You Skin and Sun

As awareness of the harmful effects of UV light has grown, people have begun to develop ways to enable us to spend more time in the sun. However, the first sunscreens were only effective in protecting against UVB, which allowed us to spend a greater period of time in the sun, however this made us more susceptible to damage from UVA. In an attempt to counteract this, modern sunscreens are designed to protect against the whole spectrum of UV light.

Whilst sunlight is a necessity for acquiring Vitamin D and experiencing a sense of warmth, in the longer term the effects of the sun on your skin are generally negative.

There are various short term effects of the sun. These include most notably sunburn and rashes, as well as the much sought after tan. In the medium term, the sun can cause photo aging, whereby the person develops wrinkles and indications of aging. In the longer term the sun can be the cause of cancer and skin cancer is on the rise due to society’s obsessive desire to acquire a tan.

The two forms of UV light mentioned, A and B, have different characteristics. UVA levels remain constant irrespective of the time of year and it is responsible for the tanning of the skin. It is also the cause of the aging effects on the skin (including wrinkles), is capable of penetrating glass and is important in causing melanoma. UVB levels, on the other hand, vary throughout the year and UVB is not capable of penetrating glass. The ‘SPF’ of a product relates to its ability to protect against UVB, because UVB is the cause of sunburn. UVB is also necessary for the body for Vitamin D production.

When selecting sunscreen it is imperative that you look at the SPF because this relates to how long the product is effect for. For instance, if a skin sunburns in 20 minutes and a SPF 20 is correctly applied, this will mean that the skin will burn in 400 minutes. It is also important to note that the SPF does not give any indication of protection against UVA and, in order to be protected against the UV spectrum, you will need to look out for substances such as titanium dioxide.

 

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How to Care For Skin That Is Aging

You can never stop having them birthdays you know, but what you can stop is them wrinkles and that old looking skin.

If you follow these simple steps you will find that your skin will be looking naturally healthier in a very short amount of time.

You will need to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin from the sun when you’re out and this will protect it also from getting wrinkles and them awful looking age spots. When you are applying the sunscreen you need to make sure you are paying particular attention to your face and hands as this will make your hands feel a lot smoother and also your face look a lot softer as well as actually protecting it from the sun and getting worse.

You will need to limit your sun exposure when you’re out and during the day you will need to make sure you are taking regular breaks from the sun. Make sure you go indoors at least once an hour, and wear at least something like a long-sleeved shirt and possibly a hat and sunglasses when you’re in the suns path.

Did you know that dry skin does not actually cause any additional wrinkles, but your current wrinkles will look far worse when they are actually accompanied by awful looking dry and flaked feeling skin?

Make sure you use a water humidifier in the room that you are in during the winter if you have any form of dry skin. This will make sure that your dry skin doesn’t get any worse in the winter months when it is very cold.

You need to make sure that you are not actually wearing both sunscreen face lotion and also anti-aging cream at the same time together as this will have a very bad effect on your skin and will cause your skin to crack up under the sun’s powerful rays.

Make sure you are not smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol as these are really bad for your skin and will cause your skin to age a lot.

Did you know that studies have actually shown that rich dark chocolate can actually in some cases improve the skin's moisture levels and majorly increase the blood flow and even, again in some cases, defend against the sun’s powerful damage because of its super-high extreme antioxidant levels?

Try and use organic skin products if you can and make sure you drink a lot of water to make assure that your body is properly hydrated.

 

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What is in your sunscreen?

Selecting sunscreens is often not as straightforward as one imagines. There are a few crucial factors to consider when opting for your sunscreen:

1. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is not the only characteristic to look for when assessing a sunscreen. The SPF will inform you of how successful the product is in protecting you skin against ultraviolet-B light, which is the cause of sunburn in the short term and skin cancer in the long term. However, the SPF gives no indication of the product’s ability to protect you against ultraviolet-A light, to which the production of wrinkles is often attributed to. Substances that indicate protection against UV-A are avobenzone, Mexoryl and titanium dioxide and in order to be confident you are protected against UV-A, ensure that these are present.

2. Some sunscreens are effective for longer time periods than others. Sunscreens reduce in effectiveness as the UV light breaks them down to the extent that they are no longer useful in screening your skin. Substances that do not break down despite the UB light are titanium dioxide, Mexoryl and zinc oxide. Therefore you are assured of protection at all times, irrespective of the time of day.

