When Should I Wear An SPF?

It’s time for me to come clean. I’ve been holding onto my therapist confession for far too long.  So here goes…

The truth is… Until recently I actually never wore sunscreen. Yep, all those times I’d nag at you to do slap on the SPF, I wasn’t even wearing it myself.

All of that preaching about sun damage, aging and I was a massive hypocrite the entire time!! You see I’ve always been a bit blasé about the sun when it came to my own skin. Being darker I have never burnt and have never found a sun cream that didn’t leave me looking a bit well, ashy-looking.

Want to know what changed my mind? Well how’s this for a fact…

90% of aging is due to the sun. 90%!!

Now you might have heard this stat before but when I really thought about it I realised that if 90% of aging comes from sun damage, then 90% of aging is actually preventable!

So we could be slapping our skin with lotions and potions, committing to courses of treatments, but still be fighting a losing battle if we aren’t using sunscreen every single day, and all year round. 

You’ll notice that most sunscreens now protect against UVA and UVB, but do you know why we really need this?

UVB rays are the “burning” rays. These are stronger in the Summer months and during the midday sun.

UVA rays however are the “Aging” rays. These penetrate much deeper into the skin’s layers, damaging the Dermis, causing free radicals, premature aging, pigmentation etc etc.

The interesting thing about UVA rays (the aging ones) is that they are present all year round, they can penetrate clouds, windows and even clothing!

So, am I convert? Absolutely!   So remember, sunscreen is not just for sunny days or holidays, it should be worn every single day rain, shine or cloud; whether we are inside or outside!