Protecting Your Skin From The Sun: Why You Should Use Sunscreen

The Sun, Friend or Enemy?

All life on earth relies on the Sun to exist. It gives us light, warmth, and allows plants to make food that all other animals and humans rely on to live. There are many other benefits of sunlight apart from being the source of all food energy. Sunlight also has a lot of other benefits for the human body. Many of us remember that we get Vitamin D from the sun and this helps promote good health and prevents conditions such as rickets in babies. The sun also helps our body produce beneficial chemicals that help us sleep better, strengthens our immune system and even helps lift our mood. This means that we should try and get outside to enjoy the sun frequently in order to have a healthy body and mind.

Despite all these benefits, excessive exposure to the sun has been linked with some negative effects. It is very easy to get sunburn and damage to your skin on especially sunny days, or when we are in very sunny environments like the beach. This damage is caused by the ultraviolet rays found in sunlight. There are two main types of ultraviolet rays that are responsible for damage to the skin including ageing, sunburn as well as increasing the risk of skin cancer or melanoma: UVB and UVA. UVB rays are what “burn” our skin damaging it and causing what we know as sunburn. UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the skin and reach more layers. This causes premature ageing such as wrinkle formation and promoting some forms of skin cancer. We are 20x more exposed to UVA than to UVB rays. UVA rays are present from morning to evening, They even go through clouds and glass.

Why You Should Wear Sunscreen

In order to protect your skin from the negative effects of the sun, it is important to make sure that you use a sunscreen. Sunscreen can be a lotion, gel, spray or foam and it is specially formulated to block out some of the ultraviolet rays from the sun. It is important to use sunscreen no matter what complexion you are or your skin type. Although darker skin contains more melanin and this helps to absorb some of the UV rays, it is still not enough to protect the skin from most of the harmful effects. Even people with dark skin should make it a habit to wear sun protection when going out.

What is the SPF Factor on Sunscreen?

The SPF factor is a number that indicates how well the product is at protecting the skin against ultraviolet light. The higher the SPF number the better it is at blocking out UV rays. This is measured by comparing how long it would take skin to redden or burn with the protection applied versus without it.

Simply put, wearing SPF 10 means it will take your skin 10 times longer to burn as compared to your not having anything on. In order to ensure that you are protected for longer, you need to apply a product with higher SPF. If you use a product with a lower number, you need to keep reapplying it often to remain protected.

The Anthelios Sun Protection Range from La Roche Posay

The Anthelios range of La Roche Posay products is a unique line of sunscreens that have been specially formulated for sensitive skin. The products contain Cell-Ox Shield® technology. This offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays plus it has additional antioxidants that protect skin from free radicals.

The Anthelios products are available for all ages meaning that everyone from mummy to baby can enjoy protection from harmful sun rays. There are products suited for your face and body with high sun protection factors so you stay safer for longer.

Learn more about the Anthelios range of products as well as other La Roche Posay brands on the MYDAWA La Roche Posay page here. And since it is the holidays we would like to give you a little something extra when you order from MYDAWA. Enjoy an instant Kes 200 discount on any Anthelios product purchased on MYDAWA here.