BECAUSE THE SUN WANTS TO HURT YOUR SKIN

UV rays in the sun, particularly UVB rays and UVA rays are the ones that are out to get you. As you can see in the picture, UVA rays are the most deadly types, but you will only get skin cancer if you’re exposed to it very frequently (such as if you go to tanning salons monthly or live in a sunny place and go to the beach every week for years)

UVB Rays

These are the type of rays that reach the skin’s outermost layer. It causes changes in the melanin in the skin, causing the “tanning” effect. If someone is more fair skinned, this “tanning” effect might actually end up being a “burning” effect. (SO PAINFUL…which is why aloe is a sunburned person’s best friend <3) Either way, the idea is to protect your skin from this, which is why there’s SPF. Here’s how SPF works. If you have an SPF of 15 in your day cream or whatever make up you use, what it does is it protects your skin up to 15 times longer. Which is why an SPF of 15 is sufficient for an every day usage. If you can burn in 5 minutes, the SPF of 15 will make it possible for you to stay in the sun for 75 minutes without burning. So an SPF of 100 is pretty much unnecessary. It’s just there to get people feeling like there’s more protection, when really it might be hurting your skin. SPF actually is oily and can clog up your pores, so the higher the SPF, the more oils you’re putting in your skin, and you’re more likely to break out. Thus you MUST MUST MUST wash your face/body after using anything with SPF in it. Use your cleanser AND toner AND moisturizer afterwards.

UVA Rays

This is the dangerous one that you want to avoid. This is the one that actually can kill you if you’re exposed to it with no protection. What happens is it penetrates deep into the skin’s layer and starts to alter the skin. You will start to develop dark spots (aka sun spots), wrinkles, and saggy skin. Basically, it will add YEARS to your face and body, making let’s say a 30 year old look like a 40 year old. (Yes, it really is that big of a difference…) The more you are exposed to it, the more dark spots will show up, and you have to be careful…it can definitely turn into skin cancer if you don’t protect your skin. To protect your skin from this, use something that specifically says there’s UVA protection or PA+/PA++/PA+++. What is PA+?  It’s a UVA sun protection barrier. It blocks the UVA rays from penetrating into the skin. The more +’s in it, the more protection you get. PA+ is for moderate outdoor activities like eating lunch outside or walking on the sidewalks. If you’re going to be walking/running outside on a sunny day for 3 or more hours straight, opt for PA++. If you’re going on the beach where sun exposure is definite, YOU MUST use PA+++ to protect your skin. 

Great ones that are top sellers in our store:

1. Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream SPF 35 PA+++ (UVA/UVB protection, pollution protection, oil free, can be used as make up base)

2. Clarins UV Plus/HP Day screen high protection SPF 40 (UVA/UVB protection, pollution protection AND oil free)

3. Missha BB cream SPF 42 PA+++ (comes in two shades: No.21 and No.23)