What Sunscreen Should I Use?

Did you see my last blogabout sunscreen? 

QUICK RECAP – We talked about the fact that 90% of skin aging comes from the sun. This means 90% of skin aging could be preventable. We talked about UVA rays being the “aging” rays, and the fact that these guys are present during all sunlight hours, and throughout the year too. So if you want to protect your skin against aging, you have to wear sunscreen all day, every day!

But… not all sunscreen is created equal. And that’s what this blog is about. You may not know this but there are two types of sunscreen – Chemical and Physical.

Chemical sunscreens are found in your general high street brands. They are absorbed into the skin and can be problematic for acne-prone or sensitive skin.

They are full of chemical ingredients. So much so that countries like Australia, Hawaii and Dubai have banned the use of them in their seas. Why? Because they are destroying their coral reefs! Do you really want that stuff to be absorbed into your body?

The alternative is Physical sunscreens.  These work differently. Instead of being absorbed into the skin, these work as a mirror reflecting those harmful rays away. A real sun “screen” if you take my meaning. And giving you better and full coverage against both UVA and UVB rays.

The key ingredients here are “Zinc Oxide” and “Titanium Oxide”. And key words to look out for in your products are “Broad Spectrum”.

Maybe you’re thinking – My sunscreen says SPF50+ and comes from a well known brand, I’m sure I’m okay.

Yes maybe.

But did you know that the SPF rating only relates to UVB rays? It doesn’t relate to UVA rays (the aging ones) at all!

And remember those UVA rays which damage the basal layer of our skin, causing free radicals, wrinkles, pigmentation, lack of elasticity etc etc, are present all year round. They can penetrate cloud cover, windows, even clothes! We need to protect against them.

So what to do? With all of this information in hand I went on the hunt. I wanted a sunscreen that would give me all of this protection, all year round.

But that didn’t feel thick, that didn’t feel sticky, that didn’t leave me looking ashy, and something that I enjoyed using every day.

And what did I find? I found Alumier’s Sheer Hydration, which I am completely in love with and use everyday. As do most of Team RITUAL!