Sunscreen is something that we all know we're supposed to wear on a daily basis and it gets especially drummed into us from a beauty perspective as the best way to maintain the youthfulness of our skin. The thing that bothers me is that there is a lot of misinformation about the level of SPF required and the benefit to skin. I'm here to bust those myths!
The first thing to talk about is SPF numbers. Now you may well know that sunscreens generally provide protection from 2 types of rays: UVA an UVB. SPF numbers relate purely to UVB rays. These are the rays that burn our skin. Here is a quick breakdown on the level of UVB protection provided by the different SPF numbers:
So as you can see the difference in protection between SPF 15 and 50 is only 5%. This is most likely why the World Health Organisation only recommends a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF15. Please note the words 'broad spectrum' here. Broad spectrum relates to the sunscreen offering protection from both UVA and UVB rays. So let's talk about UVA rays now.
As mentioned above, SPF ratings have no impact on protection from UVA radiation. In fact, often higher SPF sunscreens provide less UVA protection. The interesting thing here is that UVA rays are the primary cause of what the beauty industry wants you to worry about: skin aging and wrinkles. It's also the type of ray that causes certain types of cancer. The thing about UVA rays is that they are very clever things and can pass through clouds and glass, and get to your skin when you don't even realise it. This is why it's very important to ensure your sunscreen protects you from UVA rays.
Another fact I want to share is that the SPF number has no impact on how long it lasts on the skin. High SPF Sunscreens do not last or remain effective on the skin any longer than a lower SPF sunscreen, and must be reapplied as directed with the same frequency as even the lowest SPF sunscreen.
In terms of application frequency, with chemical sunscreens, this is determined by how long it takes for the skin to absorb the chemicals. With mineral sunscreens, it's the amount of time it takes for movement, sweat and other factors to remove the sunscreen.
The moral of the story here is that it’s important to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen of minimum SPF 15 daily and reapply as needed. This is why I made our Protect + Clarify Daily Face Lotion which offers SPF15 protection and protection from those sneaky UVA rays. It also contains other natural ingredients which help to keep your skin looking as youthful and healthy for as long as possible. I hope you love it!
As a naturopath, I’m always thinking about dietary and lifestyle recommendations to complement my organic skin care range. Drinking herbal teas has got to one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to further benefit skin. Not only do they taste great but the actives in herbs are absorbed and taken-up quicker than supplements.
Spring is the perfect time to take stock of your skincare products, reboot your beauty routine and get yourself set up for the sun to come.
Here's how: Step 1 - ‘Spring clean’ your skincare
Go through your beauty cabinet and get rid of anything you haven’t used for the last 12 months or anything that isn’t pulling its weight.
As a Naturopath I have treated many skin conditions over the years but some of them you see more than others. Eczema and dermatitis are most definitely my number one. And as the weather is cooling, now is the time when flare ups most commonly occur.
Although it can be caused by a multitude of factors, there are lots of ways to reduce eczema occurrence, and sometime eradicate it for good. Here is what I know about eczema and what you can do about it.
