Is it mandatory to use sunscreen, how to take care of your skin in the summer?

Sunshine encourages us to spend more time outdoors, generally boosts our mood and gives us a boost of motivation. In order to enjoy the sun this summer, we suggest to understand how the sun’s rays affect the appearance and health of your skin and what you should pay attention to when choosing sunscreens.

Sunscreen is designed, as the name suggests, to protect the skin. However, some believe that it can do more harm than good. Opinions vary, with some believing that sanscreen is basically ineffective and others believing it is dangerous.

Dr. Jennifer Lin, associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Melanoma Risk and Prevention Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explained what science actually knows about sanscreen.

Has sunscreen been proven to be dangerous and cause skin cancer?

This is a false assumption. It arose because many who used sanscreen traveled to countries with sunnier climates and actively tanned. In other words, it was prolonged exposure to the bright sun that increased the risk of skin cancer, not sunscreen.

Is it mandatory for everyone to use sunscreen?

Dr. Lin recommends using sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, including melanoma. People with darker skin have a fairly low risk of developing these diseases, so sunscreen is not considered necessary in their case. Nevertheless, protection from sun radiation also helps to prolong the youthfulness of the skin. Therefore, even if you are naturally quite swarthy, you should not neglect sunscreen.

Can sunscreen use lead to vitamin D deficiency?

Sunscreen does block ultraviolet B rays, which are important for vitamin D production. But since most people apply much less than the recommended amount (about a teaspoon of product per face), they are generally not deficient in vitamin D.

If you’re concerned that sunscreen may be causing a vitamin D deficiency, talk to your doctor. And if he or she deems it necessary, he or she will recommend vitamin supplements.

Rachel Neal, an assistant professor at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, also believes this shouldn’t be a serious problem. “The way sunburn works is different from vitamin D production. And there’s a lot of evidence that sunscreen application doesn’t seem to have much effect on vitamin D levels,” says Neal.

In 2018, 13 leading experts from around the world gathered to discuss how vitamin D levels are affected by sunscreen. And they concluded that sunscreen has little to no effect on vitamin D levels in healthy adults.

What are sanscreens like?

Sunscreen is a cosmetic to protect against ultraviolet radiation. Literally from English sunscreen translates to “sun screen”. They are presented in several formats, let’s tell you about the main ones.

Spray
Despite the lightness of the texture and ease of application, these products have exactly the same degree of protection as dense creams.

Viktigt! After spraying, it must be carefully distributed over the skin.

Cream
It is the cream texture that is the “pioneer” of modern sunscreens. But do not forget that many creams are designed exclusively for application on the body, not on the face. In turn, many sunscreens designed for the face are not suitable for application to the eye area. Therefore, you should carefully study the manufacturer’s recommendations before buying a sunscreen.

Fluid
This is a lightweight and perhaps more comfortable form of sunscreen. It is suitable for owners of oily skin, on which the cream and at all can roll off.

Sunwater
And this is an even lighter and weightless form of fluid. Be sure to shake the product thoroughly before use.