How To Find Your Summer Skincare Ally
The warm sunny days are here! While you plan on your work schedules and holidays, we would like to introduce you to your skincare ally for the coming days: sunscreen.
How Can Sunscreen Be Your Best Summer Skincare Ally?
Sunscreen is a vital part of skin care as it helps reduce the risk of sunburn, tan, and even skin cancer. It works by scattering, absorbing, or deflecting the ultraviolet rays from the skin. Sunscreen, apart from protecting from UV rays, helps maintain an even skin tone, regulates hyperpigmentation, and provides necessary hydration to make you look fresh and healthy.
How To Find The Perfect Sunscreen:
Sometimes finding the best sunscreen that provides optimum protection is a struggle. It would be best to get a sunscreen with the label ‘broad-spectrum.’ This means it can protect your skin from UVB and UVA rays. Apart from this basic rule, here’s how you can find your sunscreen ally:
1. Check Your Skin Type
- Oily
Skin type is essential when choosing sunscreen. For oily skin, you need to make sure your sunscreen is ‘non-comedogenic.’ This means it will not block your pores. The best sunscreen for this skin type would be a gel one. Gel sunscreens have a lightweight formula that doesn’t make the skin oily or greasy. They get quickly absorbed and provide better protection.
- Dry
If your skin is already dry, do not expose it to the sun without proper protection. A sunscreen with hydrating ingredients will ensure your skin remains hydrated and protected from the sun at the same time. Alternatively, you can look for moisturisers that contain sunscreen in them.
- Combination
People with combination skin can use a gel sunscreen with SPF 50. They have a non-greasy and sweatproof formulation that enables them to blend smoothly into your skin, giving you smooth, supple, glowing skin.
2. Consider Your Level Of Exposure
Another factor to remember when looking for the perfect sunscreen is your level of sun exposure. What are the activities you plan to do out in the sun, and how long will you stay out. Any sunscreen with SPF 30 or above would do.
- Swimming
If you plan on partaking in on-water activities like swimming, you need to choose a waterproof sunscreen. You need to look for SPF 50 or higher for maximum protection. For broad-spectrum UV protection and soothing touch of calendula and chamomile extracts, try Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sports Daily-Defence UV Block Sunscreen SPF 50+. This sunscreen also shields the skin from excessive tanning, brown spots, and pigmentation.
- Sports
If you are into sports, sweatproof sunscreen with SPF 70 can be your ally. It will give you a broad spectrum coverage from UVA and UVB rays and let you enjoy your day without worrying about suntan and hyperpigmentation. Do check the PA (Protection Grade of UVA) before investing in a sunscreen. As you have to spend a lot of time under the sun, it’s better to go for PA +++ as it indicates ‘excellent protection.’ One sunscreen that meets all the criteria mentioned above is the Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sports Super-Stay Sunscreen SPF 70 PA+++.
- Regular Exposure
Even if you’re not into outdoor activities, you must apply sunscreen daily. It is an ally you should carry with you while heading out. We recommend using sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher. It is better to look for ones made of natural ingredients rich in Vitamin C like Kakadu Plum. With its anti-pollution properties, it will protect your skin from external aggressors.
3. Look At The Ingredients
Before putting any product on your skin, ensure it has natural ingredients suitable for your skin’s health. It is crucial to get a sunscreen with active ingredients like:
- Black plum extract
The black plum is full of antioxidants that will help shield your skin from the UV rays. It also increases blood flow on the skin and helps generate new skin cells. In addition, plums have vitamin E and beta carotene, which are essential in improving the skin’s complexion and removing dark spots and freckles.
- Horse chestnut
The horse chestnut is popularly used in sunscreens because of its therapeutic properties. It lifts the glow in dry skin and improves blood flow in the skin. It also has antioxidants that help prevent cell damage caused by environmental factors. And its flavonoid compounds help protect the skin from the harmful UV rays.
- Orange extract
Orange extracts are excellent in treating sunburns, improving pigmentation, reducing suntan, and removing dark spots caused by the UV rays. It is full of antioxidants that work perfectly to reduce sun damage in the long run, and it is common in sunscreen lotion for face.
4. Check The Formulation
Apart from the things mentioned above, check for the following pointers to find your perfect sunscreen ally:
- Waterproof
Waterproof sunscreens are perfect, especially if you plan on staying in water for long. This ensures your skin is protected from the UV rays as you continue with your water activities. Ensure you reapply the sunscreen at regular intervals.
- Broad-spectrum Sunscreen
Sunscreens with broad-spectrum coverage are best for protecting your skin from sunburns (UVB) and sun damage (UVA). You can consider one with SPF 30 to 50. A sunscreen with SPF 30 will shield around 96.7% of UVB rays, whereas an SPF of 50 will protect you from about 98% of UVB rays.
- No White Cast
Some sunscreens leave a flaky white cast on your skin after application. Therefore, before picking a sunscreen, look for one with a non-sticky formula that leaves no white cast.
How To Apply Sunscreen?
There are steps to follow to apply sunscreen to achieve the most from it.
- First, you need to wash up to clear your skin and facilitate better absorption of the following products. Pat the skin dry.
- Once your face is dry, use a toner, serum, and face moisturiser.
- Now comes the shield: the sunscreen. Squeeze two finger-length of product and then apply it evenly over your face.
- If there is any excess left, rub it on the back of your hands. It is a commonly forgotten spot, yet it is also exposed to the sun.
- You can apply makeup after the sunscreen gets absorbed.
Sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from the sun’s harsh rays. Also, you need to choose the best sunscreen with natural ingredients and SPF while considering your skin type. The right sunscreen will be your forever ally in the fight against the sun.
