Know About Sunscreen Products and Choose the Best One

Due to the man- made environmental pollutions and climatic changes, one of the most protective parts of the atmosphere, the ozone layer is badly depleted making the world more vulnerable to the ultra-violet radiations. And this in turn has caused severe health problems to human beings worldwide.  Ultra violet A and ultra violet B are the two most common rays that pass through the earth’s atmosphere and  can cause severe damage to the skin. From age related changes to the skin such as black spots, freckles and wrinkles etc. to skin cancer, these rays are very much responsible for  these various skin disorders. In this situation, use of sunscreen products (cream, lotion, gel, cream etc.) is one of the ways to protect our skin from being affected by these harmful rays. But using any product without judging its ingredients and suitability for a particular skin may not only be ineffective but harmful also causing some serious side effects to a sensitive skin. In facts sunscreen products are effective to a great extent but they are not the guarantee of 100% protection, hence it is better to avoid the direct sun rays during the hours (between 10a.m. to 2p.m.) UV rays are most intense. The problem becomes more serious in summer and particularly for those who are living at higher altitudes and near the equator. Instead of the fact that sunscreen products can not deliver the total protection to the skin, one needs to apply them for the maximum possible protection. In this regard, one must have some knowledge of these products before purchasing and choosing appropriate one.

First and foremost thing to know is the particular skin type you have and then to choose a product that is ideal for. Here to know about the SPF contain of a product is most important then about the chemicals such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide etc. that are mostly used to prepare various sunscreen products Before using a  particular brand, one needs to be assured , whether these chemicals are safe to use for his/her skin or not. SPF is the first thing one have to know. It is the abbreviation of Sun Protection Factor which is counted in numbers and determines the capability of the product to block out sun’s burning rays. Companies producing these products are legally bound to mention the SPF factor count on their products, so it is easy to know about. The SPF number may vary from product to product counting as low as 2 to as high as 60. These numbers show how long the product is effective in blocking or absorbing the harmful rays. For example if my skin gets burn within 10 minutes of the exposure then a product containing 15 SPF will protect it for about150 minutes. SPF number is multiplied by 10 to count the average protection time. Generally dermatologists and expert advice to use 15 SPF for a normal skin but depending on skin type and exposure duration, it can vary from person to person. For example products having more than 30 SPF are not considered as safe for Indians. Hence before using high number of SPF one should consult an expert.