I continue in the spirit of the sun about sun protection. Clothing and hats/caps are undeniably the best sun protection. Babies and small children should be kept away from direct strong sunlight. But if you want to protect yourself with sun products, how do you choose?
Chemical or physical protection?
Obviously, I think you should choose physical protection. Examples of this can be clothing or sun products that contain particles (titanium dioxide) that reflect sunrays. A chemical sunscreen contains chemicals that transform the wavelength (energy) of the sun's rays. These chemicals often contain amines that can form carcinogenic nitrosamines. Furthermore, studies show that about 9% of the chemical sunscreen you apply to your body comes out in the urine.This means that the chemicals are absorbed by the skin and enter the body. What they do inside the body on their way out is unknown. I wonder where the remaining 91% goes. So the main difference is that chemical sunscreens are absorbed by the body, while physical ones stay on the skin's surface. However, you should be cautious about finely ground physical particles of nano size.
Sunscreen for babies and children
Again, clothing is the best alternative, but if you want to supplement with sunscreen, only physical protection should be used here. Adults' livers are fully developed and can break down chemicals much better than children's. That's why recommendations in recent years have emphasized using only physical sunscreen on babies and children. At the risk of being repetitive, I must emphasize the importance of avoiding nanoparticles for little ones. Eco Cosmetics offers a children's sunscreen that is also suitable for children under 1 year. Physical protection with titanium dioxide (without nanoparticles).
Different UV rays
There are 3 groups of UV radiation: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC radiation is absorbed and filtered by the ozone layer, so it's UVA and UVB we need to protect ourselves against.
UVA
UVA penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin, affects the skin's melanin and makes us tan. UVA does not burn the skin but causes premature skin aging and can damage the underlying tissue. Many studies show that UVA radiation can also promote the development of skin cancer. UVA is not filtered at all by clouds. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, it may be wise to protect your face year-round.
UVB
UVB radiation affects the outer tissue of the skin and is what causes pigment cells to produce more pigment and the epidermis to thicken. This is an important protective mechanism for our skin. UVB is also the radiation that burns the skin. Intense or prolonged exposure to UVB rays makes the skin red and burned. Unlike UVA, UVB rays are dampened and filtered by clouds.
UVC
Very dangerous (deadly) radiation that is filtered by the ozone layer. However, tanning beds still emit small amounts of UVC. UVC rays are used in healthcare to remove dead tissue. There is no sunscreen standard for UVC. Claiming that a sunscreen protects against UVC is a false marketing argument.
SPF (sun protection factor) and labeling
I find this to be quite a confusing labeling system. This UVA marking indicates that a sun protection product guards against both UVA and UVB radiation. EU recommendations state that protection against UVA should be 1/3 of that against UVB. The EU recommends that a UVA symbol should be printed on the packaging to show that this protection is achieved. This UVA marking is commonly found on sun protection products manufactured in an EU country. Titanium dioxide protects against both UVA and UVB. For example, SPF 2 means that it lets through 50% (100/2) of UVB light.This means you can stay in the sun 2 times longer compared to without sun protection. For example, SPF 10 lets through 10% (100/10) of UVB light. And so on. The SPF for a sunscreen product must be at least 6. The highest protection level is 50+. Claiming that a product provides 100% sun protection is incorrect (and illegal). Remember to use sunscreen with high SPF when you are at your palest. Switch to one with lower SPF when you've developed some color or dilute your existing sunscreen with cream/lotion/oil. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, for example cycling year-round, a facial cream with SPF might be a good idea since clouds do not filter out UVA rays.