If you don’t protect yourself from the sun, you’ll age in the summer? 68% of people get their first wrinkles in the summer

Did you know that 10 minutes of sun exposure can cause your skin to age 10 days earlier?

68% of people develop their first wrinkles in summer!

Don’t believe it? Let’s take a look at how toxic UV rays are!

The obvious contrast between the left and right faces under the effect of photoaging

Image source: New England Journal of Medicine

In the picture, the left and right faces of this truck driver are completely different. This is because his left face is exposed to the sun outside the car window all year round, resulting in photoaging of the face - rough skin, deep wrinkles, and a very weathered look; while the right face, which is closer to the inside of the car and less exposed to ultraviolet rays, is more in line with natural aging.

The same person's two sides of the face, one side is exposed to ultraviolet rays, and the other side is less directly exposed to sunlight. The result is self-evident.

Therefore, sunscreen can not only prevent tanning, but more importantly, it can prevent photoaging. After reading this, do you still dare not use sunscreen?

Ultraviolet rays have extremely strong penetrating power. They can penetrate the dermis of the skin and destroy the lipids and collagen therein, thereby accelerating skin aging, causing skin sagging, wrinkles, etc.

At the same time, when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays, the melanocytes become more active, causing melanin deposition and darkening of the skin.

If exposed to ultraviolet rays for a long time, the skin's protective barrier will be damaged, causing rough skin, allergies, erythema, etc. In severe cases, you may suffer from various skin diseases and even skin cancer.

According to research, skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma of the skin, malignant melanoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, and squamous cell carcinoma of the cornea or conjunctiva are all related to ultraviolet rays.

More importantly, ultraviolet rays exist at all times and in all places, whether it is a rainy day or indoors, the only difference is the strength.

Therefore, sun protection is very important and is an indispensable step in daily skin care!

Come, let’s take a look at a set of pictures first. This is the skin condition with and without sunscreen under an ultraviolet camera.

Skin condition without sunscreen👇👇

Skin condition after applying sunscreen👇👇

It can be seen that the skin covered with sunscreen is like wearing a layer of armor under the ultraviolet camera.

So, you understand how important it is to apply sunscreen!

But some people may say, if I don’t apply sunscreen, is it okay to just provide sun protection?

Indeed, physical means can also protect against the sun, but it is still recommended to apply sunscreen, because most of the masks we wear are surgical masks, not textile masks, which cannot achieve a good sun protection effect and can easily form a "mask face".

Using a parasol can only block the ultraviolet rays from above, but ultraviolet rays can be reflected by the ground, glass, etc. For example, the ultraviolet rays at a ski resort are particularly strong.

Therefore, relying solely on physical sunscreen may not be enough. If you don’t want to age too quickly, you should still apply sunscreen.

Then you should pay special attention to the words "SPF" and "PA" on the packaging. What do they mean? Let's analyze:

SPF value

The SPF value is the sun protection index, which indicates the index of resistance to medium-wave ultraviolet rays (UVB). UVB can burn the skin and cause peeling, erythema, tanning, etc.

However, when buying sunscreen, the higher the SPF value, the better. The higher the value, the more UV absorbers and scatterers there are in the sunscreen, the greasier and thicker it will feel, and the more likely it will cause skin allergies. Therefore, when buying, you must choose sunscreens with different SPF values ​​based on your age, skin type, job nature, etc.

PA value

The PA value is an index of resistance to long-wave ultraviolet rays (UVA), which is the main cause of photoaging and premature aging of the skin.

The more “+” there is after PA, the stronger its ability to prevent tanning is.

Therefore, based on the SPF and PA values, you can choose sunscreen like this. For example, people with normal skin and office workers can choose SPF15 and PA+ products. SPF20 and PA++ are more suitable for outdoor activities. If you are going to a place with strong sunlight or to the beach, it is best to choose a sunscreen with SPF30 and PA+++.

Also, before purchasing sunscreen, it is best to test it on the inside of your wrist. If redness, swelling, pain, or itching appears within 10 minutes, it means your skin is allergic to the sunscreen and you can try another brand.

Finally, let me introduce to you the correct way to use sunscreen:

How to use sunscreen

Because sunscreen takes time to be absorbed, it should be applied 20 minutes before going out;

Sunscreen will easily fall off when you sweat, so it is best to reapply it every 2 hours;

Relatively light "chemical sunscreen" can be washed off directly with facial cleanser, but physical sunscreen and waterproof sunscreen can easily remain on the surface of the skin, so they need to be removed carefully.