Beauty - Sun Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . this
Stay safe Summer
As wonderful as Ireland can be, it’s not famously known for its long, blisteringly hot Summers. Typically after a few days in May we can say goodbye to sunshine until next year. However, regardless of whether sunning on a yacht in St Tropez or eating a work-day lunch on a park bench under Ireland’s cloudy skies, everyone is exposed to the sun in some way.
Up to 40% of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth on a completely cloudy day, leaving us exposed to the sun even when we don’t realise it. For this reason we should be putting protection methods in place on a daily basis to help protect our skin.
What’s the harm? While exposure to sunlight is vital to the production of vitamin D for healthy bones and teeth, it also emits a variety of harmful rays including Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB).
“The main damage from UVA is the degradation of our connective tissue causing premature ageing, wrinkles and sagging skin. UVB burns the skin, causes keratosis and lentigines (skin thickening and pigmentation respectively),” explains Dearbhla Brennan of Virginie Claire. Other rays such as Infra-red (IR-A) also generate free radicals on the skin which cause oxidative damage, prematurely ageing the tissue.
“Because we travel so much nowadays, particularly in search of heat and sun, it comes as a shock to our [Irish] skin to get so much of it, and this is when we really do the damage,” Dearbhla adds. “Our melanin isn’t prepared or adapted to the intense burst so our skin can burn very easily or react with strong, visible pigmentation. A Celtic skin generally freckles and pigments in odd patches, particularly [in] women, as women’s skin is highly effected by hormones so it all goes hand in hand.”
“On a more serious side, the sun can [also] cause skin cancer so it’s very important to cover up and avoid the sun during its hottest times,” shares Clare O’Hanlon, Business Development Manager for Juliette Armand Skincare.
Thankfully, around 98% of the population purchase sunscreen protection before going on holiday. Having said this, sunscreen protection should be used throughout the year. “A lot of foundations, moisturisers and sunblock contain a UVB protection sunscreen but we really need UVA in Ireland as this is what ages our skin,” Clare continues.
Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is the level of protection given against UVB rays. In simple terms, if the skin takes around 20 minutes to redden when unprotected, SPF15 lotion should extend this time by 15, providing coverage for up to five hours. Meanwhile UVA protection can be recognised through star ratings or UVA written in a circle on the bottle. Both combined are referred to as Broad Spectrum Protection.
How they work Protection is provided through a variety of ingredients. Usually these are split into two categories – Synthetic or Organic filters and Mineral or Inorganic filters. Organic filters, such as cinnamates absorb damaging rays, turning them into infrared warmth which can be cast back
out, whereas Inorganic filters such as Titanium Dioxide reflect the UV rays away from the skin.
Many brands have come up with ways to extend the life of these filters through added ingredients which either help to absorb the UV filters into the upper layers of the skin, or attach them through a water and abrasion-resistant film. Regardless of how long the protection claims to last, no sunscreen should be expected to keep skin protected for longer than two hours without reapplication, due to activities that reduce its effectiveness such as sweating, swimming and towelling.
Other considerations Other factors which affect how effective sunscreen can be is application – too little and you may not be receiving the right level of cover. It is recommended you apply six to eight teaspoons of lotion per adult per application to provide full coverage. Not reapplying often enough also creates an issue as the sunscreen itself can damage the skin. Once penetrated, the chemical ingredients turn into damaging free radicals with UV radiation.
“Because free radicals are an important part of sun damage, especially when using organic sunscreens, make sure that your sunscreen also has antioxidant properties [which mop up any free radicals formed]. The best antioxidants to use for skin are vitamin A, C, E, Green Tea and other flavonoids,” explains Dr Des Fernandes, Founder of Environ Skin Care. Alternatively as Inorganic sunscreens don’t cause free radicals, these may be preferred.
“[Also] bear in mind that the higher the SPF, the greater number of molecules that can become free radicals when exposed to the sun. For this reason, do not use high SPF products, but rather use SPF 15-20 and reapply every one and a half to two hours.”
Having said this, retailing a variety of levels of protection to your clients will provide choice. If unsure, refer them to the Fitzpatrick scale that categorises skin types alongside SPF levels to help clients understand what sun protection is best for them. Sun protection has never been trendier so remember to take this opportunity to encourage clients to stay safe this Summer.
Turn the page to see a showcase of the latest sunscreens available…
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Image ©
iStock.com/havenseen
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