Are you getting bored? Want to dine outside or go to the beach? this summer is the perfect time for you? isn’t it? But for that have you thought something about protecting yourself from the scorching heat. If no then consider using sunscreen. As most of us are familiar with it. Some people may not, then this article is going to be most useful for them. Know everything in detail in this video:
What is Sunscreen:
A sunscreen is what we use when we went outside to protect ourselves from UV rays.it is a product that we apply on our skin. Although there are many products in the market claiming themselves to be the best, the real problem lies in finding which one is genuine. But before that, we have to understand what is UV rays.
All about UV rays:
UV rays are electromagnetic radiations which come from the sun. They are harmful to us. There are 3 forms of UV rays.UVA, UVB, UVC. UVA emits the least amount of energy among all. It causes skin aging and minor sunburns. UVB is more in energy than UVA and more lethal to DNA present in skin cells. The third one is the most powerful among all but fortunately, it never reaches the earth because of the ozone layer. The American cancer society has stated that UVB is the root cause of the majority of skin cancers.
Criteria for choosing Best Sunscreens:
After understanding what is UV rays, now the real question lies which sunscreen to buy and which not? Before making a purchase everyone must consider buying a product that protects against all the UVs. So for every consumer choosing, the broad-spectrum product is the best fit for protection.
When you purchase some sunscreen you may notice that there is a sign of UVA written over it in a circle. It means that the product meets the EU standard for protection against UVA. Similarly, you may find on the product its star ratings which explain how effective it is going to be against the UVA. It is generally between 1 to 5 . The increase in scale depicts better effectiveness than the lower one. The NHS recommends the use of that product which has a minimum of 4 stars for UVAs and SPF of 30S for UVBs.
Sun Protection Factor
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor which measures the amount of protection a sunscreen provides you against UVBs. SPF helps us get an insight into how much time it will take for our skin to become red from sunlight while applying sunscreen. It is generally measured on a scale of 2 to 50+. An increase in scale provides you with higher protection.
Sunscreen types
The market is flooded with sunscreens of different kinds . some claim their applicability as once a day and others stating themselves as water-resistant. So the main Dilemma here is, For which one you should go for?
There exist no sunscreen which can give you full protection just by applying it once a day. even strong sunscreens are needed to be applied every 2 hours because it becomes dry when you sit in the sun and loses its effectiveness. Therefore, it is advised not to go for such products.
Water-resistant sunscreens will provide you protection when you are in the pool or swimming. But it does not mean that when you went out of the water it remains effective. This is the wrong assumption so choose this only when you are spending your day in the water.
Protection for children:
The sunscreens are recommended by NHS for children under six months of age. To protect children from direct sunlight they must be covered with appropriate clothing. They must use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30+.