Here’s why sunscreen is important for your skin

The importance of sunscreen is pretty well-known. According to dermatologists, wearing sunscreen is one of the easiest ways to protect your skin’s appearance and health at any age.

Studies point out that using sunscreen regularly can help in preventing sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging.

Every sunscreen has some amount of Sun protection factor (SPF) which represents a sunscreen’s ability to protect against a specific portion of ultraviolet (UV) light called UVB.

According to experts, UVB rays are responsible for sunburns and skin cancer. But how to know which sunscreen to buy?

Dermatologists maintain that for day-to-day use, pick a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. However, if you spend more time outdoors, choose a product with SPF 60 or greater.

As most people do not use as much sunscreen as they should, and this higher SPF helps compensate for the reduced application.

In order to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun, apply around 30 grams of sunscreen to protect your face, neck, arms, legs and other exposed regions. To protect your face and neck, you’ll need about a half teaspoon.

Experts often emphasise that sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating. If you spend most part of the day indoors and sit away from windows, you may not need a second application.

Keep a spare bottle of sunscreen at your desk just to be safe. It is noteworthy that no sunscreen is perfect and hence, wear-wide wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses or other protective clothing, and seek shade whenever possible for extra protection.