SunScreen

A good sunscreen will not clear up your skin, but a good sunscreen is the one of the strongest weapons in anyone's skin care arsenal. Preventing, in terms of aging and pigmentation, is far easier than treating and a good sunscreen does exactly that.

Sunscreen essentially prevents through protection. It shields your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, preventing sun damage and dark spots (like age spots or acne marks) from getting worse.

However, as great as sunscreen is, it is also a very tricky product. Its ingredients can be irritating and break some people out. It can make your face look paler than your neck in photographs. And it may make your skin feel heavy, greasy, or dry. On top of that, even if you find a sunscreen that feels good and agrees with your skin, it might not offer the best protection from the sun.

Those of you lucky enough to find a sunscreen that doesn't break you out, feels good on your skin, and has high SPF and PPD, must also be smart enough to wear sunscreen the right way. Otherwise, you could have the best sunscreen in the world, but improper application would greatly detract from its potential protection.

Here are some tips to help you navigate sunscreen's slippery slope:

Sunscreen 101

Everyone should wear sunscreen everyday. Men, women, children, babies, the elderly, you name it! Sunscreen isn't just for the beach or pool anymore. It is an essential part of any skin care routine.

Why is it so important to protect yourself from the sun?

Simply put, the sun causes skin damage and skin cancer. If you don't protect yourself from the sun, you'll end up looking older than you really are and getting suspicious moles checked out by the doctor.

How does sunscreen work?

The sun works its black magic by emitting two kinds of harmful ultraviolet rays: UVA and UVB. What's the difference between UVA and UVB rays?

UVA rays cause your skin to wrinkle and age faster (UVA = aging) while UVB rays cause your skin to tan and sunburn (UVB = burning). UVB rays are also responsible for the majority of skin cancers. Both UV rays work in conjunction and cause severe damage to your skin when it's overexposed to the sun.

Here is where sunscreen comes to the rescue! UV filters in sunscreens prevent this damage from happening by forming a protective layer on your skin, either deflecting or absorbing the harmful UV rays. By wearing a good sunscreen every day, you are essentially preventing UVA and UVB rays from reaching your skin, even if you are out in the sun for long hours at a time. It also wouldn't hurt to wear sunscreen indoors because UVA rays penetrate through glass windows.

Of course you can always try to fix sun damage, photoaging, dark spots, and other skin conditions later on in life, but no potion or lotion will ever equal a good sunscreen's power of prevention. It's much easier to prevent signs of aging, sun damage, and cancerous lesions than it is to reverse their effects.

Luckily, many different types of sunscreens are available to protect you against and minimize the dangers of the sun. Remember the ones that used to smell like coconuts and luaus? Sunscreens today are much better formulated and feel much nicer on the skin. They come in a variety of textures (gels, creams, and sprays) and range in SPF from 2 to 60.

Sunscreen can’t do it all

Even though sunscreen gives good coverage, it does not provide 100% protection against the full spectrum of UV rays. Sunscreens labelled "broad spectrum" are especially misleading because they don't adequately block UVA rays. The protection of a sunscreen can also be weakened by a number of factors.

For example, most sunscreens need to be re-applied to maintain its protection while others are made less effective by photo instability, facial oils accumulating throughout the day, or makeup touch-ups. Therefore, it is a good idea to use sunscreen along with hats, tinted windows, UV proof clothing, and big sunglasses to get the maximum protection possible. The Skin Cancer Foundation also recommends avoiding the sun during peak hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While many people understand the importance of wearing sunscreen, not all sunscreens are created equal. Did you know that your moisturizer or makeup with SPF probably isn't that effective for you? Did you know you need to apply 1/4th teaspoon of sunscreen for your face for it to be the most effective? Did you know you need an oil-based cleanser to completely remove sunscreen?

Sunscreen can be a confusing product, but if you know the difference between physical and chemical sunscreens, learn what to look for when choosing sunscreens, and practice wearing sunscreen the right way, you will reap all the long and short term benefits from consistent sunscreen use.

Physical vs. Chemical Sunscreen

There are two general types of sunscreens, physical and chemical ones. Physical sunscreens use physical UV filters, while chemical sunscreens use chemical UV filters. There are also hybrid sunscreens that contain both physical and chemical sunscreen actives.

The differences between physical and chemical sunscreens are explained in the table below:

 
Physical sunscreens tend to be better tolerated by most skin types because the chemical filters used in chemical sunscreens can be irritating for many people. However, physical sunscreens tend to leave a white cast or white streaks after application and don’t offer as much UVA protection compared to chemical sunscreens. Physical sunscreens are also a bit thicker so they may be more difficult to apply. Since they each have their pros and cons, many of today's sunscreens contain both physical and chemical UV filters.

