Five Things To Know About SPF by Rohan Kumar

Five Things To Know About SPF by Rohan Kumar

Summer is on the horizon, the mask mandate has been lifted in many places and many curfews have been lifted. That means lots of outdoor activities and sun exposure. For many years I genuinely thought I was invincible to the sun, being born and raised on a tropical island it never once occurred to me that I should protect myself when Im out in the sun, not ever not once.
Fast forward to two years ago, I got a laser treatment done on my face and realized I needed to use sunscreen. Today's post was written by Rohan Kumar a skin enthusiast, who was trained by a dermatologist. Kumar tells us everything we need to know about Sunscreen and gives us a few suggestions.

  1. Sun Damage Is Cumulative

    • 90% of aging is caused by the sun, per the American Academy of Dermatology. And it’s cumulative, so you can’t reverse anything that has happened so far...but you can always protect yourself moving forward, yeah? So always keep up with slip, slap, and slop: slip on UV protective clothing, slap on a hat and sunglasses, and slop on sunscreen.

    • Bottom line: Sun protection should be a forever part of your daily routine so you can prevent discoloration, fine lines and wrinkles, and skin cancer.

  2. UVA vs. UVB

    • There are two types of UV rays: UV-A (aging) and UV-B (burning). There’s a UV-C but it doesn’t reach us. UVA rays cause...well, aging. Wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin galore. They also cause discoloration and brown spots. UV- A rays go DEEP into the skin, so you need to be diligent with sun protection. UV-B causes burning, but it also primarily causes skin cancers. Most windows block UV-B rays but UV-A is up for grabs.

    • Bottom Line: Look for a sunscreen that’s labeled ‘broad spectrum’ so that you can protect yourself against UVA and UVB rays.

  3. 24.7, 365 Days a Year

    • You can’t really ever escape UV rays. In fact, up to 80% of UV rays can pass through the clouds, so no excuses on not applying sunscreen. So because UV is there 365 days a year, apply sunscreen all the time. By the way: makeup SPF alone does NOT count. You need to use a proper sun block like a lotion or cream, not powders or sprays because they don’t offer even coverage.

    • Bottom Line: Wear sunscreen every day, no matter rain or shine, cloud or clear.

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  1. The 90 minute rule

    • My personal rule is you have to re-apply sunscreen every 90 minutes. Sunscreens don’t last forever on the skin because the ingredients degrade over time and your facial oils ‘rub off’ the product. So every 90 minutes, apply a good 2 or 3 layers of sunscreen to any exposed areas. How much should you apply? Two finger lengths worth is the golden rule. And always SPF 30+!

    • Bottom Line: Sunscreen doesn’t last forever on the skin, so reapply liberally and generously often.

  2. The Ingredients Manual

    • Some ingredients in sunscreen can potentially worsen breakouts or increase irritation. These are known as chemical filters, like avobenzone, homosolate, octisalate, octinoxate, and octocrylene. Go for physical blockers like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Physical blockers reflect UV rays and are more stable, while chemical filters absorb UV rays and are pretty unstable. Unfortunately, physical blockers are known for their infamous white cast and cakey texture, but I have some good recommendations below!

    • Bottom Line: Try to go for a SPF 30+ sunscreen with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. And absolutely NO fragrances or dyes. Those are just chemical additives.

A lift of Sunscreens and a small breakdown on how well they do on on your skin and their components

All sunscreens are free of fragrance and dyes and are non-comedogenic (aka they don’t clog pores.)

 

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