If there’s a thing you put on your face right now, let it be sunscreen. Dermatologists talk about this over and over again because it’s one of the best tips to protect the skin, regardless of your skin tone.
Surely, your first priority is to forestal a sunburn, which can increase your skin cancer risk. As a major bonus, sunscreen also maintain the skin looking young. A quality SPF can guard the skin from the harmful UV rays that cause premature aging, and even assist reverse signs of damage by reducing dark spots, improving texture, and improve brightness, per 2016 study in the journal Dermatologic Surgery.
The problem? It can be difficult to find a sunscreen that isn’t sticky, or has a rough white finish on top of the skin. That’s why choosing a sunscreen specially formulated for your face can give better results.
Individual with sensitive skin may also discover that sunscreens formulated for the body are irritating to the skin, and may cause breakouts. Sunscreens designed for the face are often non-comedogenic, so they’re not going to clog the pores. And sometimes they include other additives that make it more gentle on the skin.
For human with sensitive skin, dermatologist suggest avoiding sunscreens that use drying alcohol as an ingredient and turning to a cream-based sunscreen as opposed to an alcohol-based one.
Chemical sunscreens, which typically contain octinoxate and avobenzone, work by absorbing UV light. The active chemicals in this sunscreen turn UV light into non-harmful rays of heat, which is then released from the skin.
Physical or mineral sunscreens, which primarily use zinc and titanium as their active ingredients, are recommended for children and people with sensitive skin. They reflect UV rays, serving as a barrier that prevents the rays from getting into your skin.
Some sunscreens will physical or mineral blocker on the bottle, but if it doesn’t, you can see if the sunscreen is a physical or chemical kind by looking at the ingredients.
Have you been smear the same bottle of sunscreen year after year? You may be putting the skin at risk. The FDA requires sunscreen to last 3 years. After that, it may not provide the amount of protection listed on the bottle. Consult the expiration date before applying, and if you don’t see one, assume it expires 3 years from the date of purchase. The AAD recommends noting the purchase date on the bottle so you can keep track.