However, knowing whether a sunscreen is physical, chemical, or both does not tell you enough information about whether a particular sunscreen will be a good, protective one. Did you know that moisturizer or makeup with SPF doesn't offer adequate sun protection? Do you know the PPD of your sunscreen and how it can prevent your skin from aging? Do you apply enough sunscreen to your skin?

How to Choose the Right Sunscreen

Many people think that using moisturizer or foundation with SPF is enough protection from the sun. However, this is incorrect. SPF included in these products is usually not very stable and does not provide adequate protection on its own. You also probably don't use enough moisturizer or SPF makeup to get sufficient sun protection. Therefore, it's best to use a moisturizer without SPF and a separate sunscreen afterwards.

The process of finding your holy grail sunscreen can be confusing. Like treating acne, it's all about trial and error.

However, you can make the process of looking for a good sunscreen a little bit easier by taking the following 5 things into consideration: photostability, broad-spectrum protection, potential irritation, cosmetic finish, and cost and availability. This will give you the best chance at choosing the right sunscreen for your skin.

1. Photostability:

You want to choose a sunscreen that is photostable, which means it won’t break down when exposed to light. If a sunscreen is photo unstable, it will destabilize or degrade when you walk out the door and not provide enough protection from UV rays.

Physical UV filters are photostable, as well as a number of chemical filters. However, some chemical filters, such as avobenzone, are highly unstable. To learn how to tell if your sunscreen is photostable, check out another article on stability of sunscreen.

2. Broad-Spectrum Protection:

Broad-spectrum protection means that a sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It isn’t enough to just protect against one of the UV rays, because if you protect against UVB rays, you will still get damage from UVA rays and vice versa. Therefore, it is important to select a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection.

How do you know if your sunscreen is broad-spectrum? Well, skin care companies will usually have the words “broad-spectrum” labelled on their products. However, just because a sunscreen has this label doesn’t mean it protects against 100% of all UVA and UVB rays.

Instead of looking for the words “broad-spectrum”, it is better to look at a sunscreen’s SPF and PPD. SPF (sun protection factor) measures how well a sunscreen protects against UVB rays, while PPD (persistent pigment darkening) measures how well a sunscreen protects against UVA rays. Therefore, SPF will help prevent sunburns, while PPD guards against photoaging. For more information on SPF and PPD, check out another article about it.

SPF has been in the limelight for some time now and many people erroneously assume that if they use a sunscreen with a high SPF, they are adequately protecting themselves from the sun. However, even if a sunscreen has a high SPF, being well-protected against UVB rays isn’t enough. What about all the UVA rays that are making it to your skin?

That’s why it’s also important to consider PPD. PPD has a numerical value and the higher the number, the better the UVA protection it offers. In some countries, PPD is also known as PA with plus signs (ex. PA+++) that represent the strength of the sun coverage. Again, the more plus signs the better. However, there is no international standard for measuring how well UV filters protect against UVA rays, so the way PPD and PA values are determined may differ from company to company and country to country.

Because of this ambiguity in measurement, PPD values can only be estimated. Some sunscreens don’t even have PPD written on their label, but you can figure out the PPD numbers by doing some sunscreen ingredient sleuthing and using this convenient online calculator.

For everyday use, my dermatologist recommends using a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 but says that it would be even better if it was SPF 30+. For days when you know you will be out in the sun for longer hours, it’s best to bump it up to SPF 40+. Also, look for a sunscreen with a PPD of around 8 (preferably higher) for decent UVA protection. If your skin is quite fair, you may need a stronger sunscreen as well.

Keep in mind that a sunscreen with good SPF and good PPD numbers will only be effective if the sunscreen is photostable and applied correctly to your skin.

3. Minimal irritation, breakouts, and/ or dryness:

After narrowing down a sunscreen that is both photostable and broad-spectrum, the next step is to find one that does not irritate your skin. The main complaints most people have about sunscreen are that it can

1) sting their skin,

2) cause breakouts, and/or

3) be too drying.

If sunscreen stings your skin or turns it red, you may want to switch to an all physical sunscreen. Chemical UV filters tend to be more irritating than physical UV filters. On the other hand, if you experience breakouts from a sunscreen, it could be because you are sensitive to one or more of the UV filters (i.e. titanium dioxide) or whatever inactive ingredients (i.e. emollients) are used for the sunscreen base.

Most sunscreens have a high alcohol content to make them feel less greasy. If your skin is feeling too dry with a sunscreen, you could try looking for a sunscreen with less alcohol (with alcohol listed lower on the ingredient list) or apply a good moisturizer before putting on your sunscreen.

