We are often reminded just how important it is for us to get our daily dose of sunshine and Vitamin D to ward off low moods and improve our overall health. What sounds like a relatively simple task however can soon become confusing when we weigh up how much time we should be spending outside to reap the benefits of sunlight, versus the amount time that would cause damage to our skin. Throw in 100 different choices of sunscreen and we’ve got quite the riddle on our hands…
Luckily we are well informed about most dangers of sun-damage these days and often encouraged to have regular skin checks to ward off any possible skin cancer risks. The downside however, is that we often overlook less “important” effects of sun damage. so we thought we’d better get talking about them…
Premature Ageing
That’s right, all the expensive face creams and “rejuvenating” gels are no match for humble sunlight…In fact, 90% of skin changes attributed to ageing can be caused by sun exposure. This is because chronic or daily prolonged sun exposure can actually change the texture and weaken the elasticity of the skin, resulting in premature wrinkling, sagging, bags under the eyes and easy bruising.
The Effects Run Deep…
Despite what we may think, the sun doesn’t only affect our top layer of skin, it actually affects all of them. The consequences of sun exposure have been proven to be both cosmetic and medical. While cosmetic changes include leathering of the skin, wrinkling, and reddening; Medical changes include susceptibility to melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers, keratoses, and the tendency of sun-damaged skin to get more easily irritated and bruised.
It Doesn’t Matter What Time It Is
You may think that sun exposure early or late in the day is safe however despite the fact that UVB rays leak in the middle of there day, UVA rays remain fairly consistent in intensity from morning until evening. This means that even when you are not tanning or getting burned by UVB rays, you may still be sustaining serious damage from UVA radiation—without ever realising it!
Sunscreen May Not Be Doing A Great Job
While it is likely safer to be using sunscreen than not, it is important to know that there are many drawbacks, and even some dangers to using the average sunscreen lotion. For example, many lotions are not very effective against UVA rays, leaving you vulnerable to skin damage while you possibly spend more time in the sun. Additionally, most of the ingredients contain toxins that will break down over time, generate free radicals and cause skin damage themselves.
There is no denying that despite our love for warm weather, beach days and hours of tanning – prolonged sun exposure can and will cause skin damage. We have found that the best way for us to combat these threats of damaged and ageing skin is to use a moisturiser, foundation or sunscreen daily. Our biggest challenge has only been finding a product that can be all of these things in one, that was until we found Invisible Zinc 3-IN-1 Daywear – a Zinc oxide, moisturiser, sunscreen and sheer foundation specifically designed to protect against both UVA and UVB rays and fight any and all unwanted premature ageing caused by UV exposure. Can’t argue with that…