Summer is Here…
The sun is shining bright. The warmth is making us all feel just right. But ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a mighty fright.
Although, we are all happy that summer has finally arrived, kids are out of school, beaches are swarming with bare bodies, barbeques and other outdoor activities become the norm, we must not forget the importance of protecting our skin with sunscreen.
There are cosmetic reasons for limiting yourself of sun exposure and coating yourself with sunscreen; freckles, discoloration or brown spots, fine and coarse wrinkles, and leathery skin are just a few to name. In fact, a person who protects his/her skin from the sun will have more youthful looking skin. All of these reasons are great but a merit such as beauty will take the backseat to an essential such as life.
The Dark Truth
Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the United States. The number of cases has increased over the years. Approximately 90% of all skin cancers are associated with exposure to the sun’s pernicious rays. Actinic keratosis, also known as solar keratosis, is the most common skin precancer. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma and SCC are the less serious types of skin cancer and comprise of 95% of all skin cancers. SCC is the second most common skin cancer, which affects nearly 700,000 individuals in the U.S. every year. Actinic keratosis is untreated can advance to SCC. Nevertheless, the non-melanoma skin cancers are all curable when treated early. On the other hand, melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer, the cause of 75% of all skin cancer deaths. If untreated, the cancer can spread to other organs, becoming uncontrollable and terminal.
When applied properly (30 minutes prior to sun exposure, and reapplying every two hours outdoors or immediately after swimming or perspiring heavily), sunscreen can reduce the risk of skin precancer and SCC. In 2010, new research proved that sunscreen was not only a safeguard against less serious forms of skin cancer but the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma.
Who is at risk?
Individuals who are at greater risk of getting skin cancer are typically fair or freckled skin. These individuals usually burn easily and have light eyes and either blond or red hair. People with darker features and complexion are also prone to getting skin cancer, however, their risk is considerably lesser.
Like most cancers, family history can also make an individual more susceptible to skin cancer. Living in sunny climates such as California and working outdoors regularly can be contributing factors as well.
Another causal factor to mention is a history of sun exposure and severe sunburns. Nearly 80% of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is acquired before the age 18. Periods of severe sunburns that occur before age 18 can lead to melanoma later o威而鋼
n in a person’s life.
Preventative Care
As mentioned above, applying sunscreen 30 or greater 30 minutes prior to sun exposure and every 2 hours after that if you remain outdoors is key in protecting yourself from the sun’s harmful rays. It is equally important to use the right sunscreen as certain sunscreens, depending on the integral chemicals and ingredients, can do a great job blocking UV radiation but can dissolve quickly under the sun’s rays. Such sunscreens can lose as much as 90% of their effectiveness in just an hour of sun exposure. Sunscreens with zinc oxide are the exception.
Zinc oxide, originally a rock grinded into a mineral of fine consistency, unlike most chemicals used in sunscreen does not absorb into the skin. It sits on the surface of your skin blocking both UVA and UVB lights from damaging your skin.
In the past, many people were reluctant or discouraged about using zinc oxide on account of its thick sticky texture and when applied would turn a person’s complexion ghostly and pale. However, in recent times newer manufacturing methods have resolved this problem by further grinding the particles to the point of transparency. Such sunscreens are called “micronized” and do an equally amazing job at shielding your skin from UV radiation.
Furthermore, for individuals who are concerned about the harmful use of certain ingredients in sunscreen should not be deterred from using zinc oxide. As revealed earlier, zinc oxide is not absorbed into your skin but rather solely sits on the surface of your skin for it is a nanoparticle that clumps together behaving as a whole unit.
Zinc oxide is one of the most effective and the less expensive options for UV radiation protection.
MD Beauty Secrets’ Products
MD Beauty Secrets is dedicated to providing its clients with a top quality skin care line that is not only simple to use but affordable. We have researched the ingredients we use in our products to ensure that they are not only complementary with one another but that together they produce an effectual product.
For sunscreen we offer the best products that contain ingredients that will protect and improve your skin. Our sunscreens are SPF 30-50 in strength, protect against UVA and UVB, and contain micronized zinc, vitamins and antioxidants. Our Sheer Physical Sunscreen SPF 50 also comes in a spray bottle for easy application.
Note: Protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays should not begin during the summer nor end with the summer. Sun exposure during anytime of the year puts you at risk of skin damage and cancer. Therefore, it is important to protect your skin year-round.