Just because you’re not from Hawaii doesn’t necessarily mean that you should not wear sunscreen year round. In fact, skin cancer affects many in parts of the world where there’s not much sun. That is why it is so important to wear sunscreen year round to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays. Living in Hawaii often means trying different sunscreens throughout the year. So what makes a sunscreen good, and how do you go about picking the right type of sunscreen for your skin?
You want to choose a sunscreen that is a broad spectrum sunscreen, meaning it protects you from both UVA and UVB rays. There are many ingredients in sunscreens, so how do you know which ones should be included? Well, read the labels, to protect your skin you will want a sunscreen that contains one of the following ingredients, or a combination of these ingredients:
ecamsule
avobenzone
oxybenzone
titanium dioxide
sulisobenzone
zinc oxide
Many consumers are concerned with harmful ingredients and chemicals that are included in sunscreens. If you are one of these people, then you should choose a sunscreen that has zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide as these are more natural ingredients.
SPF is calculated in general by assuming a normal person burns in 10 minutes. SPF 15 would mean that your sun exposure can be 15 times the normal 10 minutes before you burn, so an SPF 15 would mean that generally speaking you could last in the sun for 150 minutes without burning. Now this is a general rule, and you might burn faster so a sunscreen with a higher SPF might be better for you. Most dermatologists will agree that a SPF higher than 50 is not more effective than SPF 50, so this is the highest level of SPF that you should consider buying.
There are all kinds of sunscreens out on the market, so it comes down to your skin type and personal preference. There are many sunscreens that can be worn daily, that are waterproof or sweat proof. Here are some sunscreens that we like:
For more health and beauty tips from Hawaiian makeup artist Monae, visit her website kenohonani.com
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