However, the only way to tell how a sunscreen will react with your skin is by using it. Consult online reviews to get an idea of which sunscreens are well-tolerated and how people have responded to them, but everyone’s skin is different. You won’t know until you try it out for yourself!

4. Cosmetically Elegant Finish:

Remember all the coconut-smelling, greasy sunscreens we used as kids? I can’t imagine putting something like that on my skin, much less my face! Thankfully, sunscreens today are much better formulated. They smell nicer (or are fragrance free) and feel better.

However, because of the nature of UV filters, it’s still rather complicated to make a sunscreen with a cosmetically elegant finish. The main complaints people have about how a sunscreen feels include:

1) leaving a white cast after application,

2) feeling too greasy or heavy,

3) feeling too dry, and/or

4) balling up when applying makeup afterwards.

There are a few things you can do to make a sunscreen feel better though. The white cast problem will usually go away after you let the sunscreen completely absorb. However, that can take up to 2 hours or more and most people don’t have that kind of time when they are getting ready for work or school in the morning!

Applying sunscreen in a patting motion instead of a rubbing motion can also help prevent makeup from balling up.

You just have to go through trial-and-error to see which sunscreen feels best. Most likely, even with the best formulated sunscreens, you’re still going to be able to “feel” something your skin. Just make sure the feel of the sunscreen is something you can tolerate wearing every day. Look for a sunscreen with a good finish that does not compromise good protection.

5. Cost and Availability:

How much a sunscreen costs and whether you can easily get your hands on it are other things to consider. Some of the better formulated or more protective sunscreens can be quite expensive, so choose a sunscreen that won’t make too large of a dent in your wallet!

I tend to spend more money on sunscreens formulated for the face than the body because my facial skin is very finicky. Some days it'll be happy with anything I put on it, while other days it just freaks out for no reason. I find that most facial sunscreens have a better feel, but if your skin can handle it, I see no problem with using body sunscreens on your face. Some sunscreens don't even have labels that distinguish them from face or body use, so it just depends on how your skin likes the sunscreen. I personally am more careful because of my very acne-prone skin.

Most of the superior sunscreens are also not available in the US, but only obtainable through Europe or Asia. This is because some of the UV filters used in European and Asian sunscreens have not been approved by the FDA. However, you can still find good sunscreens at the drug store or makeup counter.

You can also purchase these sunscreens online (shipping may be expensive) or whenever you visit countries in these regions. Just be aware that purchasing sunscreens with illegal ingredients is considered circumventing the law. Although customs probably won’t bother with small packages, some people have had their international orders seized.

When it comes to choosing a good sunscreen, it all boils down to using something your skin likes and something that isn’t too big of a hassle to buy, even if the sunscreen doesn’t offer the best protection.

For example, if you’re trying to get the maximum sun protection possible but you end up looking like a broken out, greasy Casper, it really isn’t worth it. The way I like to think of it is, would I rather dread and hate putting on sunscreen every single day of my life? Or would I rather use a sunscreen that’s maybe not as good, get a few wrinkles and sun damage here and there, but ultimately be happy with how my skin feels every day?

Choosing a sunscreen can seem overly scientific, but that doesn’t mean it has to be illogical.

Besides choosing a photostable, broad-spectrum, good-feeling sunscreen, it is also important to know how to wear sunscreen the right way to get the maximum amount of protection. Did you know you have to wait 30 minutes after applying some sunscreens before going outside? Do you put enough sunscreen on your face for the sunscreen to be effective?

Wear Sunscreen the Right Way

Believe it or not, most people do not use sunscreen the right way and aren’t even aware of it. If you don't wear sunscreen correctly (even if you have a really good sunscreen), you reduce its effectiveness and ability to guard you against the sun's harmful UV rays.

The following steps will help you learn how to wear sunscreen the right way for maximum sun protection. To keep your skin young and healthy, make sure you are doing all of these things!

1. Order is important:

Sunscreen goes on after moisturizer and other skin treatments but before makeup. If you don't wear any makeup, sunscreen should be the last thing you put on your skin. Ideally, you should wait 20-30 minutes after the last product you put on your face (or until they are all soaked into your skin) before applying sunscreen to make sure the other products don't interfere with your sunscreen's ability to form a protective layer on your skin.

Some people argue that sunscreen works best on bare skin (that way it can bond with the skin and offer better protection), but that’s not very necessary in my opinion. When sunscreen is the outermost layer, it forms a nice shield against UV rays. Whatever you do, do not mix sunscreen with your moisturizer or foundation because that could ruin the effectiveness of the sunscreen's formulation.

