The importance of SPF!

For those who come to me regularly, you'll know how much I bang on day in day out about skin care. I'm going to break down a few of the reasons why it is so important to invest in a quality SPF.

There are two main concerns when it comes to the sun: Skin ageing, and skin cancer.

UV light causes sun burn and sun damage by damaging cellular DNA.

The sun emits three different kinds of UV radiation: UVA, UVB and UVC (but UVC rays never reach the earth because the ozone absorbs it.)

UVA is the ageing ray and UVB is the burning ray. In the summer the UVB ray is at its most harmful - a lot of us only think to apply an SPF in the warmer months because we don't want to get burnt. But that UVA ray is the same strength all year round - hence the importance of needing an SPF EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE.

A tan is a sign of DNA damage. It is the result of a chemical reaction in your body, as it tries (and fails) to protect itself from UV light. Brands selling SPF that use the term ‘safe tanning’ are at best misleading and at worst, clueless.

The majority of sun damage is done in the first 30 years of your life. Age spots/pigmentation appearing when you’re older are the fault of those Spanish teen holidays – not just the tan you got in Cornwall last year.

                          Our Best seller SPF 30 £32

Myths:

• SPF does not accumulate. If you wear a moisturiser, primer and sunscreen you will only have the highest SPF that you are using, you cannot ‘add them up’.

• Pre-cancerous moles are a myth. They are either cancerous or they are not. If in doubt, cut it out. A mole is a benign lesion. Any changes, any – it needs to be checked by an expert and removed.

• Acne sufferers: whilst the sun may have a drying effect on your acne, a lot of SPF products are comedogenic, (the tendency to cause breakouts). Use oil-free sunscreens if possible.

• Darker skin, whilst not as vulnerable to UV light as lighter skin, still needs to be protected from UV damage. Although people with darker skin can stay longer in the sun without burning and do not need the same high factors as those with fairer complexions, they should still use SPF.

• No sunscreen is waterproof. They can only be listed as ‘water resistant’.

• SPF should be repurchased fresh every year. It degrades.

• ‘SPF 60 is twice as effective as SPF30’. Not true. There is only a 1% difference between SPF30 and SPF50. SPF30 is my most recommended level for that reason. You’re covered, but you have no false sense of security.

Application: 

• SPF is ALWAYS the last product to be applied to your skin.

• Apply your SPF 15-20 minutes before you go in the sun.

• Apply one teaspoon amount for your face and neck. (As I always say - protect the deck)

• Always remember your ears. the sun sees the top of your ears everyday. It's the most common place for melanoma to appear.

• Reapply every 90 minutes to 2 hours or more often if in water.