Sun Worshipers, Beware: Safeguarding Your Skin
Did you know that its important to protect your skin from the sun throughout the year? Not only during the peak of summer but even when it's overcast. While clouds seemingly protect us from the sun, UV (ultraviolet) rays can still pierce through them. So the long-term effects of stronger UVA rays are still happening, even though the risk of burning is significantly decreased. In fact, clouds can at times create higher UV levels than a cloudless day - a phenomenon known as the ‘broken cloud effect’.
Finding suitable skin care products with UV protection is essential for keeping your skin healthy. These don't need to be sun creams that are heavy or oily, either. There are foundations and light creams with SPF (Sun Protection Factor) that are easy to use and well worth incorporating into your skincare routine.
Sources
- Sunscreen - The Skin Cancer Foundation
- Sun and Skin | NIH News in Health
- How does sunscreen work?
- Ask the Expert: Does a High SPF Protect My Skin Better?
- Anti-aging and Sunscreens: Paradigm Shift in Cosmetics - PMC
- Vitamin D - NHS
- How to Safely Get Vitamin D From The Sun
- How Does Vitamin D Effect Your Skin - Insider
The dangers of sun overexposure
Sunlight contains two different types of rays: UVA rays which penetrate the skin, causing more long-term and potentially dangerous effects, and UVB rays, which cause surface damage, such as sunburn. The combination of both can, at the very least, disrupt the skin’s delicate regeneration cycle and alter its growth and appearance.
Skin cancer is another more severe side effect of sun overexposure. Both kinds of UV rays can damage your DNA, causing cells to change, divide and multiply, resulting in clumps of extra cells, which become tumours or lesions that may be cancerous.
More than 2 million people worldwide are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Those treated are both old and young, men and women, and span across all ethnicities. So all of us need to know how to protect our skin adequately.
All about SPF
There are two kinds of creams; some contain ground-up minerals that reflect the sun's rays away from your skin, and others contain carbon that absorbs the UV before it does any damage. Most creams nowadays contain both. SPF numbers indicate how much protection a cream provides from UV rays, not how long you can stay in the sun.
Sun creams take about 15 minutes to sink into the skin, so it's best to apply them before you leave your home and re-apply every two hours or soon after going into the water. Don't be fooled into thinking that you don't need a top-up if you are using SPF 50. It is a common mistake that leads to your skin being less protected than if you were to use a weaker factor! Besides, research on the efficacy of sunscreen has shown that SPF 50 gives only 4% more protection than SPF 30, so provided you are rigorous in your application, choosing a factor of 30 over 50 will not vastly change the outcome.
Remember that SPF is tested in perfect lab conditions, but under real-world conditions, with water, sweat and movement, the protection factor may be halved.
Use SPF 30 or above when going outside, no matter the time of year. At the very least, it will protect your skin's elasticity and appearance, so it is a good idea to use a moisturising cream with SPF on your face and hands during colder months.
Other than creams, protect yourself by limiting your sun exposure between 10 am to 3 pm, when the sun's UV radiation strength is at its peak. Don't forget to protect your eyes with sunglasses too! You can get sunburn on your eyes, and it isn't fun.
The sunshine vitamin
Not all sun exposure is doom and gloom, however! Spending time outside is vital to maintaining your physical and mental health; it can help reduce stress and alleviate depression by increasing your serotonin levels. Vitamin D, or the ‘sunshine vitamin’, is essential for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, a healthy immune system and helps keep cell division at the optimum level.
Most of our vitamin D gets created when our skin soaks up sunlight. Cholesterol in the skin cells absorbs UVB rays and turns it into vitamin D. This helps maintain healthy bones, teeth and immune systems. It can also give you energy… if you find t you’re often tired, you might have a vitamin D deficiency.
The NHS suggests that you supplement during the winter, but it is best to get a blood test for vitamin D deficiency to see your levels before taking any supplements, as too much vitamin D can be toxic for the body.
It is estimated that around 40% of Americans have a Vitamin D deficiency which can lead to serious problems such as a weak immune system, depression, and osteoporosis (brittle bones) - especially during menopause, it can even cause skin conditions such as rashes or dry skin.
People who live in countries that don’t have a lot of sun, those who cover up for religious reasons, people aged 65 or older and people with darker-toned skin are advised to supplement as it is harder to get enough vitamin D from the sun. We can also get a small amount from foods such as oily fish, prawns, beef liver, dairy/plant milk, mushrooms and eggs (particularly the yolk).
Try natural supplements to increase your vitamin D levels if they are low. Cod liver oil - rather than seafood if you aren’t a fan, and seaweed superfoods, like spirulina and chlorella, are especially rich in vitamin D.
The amount of sun exposure we need varies between lighter and darker skin tones. 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure daily is enough for lighter-skinned people. Melanin (the substance that produces pigmentation) limits the amount of vitamin D that gets created, which is why those with darker-tone skin will need longer in the sun.
While melanin provides natural UV protection, healthcare professionals still advise those with darker skin to use products with SPF, as all skin tones are prone to sun damage.
To summerise, it is best to balance sun exposure and protection. Use creams with SPF all year round, not just during the summer. SPF 15 is sufficient for cloudy days and winter, but opt for 30 or above in summer and when the sun is intense. Apply your sunscreen before heading out so that it absorbs into your skin. Being mindful of the sun’s impact on the skin and taking proper measures to prevent harmful side effects is the best way to look after your skin.
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