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What Sunscreen should I buy? {Sunscreen}

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So, yesterday, I did a very long post on the ingredients of sunscreen. So, the reason I did that post was because I wanted to do this following post in which that knowledge would be helpful. By the way, I do not claim whatever I had written yesterday is complete.
Now, what are the important factors in deciding sunscreen?
  • SPF : Yes. But, as I mentioned in this post, anything above 30 doesn’t really provide extra protection so spf 30 products are enough. And, still, if you want to aim for high, anything beyond 50 is worthless.
  • Labeling : Always buy a ‘broad-spectrum’ sunscreen. The label should be there on the product. Btw, most of the Indian products do not have such labeling conformations which is pretty sad.
  • Ingredients : You would want to ensure you are getting adequate protection so look for the ingredients I mentioned in the chart.
  • Manufacturing : Buy as latest sunscreen as possible because the composition of the sunscreen may break down if kept unused for long.
  • Brand : Always get a trusted and established brand which has proper research facilities. I would definitely add here that do not get herbal sunscreens as they do not have any of the sunscreen ingredients. They might prevent tanning but there is no saying as to they can protect skin from UV radiations. And, I would definitely put my trust in chemical products than sticking to herbal in such cases.
Anything I might have forgotten which you think should be included in this list?

Sunscreen Ingredients {Sunscreen}

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Now, I am not sure but have you ever come across the term ‘Sunblock’. Well, let me then tell you that this word doesn’t hold good at all. The reason being FDA (US federal drug administration) has passed out some guidelines regarding the labeling of sunscreens in which it makes it clear that the term ‘Sunblock’ is misleading and can’t be used anymore. Now, if you guys remember, I had done a very old post, my first post on sunscreens in which I had explained two types of sunscreen – chemical and physical sunscreens. So, yup, that’s the only classification which holds.
Sunscreen (Chemical Sunscreen)
  • applied half hour before going out
  • absorbs the sun rays to prevent damage to the skin
  • has to be as close to skin as possible for maximum protection
  • has to be reapplied to ensure effectiveness
Sunblock (Physical Sunscreen)
  • has to be applied immediately before going into sun
  • the ingredients deflect sunlight from the skin instead of absorbing
  • should be the top most layer of products applied so as to deflect the rays
  • has to be reapplied only if one is perspiring or during swimming or when it is raining or in any case where there is a likelihood of the product being washed away
Approved Sunscreen Ingredients Chart from September 2006 given out by FDA
So, if you are buying sunscreen, make sure your sunscreen has any or some of these ingredients listed above. Generally you will find avobezone and oxybenzone are most used in products like Lotus, Lakme and even in the dermatologist prescribed sunscreens. Now, from the chart, you can easily infer that though most of the ingredients provide adequate UVB protection, there are very few ones good at providing UVA protection.
 
What is Helioplex?
Helioplex is a patented technology of Neutrogena. As I mentioned above, avobenzone and oxybenzone are the most commonly used ingredients.
Avobenzone is a UVA blocker and Oxybenzone is UVB blocker but both ingredients are highly unstable, especially Avobenzone which breaks down pretty quickly (within half hour) when exposed to sunlight. So, Helioplex is a stabilizing formula developed by Neutrogena which harnesses the potent characteristics of Avobenzone and Oxybenzone to provide a broad-spectrum sunscreen which is stable.
What is Mexoryl?
Have you come across this term? Well, it was all in rage till very recently as the new ‘sunscreen’. So, referring back to the chart, check out the ingredient called ‘Ecamsule’. This ingredient is marketed by the name of ‘Mexoryl’ and the very reason it might have become very popular would be attributed to its characteristic of being a very good filter of UVA but unfortunately, it doesn’t give the broad-spectrum protection. This is a patent of Loreal. Check out this post by Sesame on better comparison of Helioplex and Mexoryl.
P vs C 
Now I come to the most important part of the post. Referring back to the chart, you would find the fourth column very interesting. Most of the ingredients are chemical and only two are physical ingredients – Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. Now, what makes physical ingredients different from chemical ingredients?
  • Chemical Ingredients absorb the UV rays, as I mentioned above. So, where do this absorbed energy go? Inside our bodies. And, they becomes manifested as something which you would be familiar with ‘free radicals’. Yup, the very thing which makes us age.
          Physical Ingredients just sit on the skin and deflect the sun’s rays.
  • Chemical Ingredients are highly unstable and breakdown in the sun very easily. That is why one is supposed to apply the sunscreen frequently.
       Physical Ingredients do not break down in sunlight and need not be reapplied frequently as frequently as the chemical sunscreens.
  • Chemical Ingredients do not leave any white cast on the skin.
          Physical Ingredients do. A disadvantage.

Use sunscreen 365 days a year {Sunscreen}

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Ok, so this is a sincere advise to people who love to skip on sunscreen. Yes, even I do that!!! Or, rather used to do that and now I have become diligent and force myself to apply the sunscreen everyday as soon as I moisturize my face. The reason is that it helps to keep you young by counteracting the effects of sun rays on skin. And, I have kept my resolve on and off since May so I can safely say that this happens to be true. Daily usage of sunscreen does keep you younger for a longer time or rather prevent wrinkles and age spots which tend to appear as you age. I know it is difficult to find a good sunscreen but for those who haven’t tried, you can go for Neutrogena Ultra Sheer or if you have the dough to spend, I would definitely advise MVO Moisturizing Face Screen or Everyday Sheer Coverage. MVO has physical sunscreens and they definitely work!!! Better than chemical ones and you don’ have to keep on reapplying them all day!!! And, of course, you should apply adequate amount of sunscreen for proper protection. That is very very important. And, do not skip on sunscreen even for a single day.Full strength sunscreen in summers is a must but many people tend to forgo it in rainy seasons or cloudy days or even in the winters. But, on cloudy days, there might be a possibility that UV radiations increase so it is always safe to apply a full strength sunscreen. The reason is that though clouds are handy in deflecting the UV rays passing through them, they also reflect the UV rays if the sun is out and not obscured by the clouds. So, don’t be fooled by clouds and leave the sunscreen at home. And, regarding winters, yeah you can go little less on the strength that is the spf factor if you wish to. But, forgoing it not at all a good idea. The UVA rays specially remain strongest during the daylight hours all the year round.

spf 15 – filters 93.3% UVB

spf 30 – filters 96.7% UVB
spf > 30 – filters around 97% UVB
So, clearly any sunscreen having spf more than 30 is not very helpful and efficient. These are mainly marketing tactics so you can protect your skin as well with spf 30 as you will with spf 100.
I would recommend going for spf 30 in general all round the year because it provides the best protection. It is proven through research that factors higher than 30 do not in anyway provide extra protection as compared to spf 30 so it is better to stick with spf 30 and make sure to reapply it regularly. And, clothing is very important to protect from the sun’s rays. So, do take care that you are amply covered.