10 Things We Learnt About Choosing SPF For Your Skin Type

#NightInWithEscentual Chelsey and Dylan from Eucerin discuss SPF for Skin type

Do you want to know how to protect your skin without overburdening it? A lot of our customers do too. That’s why I roped in Dylan (the confessed skincare geek), Eucerin’s Medical Manager to help guide us through the minefield of choosing the right SPF for your skin type.

The first step is to identify your skin type (determined by your genetics). The main skin types are:

• Normal
• Normal to Combination
• Oily
• Dry
• Sensitive

Still unsure what skin type you have? Tweet us for a tailored diagnosis.

Secondly, it’s essential to have in mind your preferences. The right combination of the following elements is vital; otherwise, your sun protection will never protect you in the way you want it to:

• Protection level
• Ingredients
• Texture

Let’s get to it!

Our topic: SPF For Your Skin Type

 

#1 Your skin concern will give you a clue to what format and ingredients you should be looking for:

Your cheat sheet:
• Oily and blemish-prone skin: A gel or mist that mattifies and prevents oil secretions. Look for ingredients like BHAs: niacinamide, salicylic acid.

• Ageing skin: A rich cream that plumps and firms. Look for ingredients like retinol or hyaluronic acid.

• Pigmented skin: A cream or lotion that prevents current and future pigmentation. Look for ingredients like liquorice extract, vitamin C and thiamidol.

• Sensitive skin: A minimal ingredient cream that doesn’t aggravate. Choose mineral over chemical spfs.

• Dehydrated skin: A moisturising cream that actively hydrates skin; this could also be a day cream with SPF. Look for ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid and thermal waters.

 

#2 There’s more to sun protection than an SPF Level.

93% of the sun’s rays are UVA (ageing and pigmentation) and not UVB. A basic SPF won’t protect you from both; broad-spectrum SPFs are essential as they protect you from UVA and UVB rays.

 

#3 SPF (Sun Protection Factor) measures the amount of protection against UVB in a product

UV ‘Burn’ is the easiest way to remember it. But don’t forget, that factor doesn’t include your protection against UVA or UV ‘Ageing’ and High Energy Invisible Light (HEVL). You need an equal level of SPF and UVA star rating to get the best protection, or look for a broad-spectrum for safety.

 

#4 The SPF number equates to the extra minutes you will be protected against burning.

For example: If you wear an SPF30, you will be protected 30 times longer than your skin can naturally withstand before burning without SPF. It also means how often you should top up, so in this case, it’s every 30 minutes.

*If you don’t swim, get wet etc. you will need re-apply after contact with water.
* You also need to apply the SPF at least 20 minutes before sun exposure for the SPF to protect your skin adequately.

 

#5 SPF50 is the safest option

• SPF15 protects you from 93% UVB
• SPF30 protects you from 97% UVB
• SPF50 protects you from 98% UVB

The 1% difference in SPF30 and SPF50 equates to 50% less UVB damage. By choosing an SPF50, you’re 50x more protected from burning than with SPF30 – that means fewer top-ups too!

 

#6 Make sure your SPF has a UVA circle.

In Europe, UVA protection for each SPF should equate to a minimum of a third of the labelled SPF. A product that fits this standard is recognised with a UVA circle logo – this is how to recognise you’re getting significant UVA protection against ageing and pigmentation.

 

#7 Your SPF should also protect against High Energy Visible Light (HEVL)

For anyone concerned with the ageing effects of the sun blue light (HEVL) does affect your collagen protection, but computer screens and phone damage is negligible. HEVL from outside is more important to take note of. For example, if you stood for 1 minute in the sun at lunchtime, to get the same amount of HEVL, you would have to hold your phone on your face continuously for 171 hours.

 

#8 UVA and HEVL can penetrate glass

Glass can block UVB rays, but not UVA and HEVL. If you’re indoors, look for suncare with UVA logos and HEVL protection.

 

#9 All of Eucerin’s SPFs are tested on sensitive skin

You can guarantee high tolerance on sensitive skin. However, if you’re highly sensitive, try Allergy Protect, and atopic skin types should use Sensitive Sun Protect.

 

#10 100% of Eucerin’s SPFs contain Advanced Spectral Technology

This means a combination of broadband and photostable UVA/UVB filters for UV protection, along with antioxidant protection against HEVL from Licochalcone A, a popular anti-inflammatory.

 

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