More Than a Sunscreen
Is there anything that screams “summertime” quite like the smell of sunscreen? It takes me back to my childhood when my sister and I used to swim in my grandma’s pool. We would swim from morning until dark. We always took breaks and reapplied our sunscreen, but did we actually know (or care) what we were applying? Or how important it is to apply in cooler months as well as summer months?
The meaning behind the acronym SPF is none other than the light of your life – no, not your significant other or your kids, the other one. The SUN! SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. But why do we need to be protected from the sun?
The sun emits different types of UV rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. These rays penetrate deep into the skin and rapidly age your skin, and can cause different types of skin cancer. The shorter rays cause immediate damage to the skin. Tan skin is sick skin. That’s where SPF comes in, to protect you from the sun’s harmful rays in all seasons.
One thing to remember is to reapply, reapply, reapply. Most sunscreens can only protect you for 90 minutes, so reapplying is just as important as your initial application. (Do you think I said the word reapply enough in this paragraph? Ha-ha!) Now that we have covered SPF and why we need to be protected from the sun every month of the year, let’s jump into mineral and chemical sunscreens.
Chemical sunscreens will penetrate the skin and absorb UV radiation through chemical bonds. When reading that last sentence did the words chemical, absorb and skin stick out to you? They did to me. You probably didn’t expect to be soaking up anything other than sunshine, did you? Chemicals cannot only be harmful when absorbed into the bloodstream (especially years and years’ worth of applying; who knows how long this stuff hangs out in our system?) but they are harmful to marine life as well.
Mineral sunscreens work by providing a protective layer on top of the skin, deflecting the sun’s rays and dispersing the energy. It starts protecting immediately after it is applied. Colorescience mineral sunscreens offer beautiful and safe protection. The Sunforgettable Brush is formulated with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for easy reapplication. The Total Face Shield collection is formulated with zinc oxide and makes the perfect initial application. This collection includes everything from glow to matte to bronze to light/medium coverage with the Flex series. It’s a beautiful way to stay protected and not have the iconic white-covered lifeguard nose. The fact that this company can create such beautiful colors out of minerals that are safe for the skin and available to anyone deserves a round of applause. From sunlight to pollution to free radicals, Colorescience goes above and beyond!
