Everything You Need to Know About Sunscreen

Raise your hands if you don’t apply sunscreen every day. There are a lot of people out there who are one of them who have not adopted the habit of applying sunscreen on their face daily. What commonly makes people avoid this step is under knowledge, unawareness, and lack of right information. We see a majority of people add the layer of sunscreen on regular basis. But we don’t take it seriously and ignore it as if it is just a cream that can be skipped easily. This misconception leads to make few people completely forget about protecting skin from UV rays.

Importance of Sunscreen:

No matter whether you are staying the whole day at home laying on your bed, there is a need to apply sunscreen. Whether it is summer or winter, skipping sunscreen is a bad idea. Sunscreen is made up of contents that work as a reflecting screen. When your skin comes in contact with UV rays, the sunscreen doesn’t allow it to come in direct contact with your skin. Sunburn, Aging, Wrinkles, Dark Spots, and many such problems can be avoided if we regularly include sunscreen in our skincare procedures. Sunscreen comes in two varieties. They may be mineral sunscreen or chemical sunscreen.

The main difference between these two types is mineral sunscreen has content such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These factors work as a blocking medium. When we apply mineral sunscreen, the layer is made on the skin which doesn’t allow it to enter inside and reflect back the harmful UV rays. While the chemical sunscreen has absorbing properties. It lets the UV rays enter the skin and future the octisalate and homosalate absorb it making the skin safe from the rays.

How to include Sunscreen in your daily routine:

Your daily skincare has some steps like toner, moisturizer, eye cream, etc. While applying sunscreen the best way to layer it will be after your moisturizer. The use of sunscreen should not be done as equal to the amount of moisturizer. Sunscreen has to be applied with a thick layer. A simple two or three finger rule can be done. Simply take sunscreen on your fingers (two or three) and then layer it up on your skin. Another important factor not to ignore is your neck area.

Applying sunscreen to your neck is as important as your face. On days of bright sunlight, try using 40 to 50 SPF. And when you are at home or during winter days, 30 SPF also works well. Many people often think applying sunscreen before makeup has no point. But let me tell you, No matter how many layers of makeup you do, using sunscreen is important at that time too. The only time you need to skip the sunscreen is after the evening. There’s no meaning in applying it in the evening and night. If you have sunscreen on your face from the morning, make sure you remove it after the sun starts fading.

Sunscreen reapplication:

It’s considered that applying sunscreen once a day is not enough. Many people are unaware of this fact. In the day time, you should reapply sunscreen after every two hours. Reapplication depends on your activities. If you have done swimming, or if you are sweating heavily, you need to add another layer of sunscreen. Keeping a small bottle of sunscreen with you is a must if you step outside very often. In case you are being indoors, you may skip the second application. For daily makeup wearers, the reapplication may feel quite uncomfortable. In such a condition, SPF infused makeup products can be your savior. There is a large variety of built-in SPF makeup products like skin tint, blush, foundation, etc. 

If you want your skin to be protected, the easiest way to prevent it is by including good sunscreen in your skincare routine. It has skin-loving ingredients that will eventually show visible results.

Srushti Sontakke

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