By now, it’s a well-known fact that we at PhaMix love our sunscreen. In a perfect world, every man, woman and child would be using a daily sunscreen that protects from both the burning UVB rays and the aging and cancer-causing UVA rays. In light of that, we’re letting everyone in on our top 6 sunscreen “secrets”:
1. The difference between and SPF 30 and SPF 50 is about 1% protection against UVB rays (those that cause Burning). Theoretically, SPF 15 protects against 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 from 97% and SPF 50 from 98%. However, you only receive full protection by applying sufficient amounts.
2. We really need to use more. This may not be a secret, but translated into a real world scenario, we would be using 1 oz per application and reapplying every 2 hours. So for a day at the beach, a 100ml/3.4 oz tube would be almost empty after three applications on one person.
3. Waterproof sunscreen doesn’t exist. What sunscreen manufacturers gauge instead is water-resistance. The industry standard for “water-resistant” sunscreen translates to 40 minutes’ effectiveness in the water. “Very water-resistant” translates to 80 minutes. After coming out of the water and towelling off, however, you definitely need to reapply, regardless of time.
4. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are considered natural sun filters and act as physical barriers between you and the sun. Titanium dioxide protects from UVB and short UVA rays. Zinc oxide protects from UVB and both long and short UVA rays. A combination of ingredients (whether physical or chemical) often delivers the best protection. Our sunscreen of choice? We still think Anthelios with Mexoryl XL wins, hands down.
5. No sunscreen protects 100%, not even SPF 100. The best plan of action is using your Sun Smarts: applying an effective, broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays, seeking shade between the peak sun hours of 10am and 4pm and wearing protective clothing.
6. You can boost the effectiveness of your sunscreen by adding an antioxidant. During the day, layering an antioxidant serum like Apothekari Undercover Agent (with vitamins C, E and ferulic acid) or Apothekari Super C Serum (with 18% vitamin c) can neutralize harmful free radicals generated by UV exposure. Reapplying an antioxidant at night reinforces the fight against free radical damage, which continues hours after sun exposure. For the body, look for a lotion that contains vitamin C as well.
Of course, all this is a moot point if you don’t have a sunscreen that you love to wear. Give us call and we can help you. And that’s no secret.
