Summer is here! How to hide and play in the sun?

Hey I just met you, 

This is crazy,

So here's my number,

You'll call me, maybe...

I'm quite hooked on to this song now because of Raymond. HEEHEE! Ok! Back to today's topic!

BLOCK OUT THE UV!

As can be seen from the heading, I'll be sharing about sunblock, sunscreen, whatever you wish to call it. These are all products that I've used found it to be useful and gentle on the skin.

Firstly, you have to know what type of sunblock you are looking for and what does all the things printed on the bottle/packaging means.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and ranges from as low as 10 to as high as 100 (as seen in the US :O) It actually means how long the product will remain effective. Multiply it by 10 will indicate the number of minutes it is effective. For example, SPF 20 x 10 = 200 minutes = 3 hr and 20 mins. I heard this from one of the beauty shows that I watched. Do not know how true is it but it has been working for me so far. In any case, conventional SPF only blocks out UVB rays which causes burns, reddening and irritation but neglects the detrimental effects of the UVA rays. UVA damages the DNA cells from deep within the skin and hence should not be neglected. Thus, look out for labels that says UVA/UVB protection.

PA stands for prevent aging (similarly, heard from beauty show). It measures how much UVA the product protects you from. As UVA causes long term effect like aging, wrinkles, dark spots, freckles (as a result of excessive exposure to the sun), it is important to know how many ++ they offer. Basically, a PA+ means a UVA protection of 2-4, PA++ corresponds to a protection of 4-8 and PA+++ would mean 8 and above. It is recommended to choose products with at least PA++ for a better protection from the terrible UVA!

Ok, so I'll start with this new product that I found in the States. I don't know if it's available in Singapore, you can always check out Watsons or Guardian. I was actually just walking in CVS pharmacy and happened to chance upon this wonderful product. The weather was cold but the Sun was super scorching. Once your skin is exposed to it, it feels like it's tearing apart. So, this moisturiser by Garnier is just amazing. Not only does it repairs sun damanged skin, it helps to protect your skin as well with SPF 28 and protection from UVA/UVB. It is light on my skin and absorbs really well. There are actually some products out there that leaves a sticky feeling after you apply so this is really good. 

 Another one that I've been using for quite long would be the L'oreal UV Perfect which I actually got to know about it when I received a birthday present for my 21st :) This products is similarly very light on the skin (not as light as garnier) but it has SPF50 and PA+++ which is AWESOME! It helps to prevent premature skin aging, skin darkening and formation of brown spots.It comes in different shades whereby they have those skin-tone colours. I chose the transparent one so that it can go under my make up. So, if you're lazy to put on foundation, you can try the ones that are tinted. I don't know about the effects though. 

Lastly, another one which protects less but is good if you're not going outside or exposed to the sun for too long. The Artistry essentials balancing lotion offers a SPF of 15 and protection from UVA/UVB. This is also light on the skin. As you can see, I always look for products that are light on the skin as my face gets oily easily so it's really important that I find one that is not so thick.

To sum it all up, be very aware of the products you buy. Don't just buy for the fanciful packaging, take some time to digest what the product offers you. Also, do note that the sun is not the only thing that emits UVA/UVB, even the seemingly harmless light bulbs and computer screens at home can cause damages to your skin. So, always put on your sun screen. ALWAYS!

Till then! CIAO!!!!!!!!!!