Sunscreen Is Important, So Why Aren’t You Wearing it?

No matter your age, you should be wearing sunscreen. It is not just the most important step in your skincare routine, it is also what keeps your skin care routine effective and long lasting. If your skin is the largest organ on your body, then why aren’t you protecting it? There are so many sunscreen products out there that it can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing the right one. But before you buy one, you need to know what sunscreen does. By wearing sunscreen, you are protecting your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Believe it or not, these ultraviolet rays from the sun can be very damaging to the skin and are the number one cause of aging. Yup, that’s right, damage from the sun is what causes wrinkles! Damage from the sun does not just cause wrinkles; it can also have more serious effects such as skin cancer.

We all have seen SPF on sunscreen packaging before. But what does it stand for? Well, SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. SPF is a measurement of how well the sunscreen can protect your skin from the sun’s rays. It protects your skin by absorbing and blocking the sun’s rays. Sunscreen with an SPF of 15 allows you to stay in the sun for 15 times longer than if you weren’t wearing it.

One of the reasons why sunscreen is so hard to choose is because there are so many out on the market. First, there are chemical and physical sunscreens. There is a huge difference between them.

Chemical sunscreens are very popular because they are very easy to rub in without seeing a white-cast. Chemical sunscreens come in lots of different formulations that can be sold to a variety of skin types. They are made of organic compounds that absorb UV rays. Some examples of chemical compounds in these sunscreens are oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Now that you know about chemical sunscreens, let's move onto physical sunscreens. Unlike chemical sunscreens, physical sunscreens contain active mineral ingredients. One of the most popular being zinc oxide. These ingredients protect the skin by deflecting UV rays away from the skin. Physical sunscreens work best if you hate the sting from chemical ones by the eyes. They are also great if you have sensitive skin. However, the white-cast in these sunscreens are what make them annoying to wear sometimes.

Here are some of my favorites:

Chemical: