Summertime is sun protection time!
When it comes to sun protection, our skin can't take a joke. Every careless hour in the sun takes its revenge - either immediately with a painful sunburn, or years later with prematurely aged skin or even worse. Sun protection is therefore the most important anti-aging measure! Why is this so? Because UVA rays can penetrate deep into unprotected skin and permanently destroy the collagen network there - irreversibly. UVB rays, on the other hand, cause the classic sunburn: a painful reddening that shows that the uppermost layers of the skin have been damaged by the sun's rays.
Tanned skin - the goal of many sun worshippers.
What many of us love about sunbathing, we get a supposedly healthy beautiful tan on the skin. Whether tanned skin is beautiful or not, that has changed with the decades and tastes every now and then. If it was once a sign of high social standing to show a noble pallor of the skin, it is now considered chic to show a light tan. Whether the individual finds tanned skin beautiful or not, exposing our skin to the sun without protection makes us age faster and promotes pigment spots on the skin. Responsible for this are free radicals, which cause stress to the skin and damage the collagen network, as well as overactive melanin production. This is because sun rays stimulate melanin production in the skin, which provides a tan and thus natural UV protection for the skin. By the way, here the reason for the less good effect is already found in the word "protection": the skin feels attacked by the UV radiation and tries to protect itself with the production of melanin. Through too much sun, our melanocytes become overactive and an accumulation of melanin occurs, which then shows itself in pigment spots. Experts speak in such a case of hyperpigmentation.
Sun protection is anti-aging and health protection together
Fortunately, it is now undisputed that a sun protection factor is extremely important - for young and old! On the one hand to protect the skin from disease and on the other hand also as anti-aging protection. Nevertheless, there are still many uncertainties around sunscreen and sun protection filters: Which filters are there? What is the difference between mineral and chemical/organic sun protection? What do you have to bear in mind when applying sunscreen? Which sun protection factor is the right one for me?
Here we clean up once a bit provide you with a few answers important tips - and perhaps a personal note from our clientele: Here has the one or the other earlier also without sunscreen on the beach - because I he / she did not know better. But when it comes to sun protection, it's always better late than never! So: Read this article to the end, order a sunscreen suitable for you, preferably in our store, and use it regularly!
Basically, there are two different types of filters that protect our skin against UVA and UVB rays:
Mineral sunscreen filters
Mineral filters are usually based on zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. The sun's rays are reflected and scattered on the skin by the particles they contain, they do not pass through the skin barrier and do not penetrate the skin unless they are nano-sized. For this reason, mineral filters are often recommended especially for the sensitive skin of children. They had, and in some cases still have, a tiny disadvantage: they sometimes leave a slight white haze on the skin. Fortunately, innovative progress has been made in this area as well, so that high-quality mineral sunscreens whiten less and less.
Chemical/organic sunscreen filters
Chemical sunscreen filters protect the skin by absorbing UV radiation and converting it into heat. Since many of these filters are only active in a certain wavelength spectrum, i.e. they only protect against UVA or UVB rays of different wavelengths, several types of filters must be combined. Thus, for full-spectrum protection, a chemical sunscreen always requires several different substances that act as UV filters. Some of these filters are harmless, others are suspected of influencing our hormone balance or even promoting cancer. One example of this is octocrylene, which is not only said to be hormone-active, but also extremely harmful to the environment. Our philosophy at North Glow is to do no harm to our planet and all living creatures, as well as ourselves, of course. That is why you will only find products in our range that are not even suspected of being harmful in any way. Chemical/organic sunscreen filters that we consider to be good and completely harmless are for example Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoapte (absorbs UV-A rays from about 320 to 400 nm), Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone (absorbs UV-B rays from about 280 to 320 nm) and Ethylhexyl Triazone (UV-B filter, absorbs UV-B rays from about 280 to 320 nm).
Which sunscreen is right for me?
Sun protection is mandatory as soon as you are outside. Here, no distinction is made between male and female skin. Since male skin tends to be somewhat thicker, you can perhaps be a bit selective here and there when it comes to care products. For sun protection, the rule is: one for all. And not just in summer: the sun still has a lot of power in spring and fall, too, and in winter at high altitudes it's also very easy to get burned if you underestimate the effect of UVA and UVB rays. By the way, the sun protection factor on sunscreens refers exclusively to protection against UVB rays - not UVA protection. It is therefore worth taking a close look and reading up on the protection against skin aging. Protection against UVA radiation is always indicated on the package.
Whether mineral or chemical/organic UV protection filters, as long as the formulation of the sunscreen is of high quality, you are always on the safe side for your skin. It makes sense to buy your sunscreen from a supplier whose expertise you trust. With mineral sunscreens, you should also make sure that they do not contain any nano-particles: Under certain circumstances, these can overcome the skin barrier and enter the bloodstream. Here, however, a clear all-clear, nanoparticles must be marked with (nano) in the list of ingredients, so you would recognize that immediately.
Mineral filters are often better tolerated because they are not absorbed into the skin. This is also the reason why they are usually recommended for children's skin. With chemical/organic filters, it makes sense to look more closely at which filter substances are used in the formulation. This makes the selection a little more complicated. However, as different as every skin is, so is its sensitivity and "preference" for certain ingredients. The only thing that helps is trial and error.
Sun protection at NorthGlow: This is what you will find in our assortment
Wir haben seit letztem Jahr ein sehr ausgewähltes Sortiment mit Sonnenschutzprodukten aufgebaut. Hier findest Du Sonnenschutzprodukte mit überwiegend hochwertigen mineralischen und teilweise auch organischen Filtern. Letzteres jedoch ausschließlich mit, gemäß unserer Recherche, unbedenklichen Filterarten. Bei North Glow findest Du Sonnenschutzprodukte der Marken SeventyOne (Australien), Salt & Stone (Australien), Beachkind (Schweden) und About Suncare (Deutschland). Weitere hochwertige Pflegemarken in unserem Sortiment bieten zusätzlich ein bis zwei Sonnenschutzprodukte mit Lichtschutzfaktor 30 an, so zum Beispiel SeventyOnePercent, Beachkind und sogar RMS Beauty.
My 5 favorite sun protection tips for you:
- Make applying UV protection a regular part of your routine! It should be as much a part of your morning routine as brushing your teeth - your skin will thank you for life!
- Sunscreen should always be the last step of your skin care routine: After that, you should not apply any more care, but of course you can still put on makeup.
- A good sunscreen filter offers the specified protection - but only if it is applied in the appropriate amount. So don't be stingy when applying sunscreen!
- Please also think about your neck, ears and body: sun protection is not only important for the face! Skin that is exposed to the sun - i.e. not covered by clothing - should be protected with a light protection filter.
- My mommy tip: Sunscreen for kids is mandatory! However, putting on sunscreen is usually right behind "washing hair" and "spinach" on the popularity scale for them - it's no different with my kids. That's why I explain at an early age why sun protection is important and at the same time take a little more time to apply the lotion. Many children also like to be distracted by a conversation or a telling story. This turns it from a chore between door and door to a relaxing moment in the morning routine.
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