3. People often go swimming or sweat and this can cause problems with some sunscreens not remaining on the body and exposing people’s skin. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are often the most effective in remaining on people’s body. When choosing products it is often advisable to look for “ultramicronized” titanium or zinc which means that it is transparent to light, meaning it doesn’t look pale on the skin, as well as maintaining the job of protecting against UV light.

4. Sunscreens come in many forms, including as creams, gels, and sprays. Creams are most suitable for use on smooth skin, whilst some creams are prepared using water-resistant formulas for the specific reasons that people may begin to sweat or engage in water sports. Gels and sprays can be used for areas where there is a considerable amount of hair and using cream may not be suitable.

It is also important to consider the fact that sunscreen must be to an individual person’s taste and be something they are comfortable in using. For instance, there’s little merit in choosing a family member a sunscreen with a SPF of 40 if they do not use it frequently enough as they consider it to be too pale.
Even if your skin is already indicating the sign of damage from the Sun, applying a sunscreen on a regular basis is a way in which the effects of the Sun can be drastically slowed down.

 

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Learn About Sun Protection

Summer is coming - and for some of us it has already arrived - so I decided to post some useful tips on how to protect ourselves from the Sun's rays and keep the face skin beautiful.

Sunshine is import for our health, not least for getting Vitamin D. However, it can often be problematic trying to avoid excessive exposure to the rays as many enjoy spending time outdoors. Our lifetime exposure is the accruement of all the exposure experienced during one’s lifetime. Worryingly, should the depletion of the ozone layer continue at the same rate there would be in increase in our overall exposure.
Sun damage of the skin comes in two forms: chronic and acute. Sunburn is an example of an acute form of Sun damage. Chronic damage itself comes in two forms; one of which being photo aging. Photo aging is simply the visual change in the skin’s appearance due to the Sun; whilst the more concerning form of chronic Sun damage is that which causes pre-cancerous lesions and skin cancers. The cause of the damage is often considered to be UV light.

Typical signs of skin aging

The Sun is also responsible for skin aging. Brown spots and freckles, that tend to develop as we grow older, are an indication of excessive Sun exposure. The spots form in areas where Sun exposure is a constant issue – in particular the back of your hands and on your face. This skin aging is as a consequence of UV damage.

Make sure you prevent wrinkles

As become older we invariably develop wrinkles and other unwanted indications of aging skin. The Sun is, in fact, a cause of wrinkles and excessive exposure to the Sun can speed up the process considerably and in order to prevent wrinkles it is imperative you avoid excessive exposure.

The change in colour you yearn for

The Sun can also be the cause of skin discoloration. Melesma is the name attached to the increase in pigmentation in areas exposed to the Sun’s gaze. It is generally the cause of three different symmetrical patterns that form on the face and will typically affect the central region of the face, namely the cheeks, forehead, nose and chin.

Skin cancer and helping yourself

It is common for people to have birthmarks and moles on the skin, though you should be cautious should any changes occur as it may be an indication of skin cancer. Skin cancer can vary with respect to its development; it can take over 25 years to develop, however on an equal note, it can grow very quickly. It is imperative you incorporate the self-exam as part of your six monthly routine because if it is identified early then it is treatable.

 

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Effect of Sun on the skin

Excellent article on what effect the sun can have on your skin. Must read as the summer is coming so most of us will be getting some suntan. Make sure you do it safely and do not destroy your facial skin.

Everything has its pros and cons, and so does the sun when talking in context of its effect on the skin. Although it is medically advisable for the skin to be exposed to the sun rays but it is also a medically tested and proven fact that the UV rays in the sunlight are extremely harmful for the human skin. Here are a few ways in which the skin may be blemished:

Change in the Skin pigmentation

This is the most common and widespread effect of the UV rays on the skin. Long term exposure to the hazardous UV spectrum can cause freckles on the surface. This kind of tarnishing is more dominant among the light-skinned people. UV rays also cause the destruction of melanin producing cells of the skin called melanocytes. These cells are mainly responsible for the proper pigmentation of the skin and hence the dark colored liver spots arise due to their damage.

Skin cancer

It is scientifically proven that long term susceptibility to the Suns UV rays can cause cancer in the skin. These radiations are of very high frequency and directly penetrate the cells of the skin and cause mutations. These mutations can lead to unchecked multiplications of the skin cells thus causing cancer. There is a high probability that this cancer spreads to other parts of the body if not treated in the benign stage.

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