2. Wait for your sunscreen to work:

If you are using a chemical sunscreen, it's best to wait 20-30 minutes after applying before going outside so the UV filters have time to soak into your skin and form a protective layer. You don't have to wait for all-physical sunscreens. Sunscreens with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide actives are effective as soon as you put it on. However, since there are sunscreens with both chemical and physical UV filters, it's generally a good idea to apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before sun exposure.

3. Use sunscreen liberally:

Apply 1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen on your whole face to ensure adequate coverage. (1/4 teaspoon is about the size of a nickel if your sunscreen is runny and flat. If your blob of sunscreen is thicker and rises higher, it will be about the size of a penny.) For your face and neck, 1/2 teaspoon will suffice. For your body, 2 tablespoons or 1 ounce is the recommended amount. This may seem like a lot of sunscreen, but if you don't apply the proper amount, you won't have a thick enough layer of sunscreen on your skin to form a shield for adequate protection.

4. The motion of the potion:

Pat on sunscreen instead of rubbing it in. This will help reduce skin irritation and also ensure that the sunscreen is applied evenly all over. You want a uniform film of sunscreen on your skin to get uniform protection.

Some physical sunscreens are also rubbed off easily. By patting them on your skin instead of rubbing them into your skin, you prevent that from happening. Patting on sunscreen also makes it easier to apply sunscreen if your sunscreen has a tendency to ball up under makeup.

5. Re-apply throughout the day.

Re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours. This is especially important if you are going to be outdoors for a long time, sweat a lot, exercise vigorously, or go swimming. I also like to re-apply sunscreen after using paper blotters because the oils on my face can cause some of the sunscreen to be removed during the blotting sessions. Sweat, water, facial oils, and the degradation of sunscreen actives during sun exposure can all interfere with a sunscreen's level of protection. Re-applying sunscreen ensures that you get full protection.

Do you have to re-apply sunscreen though? After all, it can be a hassle to put on sunscreen over makeup or on wet skin. The answer to this question really depends on your skin (i.e. how oily it gets), your level of activity, and how long you'll be out in the sun. In general, a sunscreen applied at 8 am will probably not be as effective at the end of the day without re-application. However, if you are just indoors (i.e. at school, work, or home) and away from direct window light, it's probably not that important to re-apply your sunscreen. If you are out in the sun or physically active though, then it's best to re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours at the very least.

Besides applying sunscreen properly, here are a few important things to keep in mind to make your sunscreen as effective as possible:

1. Wear sunscreen every day, even on rainy days or on days you stay indoors, because UV rays still penetrate through clouds and windows. People think that you only need to wear sunscreen when it's sunny, but UV rays are present regardless of whether you see the sun or not. 

2. Wear sunscreen every day, especially if you use exfoliating products (ex. prescription retinoids, glycolic acid) and/or if you’re taking antibiotics. All of these products can cause photosensitivity. As a cautionary tale, my friend’s mom didn’t stay out of the sun and didn’t wear sunscreen when she was on antibiotics and ended up getting white blotches on her chest that are still there today. So be careful and protect your skin from the sun when you are using protects that increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight.

3. Virtually all UV filters are oil soluble, which means they are not removed by water. To completely remove sunscreen, it’s best to use an oil-based cleanser (milky/cream type cleansers or cleansing oils) or some kind of makeup remover that can remove waterproof actives.

4. Just like how you should wash off any makeup before going to bed, you should remove sunscreen before going to sleep. This will prevent any unnecessary irritation and clogged pores that the sunscreen may cause.

5. Wear sunscreen not only on your face, but also on your neck (including the back of the neck) and hands. These are two places that show signs of aging the fastest! It's also a good idea to wear sunscreen on any bare body parts that will be exposed to the sun, such as your ears, lips, hairline, top of the head if bald, balding, or shaved, and top of your feet (especially if you want to avoid flip flop tan lines).

6. Water-resistant doesn't mean water-proof. Most sunscreens that are water-resistant will stay on your skin even if your skin gets wet (from swimming or from sweat), but that doesn't mean you no longer have to re-apply the sunscreen. Sunscreens that claim to be water-proof must be re-applied because the oils on your skin can strip your skin of the sunscreen even if your skin doesn't get wet.

Sunscreen is one of the best preventative measures you have in your care toolbox. But to make sure that sunscreen does its job the best it can, you have to do your job and wear it the right way.

*Alternatively, you can email us at ask@lecliniq.com to find out what is suitable for your skin by sending your skin concerns*

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