HOW MUCH SPF SHOULD I USE?
Protecting your skin from damaging sun radiation is an incredibly complex issue and finding the ideal balance for your skin is key to prevent skin burns, skin cancer, premature skin aging and vitamin D deficiency. How much SPF should I use is a very important question to ask and the answer is more complicated than you might think.
The European Commission states: “if a product is applied correctly, an SPF of 15-25 suffices to protect a person with normal skin from sunburn”.
BIOLOGICAL ANTIAGING SUN PROTECTION – PART 4
This is the fourth article of our content series about Biological Antiaging Sun Protection.
The current recommendation given by the media and dermatologists alike is to choose an SPF of at least 30. This considers that people do not use the right amount of sunscreen and that they don’t reapply as often as indicated. It is also a general recommendation that applies to everyone, no matter the age, lifestyle, medical history and income.
Biological sunscreen and progressive sun exposure are not considered in the general recommendation, because this type of sun protection needs more attention and is not as cheap as chemical or mineral sunscreen.
Furthermore, most dermatologists are not familiar with natural remedies when it comes to treating the skin. Their treatment protocols are mostly based on topical, synthetic formulas and very rarely on integrative healing solutions including plant-based skincare, nutrition and lifestyle changes. As they lack experience with biological sunscreen, they cannot recommend it.
In order to answer the question ‘How much SPF should I use?’, we have to examine a series of other important factors to create a personalised sun protection regimen.
How much SPF is good for the skin?
Sun protection is important and necessary, but very often the negative effects of sunscreen are disregarded. How much SPF is good for the skin depends on the intensity of the sun, the type of sunscreen and your skin’s history.
Sun protection is important and necessary, but very often the negative effects of sunscreen are disregarded. How much SPF is good for the skin depends on the intensity of the sun, the type of sunscreen and your skin’s history.
Chemical filters can alter the hormonal system and due to their massive polluting impact on the environment, they have been prohibited in some countries and regions. In our opinion, they should not be used under any circumstances.
Mineral sunscreen is better for the environment, but to achieve high factors these formulations require the use of chemically modified fats.
These fats create a layer on the skin and interfere with the skin’s metabolism if they are applied very frequently. The skin cannot function properly with this unnatural layer and its cell regeneration and self defence abilities are reduced. The daily use of this type of formulation can lead to enlarged pores, unbalanced skin fat, uneven skin tone and premature aging.
We need to find the ideal balance between protecting our skin from the sun and not covering it excessively over prolonged periods of time.
The best solution is biological sunscreen with a small amount of minerals. Biological sunscreen boosts the skin’s self defence mechanisms and, together with progressive sun exposure the skin, can be trained to effectively protect itself against sunburn and premature aging. The SPF factor only indicates the skin’s capacity to protect itself from erythema (sunburn), but not towards the negative effects produced by UVA radiation.
We need to find the ideal balance between protecting our skin from the sun and not covering it excessively over prolonged periods of time.
The best solution is biological sunscreen with a small amount of minerals. Biological sunscreen boosts the skin’s self defence mechanisms and, together with progressive sun exposure the skin, can be trained to effectively protect itself against sunburn and premature aging. The SPF factor only indicates the skin’s capacity to protect itself from erythema (sunburn), but not towards the negative effects produced by UVA radiation.
The antioxidants of high-quality plant nutrients allow the skin to balance the free radicals in the skin and avoid skin damage and premature aging. The reason there are very few biological sun filters on the market is that they are very costly in production and their SPF values are not very high.
SPF tests are done on the untanned skin of human volunteers, usually on the back or the buttocks. Therefore, it does not take into account the concept of progressive sun exposure.
The skin’s self protection mechanism can be trained if we expose ourselves to the sun for a few minutes per day and increase the time over a couple of weeks. Together with a high-quality biological sunscreen, the skin can acquire a certain degree of self protection that increases the SPF protection of the biological sunscreen product.
Working with the natural functions of the organ will always give us better and healthier results in the long run. Working against the organ functions by overprotecting and suffocating the skin can lead to premature aging and hyperpigmentation.
Working with the natural functions of the organ will always give us better and healthier results in the long run. Working against the organ functions by overprotecting and suffocating the skin can lead to premature aging and hyperpigmentation.
How much sun exposure is healthy?
The SPF value does not refer to the time sun exposure is healthy, but to the amount of solar exposure the skin can tolerate.
Since the SPF values and the length of sun exposure are not the same thing, we have to consider the UV index and the time of the day to determine how long we can safely expose our skin to the sun.
The SPF value does not refer to the time sun exposure is healthy, but to the amount of solar exposure the skin can tolerate.
Since the SPF values and the length of sun exposure are not the same thing, we have to consider the UV index and the time of the day to determine how long we can safely expose our skin to the sun.
Depending on the sun intensity, the following exposures can result in the same amount of solar energy:
- 1 hour at 9:00 am
- 15 minutes at 1:00 pm
According to this, it makes no sense to apply an SPF 50 at 7 am on a cloudy winter morning. Since determining how much sun protection each person needs seems too complex, the standard recommendation is an SPF 30 or 50 without considering the negative consequences for the skin.
High SPF products give a false sense of security and increase the risk of overexposing the skin to the sun.
Keep in mind that prolonged sun exposure when the UV index is high is always bad for your skin. Even if you apply a high SPF sunscreen and do not burn your skin, the radiation is still causing sun damage that leads to premature skin aging.
How much sun exposure is actually safe for your skin and which kind of protection is the most effective for you depends on a series of additional factors.
Keep in mind that prolonged sun exposure when the UV index is high is always bad for your skin. Even if you apply a high SPF sunscreen and do not burn your skin, the radiation is still causing sun damage that leads to premature skin aging.
How much sun exposure is actually safe for your skin and which kind of protection is the most effective for you depends on a series of additional factors.