I am not exaggerating when I say Koreans pay more attention to sun protection than people from any other country. Men, women, young and old all use sunscreen. Why is that? Does it mean you don’t need to use sunscreen if you’re not afraid of getting tanned? Nonono~You are wrong to think so.
Long-term exposure of the skin to the sun will cause premature aging of the skin. If you do not pay attention to sun protection, it may even induce photosensitivity skin diseases, which will seriously affect skin health.
Ultraviolet rays from sunlight
In addition to ultraviolet rays, the sunlight also contains infrared rays that can cause damage to our skin. Ultraviolet rays can cause pigmentation, resulting in uneven skin tone and spots, while infrared rays can cause a large amount of moisture loss from the skin, making the skin dry. If the skin is exposed to the sun for a long time without adequate protection, it will damage the skin barrier and cause the subcutaneous collagen fibers to rupture, making the skin sensitive and prone to redness and wrinkles. Moreover, if you do not wear sunscreen for a long time, the chance of developing skin cancer will be 80% higher than those who wear sunscreen for a long time.
Sunscreen Misconceptions
Many people would think, since I don’t stay outdoors for a long time for work and there is no sun in the winter, do I need to wear sunscreen? Actually, that's not the case. Even if it is cloudy and there is no sun, the intensity of ultraviolet rays can still reach about 70% of that on a sunny day. As long as the UV rays are higher than 3, you must apply sunscreen. If you need to stay outdoors for a long time, you must reapply sunscreen every two hours to maintain the effect of the sunscreen. The amount of sunscreen we apply must be sufficient. Apply about two fingers' length of sunscreen each time to have sufficient sun protection. Ladies should also pay attention when putting on makeup. Wait 10-15 minutes after applying the sunscreen to completely form a film before continuing with the subsequent makeup steps. Otherwise, it will affect the effectiveness of the sunscreen. Some people also ask, can I wear a hat or use physical sunscreen to block the sun? In fact, physical sunscreen alone is not enough to block ultraviolet and infrared rays. Sunshades and hats can only reflect the light, while the ultraviolet and infrared rays from the sun have strong penetrating power. If you wear clothes or sunshades without ultraviolet protection function, they cannot effectively block them.
According to data from the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society, 80% of skin cancer can be prevented through sun protection measures. As long as you do enough sun protection on a daily basis, you can reduce the risk of cancer by 80%. In the past, it was always believed that UVB was the culprit causing skin cancer, but in recent years, the medical community has discovered that the damage caused by UVA to the skin is actually no less than that of UVB; more than 98% of the ultraviolet rays in sunlight come from UVA. Because UVA has a longer wavelength, it can penetrate deeper into our dermis and subcutaneous tissue than UVB, causing greater damage to the skin. Therefore, when we buy sunscreen, in addition to paying attention to the SPF value (blocking ultraviolet B), the PA value (blocking ultraviolet A) is also very important.
Correct sun protection steps
How to choose the right sunscreen
Some people may ask, with so many sunscreens on the market, how can we pick a suitable and effective one? We are here to help you solve this problem.
Sunscreen is mainly divided into three categories: physical sunscreen, chemical sunscreen and mixed sunscreen.
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The ingredients of physical sunscreen are relatively mild and less irritating, making them suitable for dry and sensitive skin or people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. The principle of physical sunscreen is to form a film on the skin to reflect and disperse ultraviolet rays. It puts less burden on the skin than chemical sunscreen, but it also has a heavy texture and a chance of whitening.
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Chemical sunscreens achieve their sunscreen effects by absorbing ultraviolet rays. They are lighter in texture and feel thinner on the skin than physical sunscreens, but at the same time they are more irritating and their lasting power is not as long as physical sunscreens. They are suitable for oily skin or people who pursue thin textures.
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Hybrid sunscreen combines the advantages of both physical and chemical sunscreens, improving both skin feel and sunscreen effect, and providing all-round sunscreen that is gentle, non-irritating, refreshing, and non-greasy.
Some people may be curious, I just put on sunscreen, so do I need to remove my makeup? If you apply physical sunscreen or waterproof sunscreen, you need to use makeup remover. Chemical sunscreen and waterproof ingredients cannot be removed by the active ingredients of facial cleansers alone. If you don’t remove makeup, they will remain on the skin and accumulate over time, clogging the pores and causing melanin production, resulting in uneven skin tone, and even closed comedones and acne problems. There are many sunscreens on the market that are a combination of physical and chemical, so if you are not sure which type of sunscreen you are using, it is recommended to use a makeup remover and do deep cleansing regularly.
How to choose the right sunscreen
Some people may ask, with so many sunscreens on the market, how can we pick a suitable and effective one? We are here to help you solve this problem.
Sunscreen is mainly divided into three categories: physical sunscreen, chemical sunscreen and mixed sunscreen.
-
The ingredients of physical sunscreen are relatively mild and less irritating, making them suitable for dry and sensitive skin or people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. The principle of physical sunscreen is to form a film on the skin to reflect and disperse ultraviolet rays. It puts less burden on the skin than chemical sunscreen, but it also has a heavy texture and a chance of whitening.
-
Chemical sunscreens achieve their sunscreen effects by absorbing ultraviolet rays. They are lighter in texture and feel thinner on the skin than physical sunscreens, but at the same time they are more irritating and their lasting power is not as long as physical sunscreens. They are suitable for oily skin or people who pursue thin textures.
-
Hybrid sunscreen combines the advantages of both physical and chemical sunscreens, improving both skin feel and sunscreen effect, and providing all-round sunscreen that is gentle, non-irritating, refreshing, and non-greasy.
Some people may be curious, I just put on sunscreen, so do I need to remove my makeup? If you apply physical sunscreen or waterproof sunscreen, you need to use makeup remover. Chemical sunscreen and waterproof ingredients cannot be removed by the active ingredients of facial cleansers alone. If you don’t remove makeup, they will remain on the skin and accumulate over time, clogging the pores and causing melanin production, resulting in uneven skin tone, and even closed comedones and acne problems. There are many sunscreens on the market that are a combination of physical and chemical, so if you are not sure which type of sunscreen you are using, it is recommended to use a makeup remover and do deep cleansing regularly.