It is the middle of August and the sun protection is a step more that we have integrated daily and even more if we are on vacation or go to the beach or pool. So, we’re going to tell you everything about how to apply the sunscreen, keep reading!
There are times when we apply the cream believing that we are doing it correctly, but we still get sunburned and we do not know why. Throughout the year, the skin is protected by clothing, but in summer, it is completely exposed to the sun’s rays and if we do not apply the protection correctly, it can lead to burns, photo-aging or photo-carcinogenesis (skin cancer).
Since we know how important a good barrier is to protect the skin from the sun’s rays, let us see how to apply the cream so that it is effective, and we can enjoy the sun while minimizing the risk.
The first few times we expose ourselves to the sun each year we may notice that our skin is more sensitive, and we should take a little more care when applying the sunscreen.
For a cream to be effective, a generous amount of product must be applied, in this case, more is more and, in my opinion, the best way to achieve a homogeneous application is to apply it by zones. The ideal amount of cream to apply is 2 mg/cm², but it is very complicated to be precise with this measure… so to give you an idea, it’s about 30 ml or what’s the same, the amount the size of a ping pong ball for the whole body, that’s like a 2 pounds coin per zone (face, arm, thigh…). As I said before, we must get a uniform application, as it is very common that, when spreading, we have a larger amount where we have applied the cream and it decreases as we move away, so a trick is to apply less amount in more points to get that homogeneity.
Now that we know how much to apply and how, let us see when to do it.
A cream is not effective from the moment we apply it, but it begins to take effect after 20-30 minutes, which is the time it takes for the organic filters to start working. In addition, we should reapply it every two hours, as the cream is degrading and also every time we get into the water, even if the formula is waterproof. We must also bear in mind that rubbing the towel or sweating will make the cream less effective and we must reapply it.
It is very important that we protect ALL the surface of the skin, as we have particularly sensitive areas such as the lips, the eyes (I once burned my eyelids and I do not wish it on my worst enemy) in which we must apply the cream thoroughly and much better if in this case it is a specific product for the face, as it will have specific needs different from the rest of the body.
We also have to pay special attention to the “forgotten areas” which are the ears – also from behind – the back of the neck, the insteps, the groins, the back of the knees, the back of the hands… These are parts of the body that we do not usually reach when we spread the cream and we only remember them when it is too late, and we have been burned.
The order in which the cream is applied is also a determining factor in ensuring that the photoprotector works correctly. We should apply the serum, the moisturizer and finally the sunscreen. If we alter this order, none of the three products will act as they should since if we do not apply the serum first it will not be absorbed as it should and if we apply the sun cream before the moisturizer, it will block the passage to the moisturizer and it will be able to penetrate the skin correctly and when we put the moisturizer on the sunscreen, the latter will move and will remain in patches, diminishing its capacity to protect.
In addition, we must also take into account, that if we apply anti-mosquitoes, those containing DEET can degrade the sun protection, therefore, if you have to use anti-mosquitoes, I suggest you apply it at least 20 – 30 minutes after the sun protection.
It is very common that depending on what situations we think we are protected against the sun, even if we are not really protected because we do not feel that burn on our skin and these situations can be when the day is cloudy, when we are in the water because we do not notice the heat, with wind, if we are already brown or even under the umbrella we must use sunscreen,
We can also help the sunscreen “from the inside” with oral protection, this is probably the most unknown, but we can reinforce the protection by taking oral antioxidants, you will see how your skin will thank you.
Finally, and although it seems obvious, caps, sunglasses, specific T-shirts … are products that, apart from creams we must use to get good protection against UV rays.
I hope you follow these guidelines in your holidays, you will see how the skin will thank you and in a few years you will not have to regret it, since the misuse of a sunscreen can reduce its effectiveness by up to 50%. Tell me in the comments how you protect your skin or if you have done something crazy to get a quick tan, and do not forget to continue enjoying your vacation ????
