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History of SPF Skin Care

August 18th, 2010

For a long time, many people have been aware of the need to cover from the sun, but not always to the extent that it is done today. Once it was learned that sun exposure could cause more harm than good, and that a sunburn could lead to more damage like cancer, the need for protection vastly increased.

The first sunscreens were developed in the early 1900s, but of course, weren’t as effective as the products that are commonly used today. Franz Greiter introduced the sun protection factor, or SPF, into the mainstream as a means of measuring the level of effectiveness of sunscreen lotions, oils and gels.

A topical sunscreen product can be used on your skin to reflect or absorb the harmful ultraviolet, or UV, rays from the skin. Ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays can both be detrimental to your skin and even result in cancer.

SPF and Skin Type

The easiest way to protect yourself from the sun would be to stay out of the sun as much as possible. But with daily tasks, it is much too difficult to ignore this situation altogether. The best way to tackle this issue is to face it head on. Knowing a basic SPF skin care regimen for your skin type can greatly protect you from the harmful rays.

Light skin tones will require a higher SPF such as SPF 30, whereas darker skin types can usually get by with SPF 15. If you have very sensitive skin then you will want to use a sunscreen product that is less irritating. Also, people who suffer from dry skin will want a sunscreen product that includes a moisturizer. A noncomedogenic, oil-free sun block will be less likely to cause acne such as whiteheads and blackheads. The least comedogenic SPF sunscreens usually come in gel form.

If you are unsure of what SPF number is best for your skin, here is one way of finding out. If you typically start to burn after 15 minutes of sun exposure and you apply a sunscreen with SPF 15, then you will have protection for 15 times your usual amount, as in 225 minutes, which equates to three hours and 45 minutes of sun protection.

Your skin will be best protected if you use a sunscreen with a high SPF and broad spectrum that will fight against UVA and UVB rays. Sunscreen also diminishes the signs of overexposure like age lines and flaky skin. Your SPF skin care should be complete with a moisturizing lotion to stop dryness and a noncomedogenic gel that won’t clog pores.

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