In earlier times people do not used to know what exactly tanning is. And they used to lie down in the sun for hours, smothering themselves with home made baby oil mixed with iodine. Even today it has been noticed that aged people do not agree in applying these lotions and creams they feel that these all are full wastage of money and nothing else. But today we know that sunburn is the single most backpacking injury which you cannot judge where it can be and how long will it last. Therefore our generation is pretty educated and knows how important it is to protect the skin from sunburns.
To choose the right sunscreen for your skin, you need to consider how vulnerable you are and after that you can start your search as now a day a number of products are available in the market.
Skin color- fair colored skin cannot tolerate the sun’s rays as dark skin and deep tans can.
Altitude- the higher you stay the harsher the sun rays will affect your skin and eyes.
Length of exposure- it depends on the time you are out in the sun. The longer you are out side the higher will be the risk of sun burns.
Amount of sunscreen- it matters a lot that you should apply the sunscreen generously on your skin. A little bit of sunscreen will be of no use.
And reapplication frequency- it is recommended to reapply the sunscreen after 2 hours if you are in outdoors.
Some qualities you should keep in mind wile selecting your sunscreen are it should be waterproof first of all, ph balanced, and it should be hypo- allergenic to the skin. Sunscreen that protects from both UV-A and UV-B radiations are recommended for everybody. A good broad spectrum sunscreen should have at least SPF-15 and avobenzone, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide contained in it. Some ingredients that you may find while selecting a sunscreen for your skin type are flower extracts, plant extracts, herbal extracts, anti oxidants like green tea or grape seed oil, organic aloe, chamomile, natural moisturizers and no animal ingredients.
Always remember to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you leave your house. Because it takes some time to get absorbed into your skin. And sunscreens should be reapplied after 2-3 hours if you are still out for some work or after swimming, bathing, toweling, sweating heavily. Sunscreen can also be known as sun block or suntan lotion. As it is available in the form of a lotion, cream, ointment, spray or gel that absorbs or reflects the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and protects the skin. Apart of hazards of heat, there is danger of sunburn that can permanently damage the skin and can also cause skin cancer; premature wrinkling and can give signs of ageing.
Applying sunscreens and wearing sunglasses are not sufficient as a complete protection. Sunburns can be best prevented by following some ways Avoid roaming out in sun especially in peak sunlight hours (10a.m. to 3 p.m.). Wear protective clothes that can help you to avoid sun rays like broad- brimmed hat, a full sleeves shirt or top and a long skirt or trousers or jeans. Use a protective sunscreen or suntan lotion to minimize the penetration of the UV rays of the sun.
By SPF we mean sun protection factor and they are well known by numbers such as 15, 25, 30 or 50 which indicates how long the sunscreen remains effective on the skin. One can calculate the duration of effectiveness of a sunscreen by multiplying the SPF by the time in advance you apply the sunscreen over the skin. For example if you have applied SPF-15 10 minutes before going out in sun, it will work for 150 minutes and so on. Applying too little sunscreen is a common mistake done by people which reduces the effectiveness of the product. People having very sensitive skin and spend a lot of time out should apply a sunscreen of 30 or more.
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