Skin Care And Sunscreens, Or Why Sun Protection Is A Huge Part Of An Anti Aging Routine
Author: Peter Clark Date posted: Nov 26, 2009 Article views: 79 Wordcount: 504 Ezine Ready
It's impossible to stop yourself getting older, and aging skin is one of the results of getting older. But there's a number of factors skin aging and damage from the sun is one of the worst. If you're interested in the best anti aging skin care, sunscreen is a big part of it, but sunscreen isn't all.
The component of sunlight which damages your skin is ultraviolet radiation. UVA and UVB are both present in sunlight and UVB burns your skin. But blocking UVB radiation only prevents sunburn, and there is more to preventing skin aging from ultraviolet radiation than merely preventing UVB radiation.
The reason is that UVA radiation, although it doesn't burn, is much more important to skin aging and also causes many skin cancers including some of the worst.
It is not well known but the FDA do not require labelling of sunscreens to indicate how much UVA protection is included. In the summer of 2008 only 29 percent of sunscreens on the market had a component of UVA protection. Fortunately that has increased to around 70 percent now, however this still means that some 30 percent of sunscreens do not prevent UVA exposure, and this can lead to excessive skin aging and skin cancer.
And as there is no requirement for labelling it is difficult to tell from the label how much protection your sunscreen really offers. If you have premature skin aging then sun damage from UVA exposure may well be the cause even if you have used sunscreen carefully to avoid skin sun damage.
And there can even be ingredients in sunscreens, such as oxybenzone, which has been shown to be a hormone disruptor and even cause skin cancer.
It is not unreasonable for consumers to expect that their sunscreen prevents sunburn as well as premature skin ageing and skin cancer, but that is not true at the moment, and when choosing a sunscreen you ought be very careful
And you also need to understand that the most important part of sun protection is where possible to stay out of the sun, particularly in the middle of the day, during summer. And if going out in the sun then wear a long sleeved shirt and a hat. Rely on sunscreen only where unavoidable.
Many women, and men, who are interested in the best anti aging skin care do not realize that a large component of skin aging is totally preventable, being caused by sun damage. Starting today make a pact with yourself that you will avoid skin sun damage whenever you can. If you do this, in combination with using the best anti aging products it's possible to buy, then you're well on your way towards a skin care routine that will serve you well for decades.
Whilst anti aging products, well the good ones anyway, go a long way towards reversing aging of the skin, taking some proactive steps yourself to prevent skin sun damage is also part of a quality anti aging routine.
