Myths and Truth about UV protection products - necessity or a gimmick?

I decided to talk about products with UV protection because in my opinion most people don’t really understand how important it is to use them and what they’re really for. What benefits do we get from using UV protection products?

I will consider myself as someone who knows a thing or two about beauty products as I have worked within the beauty industry for over 10 years. So I decided to do a little investigation, my very own market research and asked a few questions around UV protection, suspecting that our knowledge of UV products is not that great.

It came out that there are some myths regarding UV Protection. So what are people’s thoughts about using products that contain SPF (which stands for Sun Protection Factor),which protects our skin form damaging UVB and UVA rays?

Myths! These are the statements I came across while doing my bit of research.

– I don’t want to use products with SPF on holiday as I won’t tan.

Truth: You still tan, you just don’t burn your skin. You may tan a little bit slower but you will find your tan is more likely to look more even and also last longer. Remember that by reducing the amount of product your applying on the skin you are also reducing SPF of the product. All sunscreen products will have the application recommendation so make sure you read the label to use your product correctly.

– I’ve heard quite a lot of “My skin is dark, I don’t burn so I don’t need to use it!”

Truth: Even if you don’t burn so easily or quickly olive or dark skin can get cancer too. People who tan easily or are naturally dark skinned have a lower risk of developing skin cancer than those with fair skin that burn easily, however, they are still at risk of skin damage, which causes pigmentation and premature ageing.

– Some thought these products are a gimmicks and they don’t actually work at all.

Truth: There was plenty of research done so we do know that UV protection products work, however, for non believers I have here a link to the page showing photographs of people who didn’t use sunscreen like the French taxi driver who’s one side looks 20 years older ( in my opinion but have a look and decide for yourself) than the other side, due to his work nature and being continuously exposed to higher UV radiation on one side and not the other. There are also some great examples of twins showing the difference in ageing process due to the fact that one of the twins was more careful with sun exposure than the other.

– Sun protection products are only designed to be used on holiday while sunbathing in hot climates and only in the summer. ( Which in my opinion may have something to do with the fact that those products pop up on the drug store shelves in a holiday period.)

Truth: Sunburn is caused by UV radiation and it has nothing to do with temperature so in summer, a cooler and windy day may have a very similar UV radiation index as hot day would. You can get also burned on cloudy days. Remember that UV radiation can penetrate clouds.

– Unfortunately, a majority of people I’ve asked thought that if it says that the product is water resistant there is no need to re-apply it and it will last all day long.

Truth: You will find some UV protection products labeled as “Waterproof” or “Very Water Resistant” that means that your sunscreen should provide protection in water for 80minutes. Sometimes you can also see products labeled as “ Water Resistant” and those provide only around 40 minutes of protection while in the water. All UV protection products should be re-applied every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating. Make sure you read what it says on the back of your sun product to ensure you use it correctly.

– Another popular statement is: I don’t like SPF because these products are too thick and they make my face oily and I get blemishes.

Truth: Sunscreens are quite heavy and rich so it’s very important to clean your skin well at the end of the day. Don’t use your day cream that contains SPF as a night cream. Many brands offers SPF products that contain mineral SPF or are oil free. So it’s possible to find right product for your skin type. ( I shall attach a small list of some lightweight products with UV protection at the bottom of the page.

– Products with SPF will prevent my body from getting enough vitamin D.

Truth: On days when UV levels are moderate to high, most people get enough vitamin D through normal activity, even with sun protection.

– Tan beds are a safe way to get a “base tan” to get skin ready for sunbathing on holiday.

Truth: Sun beds “Solariums” are not a safe way to tan. They emit nearly three times more UV radiation than the midday sun, so thy can damage your skin even faster than a ‘natural’ suntan.

I have also noticed while doing my little research that many don’t see a point in using any sun protection products. Any ideas why?

I hope this helps and you find all or some of the information useful.

So who is going away on holiday soon? What sun protection products are you going to pack?

And here are my face sun protection products recommendations: