The Sunshine Series 02
Hello again!
Welcome to Part Two of the Sunshine Series!
If you've missed Part One; catch up here and learn about:
- Sun Rays
- Sun Damage
- How to Protect Your Skin
Oki Doki, let's dive in to Part Two.
🐠 WHAT DO THE SPF NUMBERS MEAN?
SPF = Sun Protection Factor and is used to determine how long the product will provide protection to your skin.
The SPF number tells you how long the sun’s radiation would take to burn your skin vs the amount of time it would take if you weren’t using sunscreen.
example: if you’re wearing SPF 30 it would take you approx. 30 times longer for your skin to burn
The higher the SPF the longer it will protect your skin from sun damage, needing to be applied less frequently. One application of sunscreen will not be enough to last you all day. It needs to be reapplied.
🐠 NATURAL vs TRADITIONAL SUNSCREEN
I feel like this could be a whole post just on its own, but lets keep it simple…
Plz note: I'm not using the term *chemical* sunscreen... that's another HUGE topic, one which I'll write a whole post about... but it's not todays lesson 🤓
Natural Sunscreen
Also know as Physical or Mineral Sunscreen
These babes reflect the UV light, using ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide. They sit on top of your skin reflecting the UV rays away from yo body. They're providing a physical barrier.
Traditional Sunscreen
These babes absorb into your skin and then absorb the UV light. The rays are then converted into heat and released from the body.
🐠 Reef Friendly
You’ll have heard the term “reef friendly” yeah? What does that mean?
When we jump into the ocean or take a shower, all that lovely protective sunscreen starts to wash off… and goes into the fishes homes
The term isn’t regulated, so you can't always trust products that use this description on their label. Best way is to check the ingredients list yourself.
When it comes to “traditional sunscreens” look out for the below ingredients.
These are ones that the HEL (Haereticus Environmental Laboratory) have flagged as potentially problematic for marine life
- Oxybenzone
- Octinoxate
- Octocrylene
- Homosalate
- 4-methylbenzylidene camphor
- PABA
- Triclosan
However, our natural friends aren’t without concern either…
Zinc and Titanium Oxide can still be toxic to marine life and eco systems. It mainly comes down to their particle size… the smaller the particles the worse they are.
So what you want to look for on the product description or ingredient label is NON NANO zinc oxide or NON NANO titanium dioxide
Phew, this was a lot of info! While at the same time, really just scratching the surface of these serious topics. Hopefully you've found this post an interesting kick start of your sun protection knowledge!
Part Three of The Sunshine Series is the final segment where we're going to learn about:
- Vitamin D
- How to help your skin replenish itself
- SPF product recommendations
If you fancy a chat about anything you've read about here come find us on Instagram, where you can DM, comment or just check out the behind the scenes fun and product tips!
Peace & Love
Lucy (she/her)
Founder, Lucky Cloud Skincare
xo
Disclaimer
All content within this blog is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Lucky Cloud Skincare is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health