10 Mistakes When Using Sunscreen

Summer is beaches, walks, i.e. We spend most of our free time outdoors. All this is useful for our body, because. Sun exposure produces vitamin D.

But now doctors advise not to go out without a special cream, because. the sun’s rays contribute to skin aging, can cause skin cancer.

Ultraviolet rays are dangerous, which can be of 2 types: UVA and UVB. Due to the former, dark spots on the skin may appear, they are associated with them and with photoaging. And because of the second type of rays, burns appear. They can cause cancer.

It is important not only to choose the right sunscreen, but also to use it. Let’s talk about the main mistakes that most people make.

10 You bought the wrong cream

The best products are with physical sunscreens. They are safer than chemicals. How do you know if it’s the right cream? It should have “zinc” and “titanium dioxide” written on the packaging.

You should not buy a cream that contains oxybenzone. Because of it, there may be health problems, because it negatively affects the hormonal background.

Methylisothiazolinone can cause allergies and cause a painful rash on the skin.

9. After applying the cream, you spend a lot of time in the sun.

When choosing sunscreens, we often buy those that have an SPF much higher than 50. A person using this product is sure that he is reliably protected from ultraviolet rays.

But experts warn that, even after smearing with cream, one should not be in direct sunlight for a long time.

In European countries, Japan does not produce products at all, the level of protection of which is higher than SPF 50. So, a cream with SPF 50 does not transmit 98% of the rays, and if it is labeled 100 – 99%. This is a common marketing ploy to increase sales.

8. You treat your skin with sunscreen not at home, but at the beach

If you are going to sunbathe, apply the cream in advance. Experts say that it is absorbed into the skin in 10-15 minutes, and if it is with chemical protection filters, another quarter of an hour is needed.

In those half an hour, until the cream began to “work”, the sun’s rays will have their negative effect on the skin.

7. Don’t renew your sunscreen

Like all cosmetics, sunscreen can be washed off. We usually go to the beach to sunbathe and swim.

After you get out of the water, you need to re-lubricate the skin with cream. Even if it says “water resistant” on the label, it does not guarantee that the product will stick to the skin.

Experts advise to renew a layer of cream every 2-3 hours, and if you constantly bathe – every hour.

6. Take cream with you only to the beach

In the summer you have to spend a lot of time outdoors. Don’t forget to use sunscreen, even if you’re out on business by car or having a good time with friends in a cafe.

UV rays penetrate even through glass. The ultraviolet spectrum is divided into ultraviolet-A, ultraviolet-B and ultraviolet-C. UV-A can pass through glass.

The sun that hits you through a window is also dangerous. You will not get a tan, but overheating or skin burns are not excluded.

5. Are you storing your sunscreen in the wrong way?

So that the cream does not lose its protective properties, it must be stored in a dry place, where the sun’s rays do not fall. Do not leave it in a hot, stuffy car where the air temperature reaches 40°C. Otherwise, the cream will stratify into water and fat, it will not be possible to use it.

Better find a place for it in your purse. Remember that if stored improperly, the shelf life of the cream is drastically reduced.

4. Protective cream should only be applied on sunny days.

Do not neglect sunscreen, even if you are hiding in the shade. On cloudy days, our skin needs protection. Scientists from the American Academy of Dermatology have been able to prove that 80% of UV rays can also penetrate clouds and can affect the skin.

Even if you hide under a special umbrella from the sun, more than 30% of ultraviolet radiation affects our body. For cloudy days, it is better to buy a special cream that has a lower SPF level.

3. You do not buy a cream, because. use regular makeup

Now they began to produce special cosmetics for the face, the manufacturers of which promise that it will also protect from the sun. But experience shows that this is not enough. And some types of cosmetics cannot protect the skin from UV rays at all, because. it is applied in a thin layer, and even then not everywhere.

You need to be able to combine cosmetics and sunscreen. If the cream you choose has physical filters, then you can apply everything in the way that suits you.

When using chemical filters, the cream is applied only to a clean body. After it is well absorbed, i.e. after 20 minutes, you can apply skin care creams or decorative cosmetics.

2. Apply the cream all over the body

Walking on the beach or being in the hot sun, we often do not apply sunscreen under our clothes. It seems pointless to use it under clothing, but a t-shirt or other piece still lets through about 70% of UVA rays and about 20% of UVB rays.

Therefore, being under the open sun, you still risk getting burned. Going for a walk, be sure to apply the cream all over the body, even under clothes. It is especially important to protect vulnerable areas such as the nose, chest, ears and forehead.

1. Don’t put sunscreen on your lips

Lips also need protection from the sun, but do not lubricate them with creams with UV filters. They have a too heavy and dense texture, so they cannot linger on the lips.

Experts advise choosing special tools, i.e. lip balms or oils that have UV filters. You can also buy hygienic lipstick.

The advantage of these funds is that they not only protect the lips from the sun, but also decorate them, because. are produced with various “effects”, for example, with sparkling particles.