Beauty Tip: Make Sure your Sunblock Really Protects You

You are religiously wearing SPF all year round? But are you really sure you are protected from sun damage?

Here are some tips:

* Make sure your are protected from both UVA and UVB rays.
UVB (burning) has a wavelength range (in nanometers) of:
280-320
UVA (aging) has a wavelength range (in nanometers) of:
320-400
Read the label to find out what spectrum of UV rays a sunscreen blocks.

* Choose the right ingredient. Various sunscreen ingredients are capable of covering various spectrum of sunrays. Two ingredients that cover the widest spectrum used in sunscreen nowadays include Zinc Oxide (physical blocker) and Mexoryl (chemical blocker).
Many products combine several sunscreen ingredients to cover a wider range of sun spectrum.

* Apply sunscreen liberally and evenly. Studies show that the average person uses much less sunscreen than the amount needed to achieve the SPF shown on the label. Apply chemical sunscreens 15-30 minutes before sun exposure, physical sunscreens offer immediate protection.

* Keep reapplying your sunscreen. Certain sun screening ingredients, such as Avobensene for example, are not photo-stable and tend to break down after a certain time making your skin vulnerable to sun rays. Reapply every two hours. However if you are you are swimming or exercising reapply more often.

* Don’t forget your ears. Don't forget to apply sunscreen to areas that are commonly neglected, like the ears, hands, neck, and feet.

* Make use of SPF in your makeup. If you can’t reapply sunblock or your moisturizer during the day, use additional makeup such as foundation and powder with SPF and keep refreshing it

* Stay out of the sun. No sunscreen can block UV rays 100%. So make sure you are wearing hat with wide brims, long sleeves, sunglasses and don’t spend much time in the direct sun. Make sure to stay out of the sun during the ours of its highest activity (generally between 11 am and 3 pm)

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