There’s really more to sun protection than just slathering it on. What can you do to help protect your skin from UV damage? Is applying sunscreen the right sun protection? What kind of sunscreen gives the “best” protection to the skin? What is the best way to use sunscreen to get the best protection from the sun? You need to know a little more. The “culprit” – UV rays There are two main types of UV rays that can cause damage to the skin. Long-wave ultraviolet (UVA) can cause skin aging, it can penetrate air, quartz, glass and water, 35% to 50% of the UVA outside the atmosphere can reach the dermis; medium-wave ultraviolet (UVB) is the main band that causes sunburn, it can not penetrate glass, but can penetrate air and quartz. Sun protection mainly refers to the prevention of various adverse damages caused by UVB. Sunscreen products generally form a UVB protective network on the surface of the skin, in addition to preventing skin darkening, and the effect of preventing being sunburned and sun aging. ”Accomplices” – infrared rays Infrared rays in the sun can also cause damage to the skin. On the one hand, it can aggravate the damage caused by UV rays to the skin, and on the other hand, infrared rays alone can also cause wrinkles and pigment changes in the skin. Compared to UV light, infrared light causes less skin damage. Its mechanism of action is similar to that of UV light, and the methods of preventing infrared damage to the skin are also similar to those of UV light. Since infrared rays are absorbed by the skin and transformed into heat energy, causing damage to the skin, you can use cold water or cold milk to apply cold compresses to your facial skin after going home. In addition, sunscreen products such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and other physical components, as well as vitamin E and other antioxidants can also reduce the infrared damage to the skin. In many people’s perception, only in the sunny summer need to do sunscreen “homework”. In fact, to protect your skin from harmful rays, you should do so regardless of spring, summer, autumn and winter, regardless of sunny and cloudy days, regardless of outdoor and indoor sun protection. It is also necessary to protect yourself from the sun on cloudy days and indoors. Because the UVA in cloudy days is similar to sunny days, and it can pass through the window glass into the indoor. Indoor long tube fluorescent lamps, incandescent lamps, etc., these can lead to skin aging and darkening. So it is important to protect yourself on cloudy days as well as sunny days, and indoors as well as outdoors. In addition, while protecting your skin from UV rays, you should also pay attention to sun protection for your hair and eyes. Because the sun can cause hair sunburn, so that the hair becomes yellow, dry and brittle, eyes may also be sunburn cataracts. In summer, you should go out to do the three “C”, that is, wear a hat (Cap), wear long-sleeved clothes (Clothes), use sunscreen (Cream). Because the UV damage to the skin is not only from the sun overhead, but also from the reflection of sunlight on the ground and refraction through glass windows. Simply wearing an umbrella, a hat or just using sunscreen will not block all UV rays. Proper sun protection measures include the following: minimize going out from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; try to find shade when you go out; wear a wide-brimmed hat; play an umbrella; wear sunglasses with UV protection; and use sunscreen topically. The SPF value is a measure of the effectiveness of a product’s UVB protection. 1 SPF value represents how long the skin can be exposed to the sun without any protection from sunburn. The average yellow skin can withstand the sun for 15 minutes, so a sunscreen product with an SPF of 30 can protect our skin for 15 minutes x 30 = 450 minutes, or seven and a half hours. PA value is a measure of the effectiveness of a certain product against UVA, mainly to prevent skin tanning. Sunscreen packaging identifies PA + for low-effect protection, can delay the skin tanning time 2 to 4 times; PA + + for medium-effect protection, can delay 4 to 8 times time; PA + + + for high-efficiency protection, can delay more than 8 times the time. Sunscreen products are not the higher the SPF value is the better, everyone has to choose the sunscreen products that really suit their needs according to their skin and the UV intensity of their working environment. The active ingredients of sunscreens are divided into the following three categories: physical shielding agents, chemical absorbers, and bioactive ingredients. The sunscreen that makes the skin visibly whiter after application is the one that is based on physical sunscreen ingredients, which has the disadvantage of being more oily; the sunscreen that feels particularly refreshing after application is the one that is based on chemical sunscreen ingredients, which has the disadvantage of possibly causing skin allergies. If you have oily skin and want to choose a more refreshing sunscreen product, you should pick a chemical sunscreen-based sunscreen product. For people with more delicate and sensitive skin, physical sunscreen-based sunscreens are recommended. In addition, people with oily skin are recommended to choose sunscreen products with a refreshing texture, such as water, lotion, oil-free formulas, etc.; dry skin is more inclined to choose sunscreen products with a moisturizing texture, such as creams and milks, etc.; sensitive skin should choose pure physical sunscreen products with a high level of protection. For indoor workers and general housewives, SPF10, PA+ sunscreen products are recommended; for outdoor workers and those who are active outdoors at noon, SPF20, PA++ sunscreen products are recommended; for those who are active in the hot sun, seawater bathing and skiing, SPF30, PA+++ sunscreen products are recommended.