Sunscreen: The Most Important Skin Care Product Everyone Should Own

When it comes to taking care of our skin, we are always looking for the latest and greatest skin care products that are available. And there are plenty of them out there that offer promises of many significant benefits. But the most important skin care product is one that is simple and often overlooked: sunscreen. Read on to find out why sunscreen is the most important skin care product that everyone should own and use every day!

Protection From Sun Burns & Skin Cancer

This one is the most obvious reason why sunscreen is so important, but it seems like it isn’t motivating enough as most people still don’t apply sunscreen correctly or as much as they should be. Sunscreen blocks the sun’s harmful UV rays, and being exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays too much causes you to burn and can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Dealing with a sun burn is painful and annoying enough, but no one ever wants to deal with any type of cancer, so do yourself and your skin a huge favor and make sure you are wearing your sunscreen every day!

Anti-Aging Benefits

That’s right, wearing sunscreen every day has many anti-aging benefits! In fact, about 90% of all skin changes and problems that are related to aging are caused by too much sun exposure. Consistently wearing sunscreen can help prevent premature wrinkles and hyperpigmentation (also known as dark spots). While preventing any further skin damage should be enticing enough, wearing sunscreen daily has an even better anti-aging benefit. When using a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily, it can visibly reverse any existing sun damage that has already occurred including uneven texture, lack of clarity, and hyperpigmentation. Sunscreen Options The good news is the development of sunscreen has come a long way, and there are now many different options for us to choose from on how to make sure we are getting the daily sun protection our skin needs. The first thing you want to look for no matter what type of sunscreen you choose to use, is that it is a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of at least 30+ SPF. Broad-spectrum sunscreens protect your skin from both the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, and SPF stands for sun protection factor and is the measure of how well the sunscreen will protect your skin from the sun’s UVB rays. UVA rays are the rays that can cause premature aging of your skin and UVB rays are the rays that can burn your skin. Some common sunscreen options include:

• Lotions – often the preferred sunscreen choice to cover large areas, and often the first thing we think of when we hear the word sunscreen.
• Creams – thicker and greasier than lotions are, but are often popular if you have dry skin, especially for your face.
• Gel – gel sunscreen products work best in hairy areas and are often a popular choice for men who don’t like to use traditional lotion products.
• Stick – sunscreen products that come in an easy to apply stick are typically used for the face and are especially useful when applying sunscreen around your eyes.
• Sprays – many sunscreens are now available in a spray, and this a popular choice for parents who have difficulty getting children to allow them to apply sunscreen, people who do not like the feel of lotion on their hands, and for use re-applying sunscreen quickly and easily throughout the day.
• Powders – powder sunscreen products are also great for re-applying throughout the day.

Makeup Products And Sunscreen

There are many moisturizers and foundations that now contain sunscreen in them. If your moisturizer or foundation includes a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least 30 SPF, and you do not plan on having an extended amount of sun exposure, then you probably do not need to apply a separate sunscreen underneath your makeup product. However, if you are planning on spending an extended amount of time out in the sun, it is best to apply a separate sunscreen underneath. And because many people do not apply enough sunscreen when they put it on, it doesn’t hurt to think of your sunscreen-containing makeup products as a second line of defense.