Sun cream is one of the most important steps in our skincare game and yet it has been underlooked for such a long time.
Even I have not been using it regularly and feel very bad because my skin deserves all the protection it can get. If you like me live in a megapolis of a city, then you most definitely should be applying sun cream on a daily basis.
The trouble is that most people think they need it only in the summer when they go on a vacation.
I was one of these people for such a long time.
Time to change and you know what they say: 'Better late than never"
As much as I enjoy the sun and I love a good tan, it really does matter we do this correctly and protect ourselves from the harsh invisible sun rays.
Just because you cannot see them does not mean they do not exist or they do not impact you. In fact, every time you go outside you are exposed. Even on a rainy day or cloudy sky.Even if it is so cloudy that you can't possibly see the sun in the sky.
Sun cream helps you get a healthier tan if there is such a thing as a healthy tan. I mean that brownish glow you see after sunbathing actually is a sign of your skin being damaged by the sun and the reaction it creates results in that colouration.
Tanning is a natural bodily process; when your skin is exposed to sunlight, it causes a pigment in the skin (melanin) to be broken down. As a result, your skin - the human body's largest organ - produces darker melanin and more of it! This production of melanin is what gives your skin a darker appearance (i.e. a tan).
Tanning is a natural protection mechanism to prevent further damage to the deeper layers of skin.
For more Read HERE
So as trivial as it sounds the harsh truth is that we humans are so brainwashed by the fake beauty standards that a sun damage signs to our skin look beautiful to us. Not only that but we go to crazy extends to get them- to damage our own skin! Crazy!
I am not saying do not enjoy yourselves when you are on a vacation, but do so with precaution and with the necessary protection means, e.g SUN CREAM.
GO UNDER THE UMBRELLA
WEAR YOUR HAT
BE HEALTHY
It is not ideal that when we are enjoying the outdoors and the warm sun rays, soaking up that vitamin D inevitably we are damaging our skin.
And to better understand why I say ' Inevitably" I am going to further explain.
For your benefit, you all need to understand something very important and make it simple and clear in your minds.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HEALTHY OF SAFE TAN.
If you are still wondering why let's do this again:
Once skin is exposed to UV radiation, it increases the production of melanin in an attempt to protect the skin from further damage. Melanin is the same pigment that colors your hair, eyes, and skin. The increase in melanin may cause your skin tone to darken over the next 48 hours.
Skin tones that are capable of developing a tan, typically skin types II through V, will probably darken in tone within two days.
The Bottom Line:
Evidence suggests that tanning greatly increases your risk of developing skin cancer. And, contrary to popular belief, getting a tan will not protect your skin from sunburn or other skin damage. The extra melanin in tanned skin provides a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of about 2 to 4; far below the minimum recommended SPF of 15.
Read more HERE
I am not going to go further into premature ageing and the risk of cancer or what types of skin conditions can occur as a result of skin sunburns.
I do trust you all that without me scaring you you will be sensible enough to take this into account and do what is best for you and your health.
Think of your skin as a garden fence for a second. If you have a good danced and high fence nothing can get in, however, if your fence is full of wholes than all kinds of things can go through it and damage your garden.
Well, think of the sun cream as a protector of your fence- your skin!
Enjoy the sun but use a suncream with high SPF protection.
Your skin will be thankful!
