Sun & Skin
Should we really be wearing sunscreen every day, is it really necessary?
Yes, yes it is. Applying sunscreen is an essential product everyone of all skin types should implement into their daily habits. As summer is upon us in many regions of the world, now is a good time to start getting into the routine of applying sunscreen before we start our day.
Protection from the sun’s rays can benefit our skin in numerous ways––the most obvious being skin cancer. But regardless of the true value of sunscreen, I’ve seen too many people neglect it from their self care routine. In fact, I used to be one of those people. Not too long ago I never gave sunscreen the time of day. I may be naturally very pale, but I never tanned nor burned in the sun. So, I thought to myself, why should I worry about sunscreen when I see little physical effects on my body from sun exposure?
For too long, I considered my lack of tan and sunburns as an excuse to skip sunscreen in my daily skincare routine. When I finally did my research and actually realized the risks I was putting my skin under, I made sure I was using sunscreen every single day, no matter the weather outside.
This week’s blog post shares some of my research on why sunscreen really does matter. Hopefully I can encourage those of you who haven’t gotten into the sunscreen habit yet to take the extra two minutes a day to protect your skin!
What is Sunscreen Protecting Us From?
I would consider sunscreen to be one of the holy grails of skincare. One single product has the ability to protect us from a series of damaging effects.
Skin Cancer: Regular application of sunscreen reduces the risk of developing skin cancer, like Melanoma, into adulthood. Using sunscreen now can promote healthier skin later in life. No matter your age or skin tone, skin cancer can affect anyone. In fact, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
Sunburn: Sunscreen is an easy way to protect your skin from getting scorched by the sun. The higher points of your face––nose, cheekbones, forehead––are usually the first places to get burned.
Redness and Rosacea: Sunscreen can help maintain an even skin tone overall. Especially for those with sensitive skin, sunscreen can provide that necessary barrier that ultimately calms some of the redness on your face.
Wrinkles: Sunscreen works wonders for anti-aging. Continuous sun exposure can cause our skin to age faster, making our skin produce a leathery texture and more wrinkles over the years. UVA rays break down the collagen in our skin, which ultimately leads to aging skin.
Hyperpigmentation: If you have sun spots, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after acne, or any uneven pigmentation in the skin, sunscreen can help protect these spots from becoming darker. Hyperpigmentation can get worse because sun exposure directly affects our skin’s production of melanin––the natural pigment giving color to our skin, eyes, and hair––by disrupting the process.
Remember to protect your skin during all kinds of weather. Yes, that means even the cloudiest of days. Even when there is substantial cloud coverage in the sky, 80% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays are still shining through the clouds. The sun never takes a day off, so neither should we.
UVA vs. UVB
In order to understand how the sun affects our skin, it’s important to differentiate between the two kinds of UV (ultraviolet) rays that we are exposed to. These rays are ultimately what we are protecting our skin from, as they are the direct causes of issues like skin cancer, sunburns, sun spots, and so on.
UVA Rays: This first wavelength can reach deep into the skin’s thickest layer––the dermis. UVA rays are most commonly associated with contributing to wrinkles, fine lines, and premature aging. They can also penetrate through glass, so your skin remains exposed as you look out a window or are driving in your car.
UVB Rays: UVB rays don’t reach as deep into the skin as UVA rays, but they are known for causing sunburns in the outer layers of the skin. This wavelength does not penetrate glass, unlike UVA rays. However, both UVA and UVB rays are carcinogens, meaning that they are both cancer-causing.
UVC Rays: This is the third kind of wavelength produced by the sun, but it never actually touches our skin as it becomes absorbed into the ozone layer.
Ingredients to Look Out For
When looking out for what sunscreen to use, you may want to flip the bottle over and check out the ingredients list. It’s important to understand what ingredients are being used on the skin and how they can affect it. Specifically, I want to touch on two ingredients that can be found in the ingredients list of several sunscreens: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Zinc Oxide: This ingredient is derived from zinc, an essential mineral, and contains several benefits and is naturally reflective:
Not Invisible: Zinc oxide leaves a bit of opacity on the skin, making it ideal for those with lighter skin tones who want a bit of coverage. However, it isn’t a super white and chalky material that will leave streaks on your skin. This is because zinc oxide is scaled down into tiny nanoparticles.
