Summer is almost here! Yay! Whilst most of us love the sun and spending time outdoors, we really need to be diligent with taking care of our skin. It might sound “old school” but Slip, Slop, Slap is something we should all live by, especially in the warmer months. Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world. Scary. What’s even scarier, is that two out of three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70.
Lets talk sunscreen:
Like most things these days, our choices are endless. This can be a great thing, but it can also be very confusing and overwhelming. To narrow down your search for sunscreen, and help you make the right choice when selecting your sun protection this summer, I have created a checklist of what to look for in your sunscreen.
SPF 50
SPF, otherwise known as “sun protection factor” measures your sun protection from UVB rays. SPF 50 is the highest on the market, and it will protect your skin from 98% of UVB rays. Its important to know that SPF 30 will block out 97% and SPF 15 will block out 93%. This may not sound like much of a difference, and that’s why its best to go with SPF 50 all the time.
Broad Spectrum
Whilst SPF refers to the UVB rays of the sun, Broad Spectrum refers to the protection of UVA rays. If a sunscreen is SPF 50 but not Broad Spectrum, then it will not protect your skin from the harmful UVA rays. Both UVB and UVA play a role in developing skin cancer. UVA rays play a greater role in aging the skin. Interestingly, UVA rays make up 500 times more than the UVB rays in sunlight, so its vital to be protected from both.
No Nasties
So many of us, especially children these days, have super sensitive skin. The last thing you want to do is put a harsh chemical onto a child’s skin. And lets face it, if its not good for a child’s skin, why would we, as adults, want to put it onto our own skin? Make sure your sunscreen is free of parabens.
Many sunscreens contain really harsh chemicals including Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Avobenzone. These chemicals are not only harmful to put on our bodies, but they also damage our coral and ocean life, which leads to next on the list…
Reef Safe & Cruelty-Free
We, as a nation are finally taking a bit more responsibility in caring for our planet (thank goodness) But we need to be constantly finding ways to keep our planet green. Make sure your sunscreen (and all beauty products which you wear in the ocean for that matter) are reef safe and cruelty-free.
Water Resistant
Lets face it, we are 100% going to get wet daily in summer. Even if we don’t actually go swimming, we are likely to perspire in hot weather, and therefore our sunscreen needs to be water resistant. This means it stays on and is absorbed into the skin and doesn’t come off with water or sweat.
Expiry Date
Yes, sunscreen expires! You wouldn’t eat food past its used by date, so don’t use sunscreen which has expired. Also like some foods, if a sunscreen doesn’t look, feel or smell like it did when you first purchased it, even if it’s expiry date isn’t up yet, you shouldn’t use it. If its consistency has changed, its ingredients may not be active and therefore won’t protect your skin. Keep it stored in a dry, cool place when it isn’t being used. Don’t leave it in a hot car or out in the sun.
Non-Greasy
There’s nothing worse than feeling like an oil stick. Choose a sunscreen which is non greasy, not too think, and which absorbs easily into the skin. Sunscreens with a moisturiser-like texture are much nicer to wear and easier to apply.
UVB Filtering Technology
The sun is our greatest source of vitamin D, and despite the fact we are aware of the dangers of the sun, we also need sunlight so our bodies can produce vitamin D. Choose a sunscreen which blocks out the harmful rays, but doesn’t compromise the benefits of the sun.
Happy Summer!
Love Em xx