF 30/50+ and PA++++. SPF or Sun Protection Factor is protection against ultraviolet B rays as stated by Kimberly Mallett, a research associate in Penn State Prevention Research Center (2010). An SPF of 50 means you get 98% sun protection; meaning only 2% of UVB gets to penetrate your skin. SPF 30 gives you a 96.7% protection.

PA in sunscreens stands for Protection Guide of UVA. The rating system through the use of (+) are as follows:

So, if you are part of the population who thinks that sunscreen should only be worn on a beach day, think again. Remember, the sun is everywhere! If you spend an amount of time outside or just by the window where sunlight can still pass through, sipping your morning coffee, make sure that you are protected and safe from the sun’s harmful rays. Keep in mind too that you need to reapply twice a day to achieve maximum protection or every 2 hours as prescribed by dermatologists and experts since sunscreens get degraded two hours after application.

Stay young. Stay fresh. Stay protected. Take care with skincare and SUNSCREEN!