Choosing The Right Sunscreen

Sunrays contain UV A and UV B rays. Both of these are harmful and you should always be conscious to protect your skin against the negative effects from these UV rays. Applying sun screen lotion is one way of protecting your skin against the harm. Thus, sunscreens find an important place in our daily skin care routine. Not only when we need to step out in the sun, but they are preferably used on daily basis for maximum effect.

Select your sunscreen for the occasion

Like moisturizers, sunscreens can be used daily after bathing. Keeping this in mind many cosmetic manufacturers have launched a range of moisturizers with a sun protection factor. Such products make skin care easy. The only difference comes when you need to select an appropriate SPF value for your sunscreen. You can select to use different sunscreens for different purposes. Like when you plan to go out in the sun for some sport or hicking or a picnic, you should choose the lotion with a higher SPF value like 30 or more. While on days when you plan to remain indoors, home or office, you can use a sunscreen with lower SPF value like a SPF of 15.

Also while selecting a product, read the label carefully. Select products which guard not only against UVA but against UVB rays as well (those with titanium dioxide). For those who love to spend long hours in the swimming pool, water resistant sunscreens are also available.

Chose a skin friendly product

Sunscreen formulations generally include synthetic ingredients and chemicals. Mainly zinc oxide and titanium dioxide present in the sunscreen are responsible for its sun guarding action. Thus, those with sensitive skin should consult their dermatologist while selecting a product. Another option is to apply and test the product on the inner side of the wrist. If no allergic reaction appears then the product can be safely used all over the body.

Since sunscreens are to be applied after applying moisturizer and foundation. Regular oil based sunscreens can give your skin a matty and thick appearance. They make the face feel a greasy as well. But you can overcome this problem by opting for foundations and body lotions with SPF. So that one product can play multiple roles for you.

Chose the sunscreen lotion as per your skin type

Another challenge you might have to face while selecting a sunscreen for your self can be your skin type. Those with normal and combination skin get plenty of options to select from. But those with dry skin should use products with glycerin, Aloe Vera or some other oil based ingredient. These help keep the skin hydrated. This is important since the chemicals in sunscreens tend to make the skin a little dry. If you have oily skin, select water based products. Oily skin is generally prone to acne. So, select a product which has no ingredients which can clog the skin pores or lead to acne. Water based sunscreens like those offered by La Roche Posay are a simple solution to such a problem.

The above tips can definitely help you guard your skin against sun damage and related harm. Whichever product you chose, one thing is true with all sunscreens and that is the need for re-application. All sunscreen and skin care products with SPF remain effective against UV rays for about 3 to 4 hours thus need to be re-applied.