Since the sun is shining and stuff…

Yep the weather be scorching right now, and you ain’t gonna look so hot with sunburn angels, so let’s take a sun protection class.  It’s due, and you know you need to read it!!!

OK so whilst we all know a little sunscreen love is what a FG needs, you need to know that there has been a rise in Melanoma among fair skin, indoor workers.

So let’s talk rays.  The UVB rays are the burning rays, and these rays cannot penetrate the cloud, glass or clothing but they will cause the skin to burn. The UVA rays are the ageing rays and they do  penetrate the cloud, glass and clothing, further more they cause the breakdown of collagen and elastin and cause damage deep down  in the skin.  Feel free to scream, if people look at you in the office and you explain to them the reason for your yelp-age, they will understand, it’s only natural!

An FDA study noted that although indoor workers with lighter skin types typically receive 3-9 times less solar UV exposure than their outdoor counterparts, only the indoor group demonstrated an increase in incidence of malignant skin cancer. As a result, the scientists theorise that the UVA light penetrating building windows may lead to mutations and a break down in Vitamin D, which would otherwise help protect the skin against Melanoma.

This research has emphasized the importance of broad spectrum sunscreens that protect from both UVA and UVB light.  So my foundation has spf in it, but that doesn’t matter!  You need the good stuff, proper full on non-tinted-moisturising-glow-producing mumbo jumbo!!  Just the hardcore sunscreen!  And besides SPF only relates to the UVB protection and there are currently no guidelines or for manufactures to disclose their UVA protection levels, but this could all be about to change with an impending set of FDA proposed sunscreen guidelines.

So FGs remember this:

1. Look for broad spectrum UVA & UVB sunscreens
2. Look for sunscreens that contain anti oxidants to combat the free radical stimulated by UV exposure.
3. Look for sunscreens containing Oxybenzone, Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide as these specifically protect against the UVA rays
4. Opt for an SPF30 and no higher,  as SPF30 confers about 97% of the protection against UVB, where as a SPF50 only nets you about 1-2 additional % points and usually contains more chemicals.
5. Make sure you wear your sunscreen both in and out doors and not just on sunny days – this applies to your children too protect , protect, protect all the time!!

Related posts:

1. Tomatoes to the rescue!
2. Our Peel-Free Guide to Tanning