Antimicrobial: This means that zinc oxide can help heal wounds and is generally safe to use on skin.
Won’t Clog Pores: Zinc oxide is non-comedogenic, meaning that it is oil-free and avoids clogging your pores. This can also help the skin avoid breakouts.
Sun Protection: Zinc oxide effectively protects our skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
Titanium Dioxide: This ingredient comes from the natural mineral titanium. It’s used both in sunscreen and cosmetics to thicken and lubricate the skin. Titanium dioxide also has its own benefits:
Invisible: Like zinc oxide, titanium dioxide is scaled down into nanoparticals, except on an even smaller scale. This means that it blends into the skin as a more transparent barrier.
Gentle: Also like zinc oxide, this ingredient is non-comedogenic. It is also very gentle, so it may be beneficial to those with more sensitive skin.
Sun Protection: Titanium dioxide isn’t as effective in protecting the skin from long-wave UVA rays that deeply reach into the skin. However, this ingredient is very effective in protecting the skin from short-wave UVA and UVB rays that the skin is exposed to on an everyday basis.
I also found a helpful chart on the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website that lists a series of common and uncommon ingredients found in sunscreens. These ingredients are divided by their safety to be used on skin.
Two Strong Contenders
Looking at the EWG list of the best beach and sport sunscreens, I found two sunscreens in particular that include zinc oxide. They are both ranked as top choices for sun protection and are affordable options. Also, both are labeled with a higher SPF (sun protection factor), as the American Academy of Dermatology recommends an SPF of 30 or higher.
Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
This Neutrogena mineral sunscreen is a top contender according to EWG, and it contains 21.6% zinc oxide. This sunscreen has a higher SPF of 50, which means it blocks a higher percentage of UV rays. This product provides excellent UVA protection and a good balance of protection in relation to the SPF. Also, the ingredients pose a low health and safety concern. Neutrogena’s website states that the product is mild on sensitive skin, non-comedogenic, oil-free, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, paraben-free, and sweat and water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It is an inexpensive purchase, as it sells for $10 to $12. Also, both of these products are available for purchase in stores and online.
Aveeno Positively Mineral Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
This Aveeno mineral sunscreen is yet another highly ranked product according to EWG’s list. It also has an SPF of 50, and 21.6% zinc oxide. Like the Neutrogena sunscreen, this Aveeno sunscreen provides excellent UVA protection and a good balance of protection in relation to the SPF, according to EWG. Likewise, its ingredients pose a low health concern. According to Aveeno’s website, this product is fragrance-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free. Designed to be used on sensitive skin, this sunscreen contains Oat Extract that soothes and nourishes delicate skin. It is also sweat and water resistant for up to 80 minutes. This is yet another affordable product, selling for around $10 depending on where it is purchased from.
Another Useful Guide: Sunscreen 101
YouTuber Liah Yoo has made several videos talking about and recommending a series of sunscreens. She herself strongly encourages her viewers to use sunscreen, and provides in depth reasons as to why it’s important. This particular video covers some of what I’ve included, but Liah goes more in depth on different types of sunscreens and ingredients while discussing how they affect our skin. If you’re interested in looking into sunscreen further, I recommend checking out her video!
So, Yes, Sunscreen Is Important
Sunscreen helps our skin in more ways than one. It’s a protector from skin cancer, sunburns, hyperpigmentation, and premature aging all in one bottle. There are numerous sunscreens out there that have different consistencies, ingredients, and suitability for various skin types. Sunscreen is for everyone of all ages and skin types, it just takes a little research to find one that suits you best. It’s just one more small step to take every day, but it can go leaps and bounds for the health of our skin. Even if your sunscreen isn’t producing any noticeable effects in the present moment, it doesn’t change the fact that it protects your skin from risks down the road. I encourage you all to make sunscreen a daily habit. Your skin will thank you later.











