As more and more of us are staying at home and sheltering in place, we have more time to spend time outdoors. Whether you are thinking about landscaping, gardening, taking walks or riding your bike, you will be out in the sun and you will need to use sunscreen. At Purple Beauty, we are all about skin health. Our skin is the largest organ in our body and serves a valuable purpose, to protect us from outside forces. So, we must do everything we can to protect our skin, and in return, our skin will protect us for years to come.
What is sunscreen?
Sunscreen, or sunblock, is a topical product that temporarily absorbs or reflects the sun's ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) to help protect your skin from damage like sunburn, sunspots or skin cancer. According to the CDC, ultraviolet rays can start to damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Applying sunblock 15 minutes before going out into the sun is one of the ways you can help to protect your skin from these damaging rays.
Why use sunscreen? – UVA and UVB rays
UV Rays are classified into three different types, UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA has the longest wavelength, UVB has a medium wavelength and UVC has the shortest. Around 95% of the sun’s rays are UVA which is the most dangerous for our skin because they penetrate deeper into the skin to cause damage. UVA rays cause skin to age prematurely, leading to wrinkles and some types of skin cancer. UVA rays are also primarily used in tanning beds. UVB rays, although shorter in wavelength and only 5% of the UV rays, still do cause damage. They damage mostly the outer layer of the skin but also do damage to the DNA. UVB rays cause most types of skin cancer and can also contribute to premature aging. Sunburn is primarily caused by overexposure to UVB rays. UVC rays are the shortest wavelength but have the highest energy levels and they can cause serious damage to all living things. Fortunately for us, UVC rays are completely filtered out by the ozone layer. As long as the ozone layer holds out, we don’t need to worry about UVC rays.
What actives are best at blocking UV rays?
All sunscreens are not created equally. In fact, there are many formulations and active ingredients on the market today. Make sure you use a broad or multi spectrum sunscreen with at least and SPF of 15, preferably 30. SPF, sun protection factor, refers only to blockage of UVB rays. For UVA blockage, you need to look at the active ingredients. Make sure your sunscreen has one of the following: avobenzone, oxybenzone, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or ecamsule.
Skin Actives Sunscreen SPF 30
Skin Actives Sunscreen uses a combination of three active ingredients for a higher level of sun blocking activity. Zinc Oxide is safe to use and blocks UVA and UVB rays from reaching the skin while Octinoxate and Octisalate absorb UV rays, making an effective broad spectrum sunscreen. Additionally, we added other ingredients that contribute to skin health.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) – essential nutrient and antioxidant, promotes elasticity and collagen
Vitamin E – primary antioxidant
Green Tea Extract – reduced redness and irritation
Chamomile Extract – anti-inflammatory, anti-itch
Hyaluronic Acid – contributes to overall skin health
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