Face sunscreen: why do we need to wear a daily facial SPF?

Why wear face sunscreen every day?

What if wearing a daily facial SPF would prevent skin ageing?

There’s no debating the importance of the sun’s harmful effects on skin. The sun’s rays are responsible for the signs of premature ageing such as wrinkles, but also sunburns, pigmentation marks and in some cases skin cancer.

What happens when there is no sun exposure? Is sunscreen protection necessary? Is facial skin still at risk even when it is cloudy? How necessary is it to apply face sunscreen every morning?

The truth is we are exposed all year round to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, every single day. In winter for instance, UV rays reflect off the snow. When the weather is grey, they pass through the clouds.

 

Sun and UV rays

Let’s see how UV rays affect us in order to adopt an appropriate daily facial SPF.

In our environment, the sun emits:

• ultraviolet (UV) radiation, invisible to the naked eye
• visible radiation, light
• infrared radiation, which emits heat

UV light is split into 3 categories according to the radiation wavelength of UVA, UVB and UVC rays.

Only UVA and UVB radiation can cause premature ageing and sunburns respectively.

UVA radiation in particular are dangerous because it passes through clouds, haze, overcast skies, and even through windows.In addition, they are mainly responsible for skin ageing because they penetrate as far as the dermis.

UVB rays only penetrate as far as the epidermis and are responsible for sunburn.

Although UVA and UVB rays do not act on the same skin layers, they damage the DNA of skin cells and produce genetic defects or mutations that can lead to skin cancer.

In winter, our body is covered with clothes, only the face remains in the open air and becomes the part of our body mostly affected by the external aggression of UV radiation.

Sunscreen lotion is a must-have to protect the skin from sunlight. So is wearing face sunscreen. Everyday application is then necessary to reap the benefits of SPF.

 

What are the benefits from wearing daily face sunscreen?

Wearing a broad spectrum face sunscreen everyday is an ally to counteract UV radiation, even during in cloudy periods and in winter. It guards against both UVA (ageing) and UVB (burning) rays.

Daily facial SPF is a protective filter that limits UV radiation to penetrate the skin and allows the production of melanin without skin damage.

Thanks to its sun care expertise as well as its many sun care products developments, French cosmetic manufacturer ALPOL Cosmetique draws 5 major benefits of wearing face sunscreen every day:

1. beautifying skin texture
2. prevent photo-ageing of the skin
3. limiting face wrinkles
4. preventing skin cancer
5. allowing skin to assimilate vitamin D safely.

Applying a daily facial SPF can serve double duty, for example as a moisturizer, anti-ageing or anti-pollution.

So, what SPF (Sun Protection Factor) should we wear to help counteract the dangers of UV radiation?

 

WATCH THE VIDEO: What sunscreen for my skin?

 

What daily facial SPF should one choose?

SPF or sun protection factor is a key element in choosing sunscreen for the face. It is an indicator of the skin’s protection by wearing sunscreen lotion from the sun’s UV radiation, and more precisely from UVBs.

SPFs range from SPF 6 to 50+. Choosing a SPF will majorly depend on skin types and sunlight conditions.

For instance, in case of weak sunlight, wearing a face sunscreen with a medium to high sun protection factor is recommended, according to skin types: sensitive, tanned, oily, etc. One will apply broad spectrum SPF15 to SPF50 protection. Best to use a sunscreen that is formulated with moisturizing properties.