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Do sunscreens prevent tanning? {Reader’s Query}

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Sunscreens are essentially made to prevent the sun’s rays to harm your skin and trigger skin cancer. But, depending on the strength of the sunscreen, it might have tanning prevention abilities. 

Physical Sunscreens
Predominantly used physical sunscreen agent, Zinc Oxide, is a broad spectrum sunscreen which protects skin from both UVA and UVB rays (both types). Generally, it helps a lot in preventing tanning. But, there is a loop hole here. The abilities of the sunscreen depends on the strength of its protection. For example, if you are using a spf 15 sunscreen, it filters out 92% (rounded figure) of the sun’s rays and still allows 8% to go through. Those 8% of the sun’s rays can still harm the skin. 
Similarly, when talking about Titanium Dioxide, it filters out all UVB rays but only half of UVA rays which reduces the strength of the sunscreen considerably. In spf 15, 8% of rays are still passing through to the skin and also, UVA rays are separately affecting your skin because the sunscreen can’t block them. Also, Titanium Dioxide is responsible for generating free radicals in the body unless it is coated.
Chemical Sunscreens
The major issue with chemical sunscreen is the stability factor. The chemical ingredients breakdown on exposure to sunlight. Yes, that’s a contradiction to the function of the product. That’s the main reason why a sunscreen has to be reapplied after every two hours. Also, they have a tendency to generate free radicals in the body which can also trigger cancerous reaction within the body.
Also, let me say here that the “Helioplex” of Neutrogena is a stabilising formula (read this post for more details) to prevent the breakdown of the chemical sunscreen ingredients which makes its sunscreens effective on a longer length of time. But, again the strength of sunscreen decides the amount of rays passing through to the skin and they can cause tanning. 
Also, a sunscreen which doesn’t have PA ratings gives no protection against UVA rays so still your skin is vulnerable to tanning and aging. PA ratings gives protection against the UVA rays and spf gives the protection strength against the UVB rays so a sunscreen needs to have both these factors mentioned for it to be a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Recommended Sunscreens:

MVO Moisturizing Face Screen
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock

Lactocalamine Deep Cleansing Face Wash {Product Review}

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Lactocalamine Skinsurance Deep Cleansing Face Wash for Oily Skin
I know this product has been there in the market since quite long and it wasn’t a buy either. I got it free with the lactocalamine bottle. Initially, to be frank, I wasn’t interested in using it and was wondering “will I get one with every lactocalamine, yikes!!!” Anyway, let’s get on with the review and let’s see if I really would mind getting it even for free 🙂
Price: Rs 65 for 70ml
Ingredients
Lactocalamine Skinsurance Deep Cleansing Face Wash for Oily Skin Ingredients
Pros
– it feels really cool when you wash your face, the best part

Cons
– it has SLES
– doesn’t really control oil for long time
My Experience
Lactocalamine Skinsurance Deep Cleansing Face Wash for Oily Skin Product ColorThe gel is light purple in color and smells awfully like a bubblegum!!! I don’t really like the smell but its not exactly offending. Whenever I apply the face wash, there is an immediate cooling effect like you have applied menthol or something on the face. That’s what made me write this review 🙂 Definitely a very useful thing in hot summers 😀 Right??? It has menthol and raspberry extract too which is pretty interesting. 
It does make my skin feel a little dry after the wash but then, it is meant for oily skin and mine is a little quirky kind which oscillates between dry and oily. So, wouldn’t really blame the face wash and even then, it doesn’t leave my skin stretched or anything. I can easily grab a light moisturiser and I am good to go. But, the biggest thing is that it doesn’t help me with the oil on my nose and chin 🙁 They get oily in an hour or two after washing my face.
Have you used this face wash? What do you like or hate about it?
Other products from Lactocalamine:

Always have a bottle of calamine lotion

Products which helped my hair {Hair Care}

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my hair diary april 2012 at Perfect Skin Care for you

I wanted to do this post long back after the one on home remedies for hair growth but somehow forgot. I would definitely recommend all the products I list down under here:

  • Biotique Musk Root: helped combat my hair fall last year in January and really nourished my hair. You can read the entire review here. 
  • Lush Caca Noir: Well, technically, this is just a hair coloring agent and nothing else. But, it improved my hair texture and made it so soft and shiny. I love it and I wanna lay my hands asap on Caca Maroon. It wasn’t a first love and my first review was almost that all money spent on it went into drain. But, the second review which I did after using the noir again after a spell of 3 months almost was what made me a fan of this product. Read about the Caca Noir here.
  • Biotique Mountain Ebony: This is one of the really un-talked product of Biotique but I love it to bits and it wasn’t an instant love either. I took my own sweet time to analyze it and use it and decide on it. I bought it in December 2010 and used it sometimes and left it. Later, again started using it after a spell of almost 6 months and used it daily in fact. Read about it here. 

Update

  • Rogan Badam Shirin: I really forgot to put about it. Padmaja asked me about hair oils and this is my one go to hair oil and the best ever which has actually shown me results on a long term basis. Read about it here. 

All the products mentioned above are tried and tested on a long term. I shall keep on adding if I find something equally good in the subsequent future 🙂