Ask around, and you’ll likely find that people spend the majority of their time, money, and focus on the treatment steps in their skincare routine – we’re talking about serums, masks, and night creams. It makes sense, right? After all, these products are chock-full of active ingredients to help correct and prevent signs of aging. But what if we told you that all those expensive serums and creams are totally wasted if you’re not using one more important product? That would certainly make you rethink your routine, right?
Well, that one incredibly important product is (drumroll, please) sunscreen. That’s right. If you’re not protecting your skin from the harmful effects of UV (Ultraviolet) rays, the rest of your products can’t work to the best of their ability. That’s because UV rays do a bunch of nasty things to our skin. Put Simply: UV rays are the enemy. Just to complicate things, there are two main types of UV rays: UVA (Ultraviolet A) and UVB (Ultraviolet B). These UV rays can cause damage by degrading collagen, accelerating skin aging, damaging DNA, and in the worst case, leading to skin cancer. So today, we’re revealing the most jaw-dropping facts you’ll hear about UVA and UVB protection this summer.
UVA vs UVB Rays: What’s The Difference?
As we know there are two types of sun rays i.e., UVA and UVB. UVB rays are the culprits behind sunburn, skin discolouration, dreaded sunspots, and redness – they also contribute to skin cancer. However, UVA rays are considered more dangerous of the two as they can penetrate the skin much more deeply. Responsible for long-term skin damage like lines, deep wrinkles, and diminished collagen, they are also the main cause of certain skin cancers. It’s important to note that these damaging rays can pass through glass and clouds, so just because it isn’t sunny, doesn’t mean your skin is safe. You need to use sunscreen every day for UVA and UVB protection.
How To Protect Your Skin From UVA And UVB Rays?
Broad-spectrum sunscreens provide protection against both kinds. The measure of UVA protection is the PA rating that is determined by the plus signs and the UVB is measured in SPF aka sun protection factor. PA+ basically refers to the amount of protection grade the sunscreen offers against the harmful UVA rays. From low to extremely high – the rating differs. If you’re buying a sunscreen, anything with PA+++ offers high protection and is good enough.
SPF refers to the ability of a sunscreen to block ultraviolet B rays which cause sunburns. Plus, the SPF rating is the measure of the time it would take to get you sunburnt if you were not wearing sunscreen as opposed to the time it would take when you have your sunscreen on. So the higher the SPF, the longer it would take for your skin to develop a sunburn. So if you’re wearing SPF 50, it would take 50 times more time to get burnt than without the sunscreen.
Some SPF a day keeps the wrinkles away!
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