Sunproof Your Skin: SPF For All The Family

When it comes to sun protection, dispelling fact from fiction can be a tough challenge. What’s the difference between UVA and UVB? Should kids be covered in Factor 50 from morning to night? What about eco considerations? And what about those of us with sensitive skin? Belle About Town has tried and tested some of the most popular products on the market as well as some lesser known ones, and consulted with a top skin doctor, to bring you the ultimate guide to sun protection for the whole family. We asked Dr Preema Vig, Medical Director, at London’s Dr Preema Clinic, for the truth when it comes to sun protection. Here’s her expert advice on how to sunproof your skin this summer…

1. Do you have to use sunscreen when it’s cloudy? 

Cloudy days are no excuse not to sunproof your skin as the level of UV radiation is not affected by temperature and UV rays can penetrate through thin cloud. In fact patchy clouds can intensify UV levels because radiation is reflected off the clouds edge and then focuses on the ground. 

2. What SPF should you use on your face? 

Even if you decide to go for a lower SPF on your body you should always go for the highest possible protection on your face. ‘The SPF in your foundation isn’t enough to protect you in the sun’.

Belle recommends: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30, £82. This bestselling cream combines ginkgo biloba, padina pavonica and other skin-enriching ingredients to help reduce fine lines, and also give your face all the sun protection you need on a daily basis.

3. What is the difference between UVB and UVA rays? 

UVB rays cause burning and UVA rays are the ones that cause ageing and are associated with DNA damage. ‘UVA rays can alter the skin cell DNA, causing malignant melanoma over time,’ explains Dr Preema. 

4. How important is wearing sunscreen in the battle against skin ageing? 

The most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles is sunscreen. Both UVA and UVB rays cause wrinkles by breaking down collagen, creating free radicals and inhibiting the natural repair system of the skin. ‘If you only spend on one skincare product, let it be a good SPF,’ says Dr Preema. 

Belle recommends: Oil Of Olay Total Effects which launched in May. This SPF 30 is also an age-defying moisturiser from the award-winning Total Effects range and is so light and easily-absorbed you wouldn’t even realise it was an SPF. It’s not at all oily which makes it perfect for application after a morning shower to give SPF protection for the whole day.

5. Do sunscreens protect against UVA and UVB rays equally? 

The SPF on a bottle of sunscreen tells you the amount of protection from UVB rays and in the UK a star rating tells you proportionally how much UVA protection is in a sunscreen. Five stars means an SPF15 will offer the same level of UVB and UVA protection; whereas three stars (the EU standard) tells you that your SPF15 will give you lower UVA protection than UVB. Also look for sunscreens that are labeled ‘broad spectrum’ as only sunscreens that protect against UVA and UVB rays are legally allowed to use this label. 

 6. How often should you apply sunscreen? 

Always apply a generous amount of sunscreen 20 minutes before sun exposure, so it can penetrate the skin and then reapply every two hours, especially if you’re in and out of the water. ‘Remember to reapply sunscreen as soon as you sweat or swim and every couple of hours,’ adds Dr Preema. 

Belle Recommends: When you’re a girl on the go the Theye Sunscreen by The Eye is the most handy little suncream you could imagine. Shaped, and the size of, a credit card, it slips into any handbag and doesn’t leak one bit. The cream itself offers SPF 30 and is easily absorbed. A convenient way to carry SPF wherever you’re going. See more products at www.theye.co.uk.

7. Which should we choose – spray, gel or cream? 

All formulas will give you the same amount of protection. So if it says SPF15 on the bottle that’s what the protection will be. It’s really down to individual preference, so look what the product does rather than what it is and ensure what you choose has a high SPF and UVA level of protection. 

Belle Recommends: If you’re also concerned about what happens to the bottle after you’ve used it, go for Aethic – the only sunscreen to have an approved and patented eco-compatible formula that is scientifically proven and independently peer verified, meaning it not only protects our skin but also does not harm marine or reef life. Some sunscreens on the market claim to be biodegradable, which is an irrelevant term when it comes to this particular product, or confuse the consumer with the words ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or mineral’ but very few have scientific substantiation of their finished formula for any of their implied or overt eco-friendly claims. It’s a little grainy when applied, but rubs in smoothly relatively quickly.

8. If you go in the sun should you avoid using products with Retinol (Vitamin A) in? 

You shouldn’t wear products with Retinol in out in the sun as it will make your skin more susceptible to UV rays and actually cause skin to age faster. Dr Preema warns, ‘Products with retinol in will make skin light sensitive and will strip the skin of old skin cells, so you loose a bit of sun protection from the lifted dead skin cell barrier’. 

Belle recommends: Vitamin A may be out when you’re tanning, but there are some products that can boost your vitamin levels when you apply them such as the luxurious SKN Filter SPF30 – a broad-spectrum protection designed with a UVA & UVB filter to protect the skin and shield it from toxins. Easily absorbed and with a slightly silky finish, SKN Filter SPF30 contains a powerful combination of vitamins and antioxidants to not only protect the skin but to nourish it too. Vitamin E treats wrinkles by supporting new skin cell growth and speed up cell regeneration, and the antioxidant properties of vitamin C helps the skin’s surface defend itself from external stressors and environmental damage.

9. What are the best ingredients to look for in a sunscreen? 

Sunscreen ingredients can be divided into physical compounds that block radiation or non-physical compounds that absorb radiation. Look for scientifically advanced physical sunscreens like Titanium Dioxide and micronized Zinc Oxide, they provide broad-spectrum sun protection and are used in iS Clinical products. 

 10. What is the future of sun protection? 

Cutting edge sunscreens not only protect against UVA and UVB rays, they also offer anti-ageing properties and reverse and repair DNA damage.