Prevention is better than treatment: That's why you should protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun every day. It's never too early (or too late) to start using sunscreen. As skin ages, it becomes increasingly difficult to repair the effects of sun damage. So the sooner you start protecting them, the better.
On a day when you don't spend a lot of time in the sun, your sunscreen should work without recharging. However, if you are outdoors for a long time or sweat a lot, you will need to reapply your sunscreen regularly to ensure complete protection.
In any case, the regular application of follow-up creams is important to maintain the protective effect, as it is reduced by swimming, sweating or drying the skin. It is also crucial that enough sunscreen is used and that all parts of the body are evenly protected.
The protective effect of a sunscreen is only applied once a day
- The after-cream and repeated application do not prolong the protective effect of the sunscreen, but rather maintain it.
- The protection time cannot be increased by applying the cream in a particularly thick way.
- However, if the sunscreen is applied too thin, the product may not develop its full effect.
The choice of UV filter
A basic distinction is made between mineral and organic filters when it comes to sun protection. Organic filters consist of synthetic molecules, mineral filters are obtained from the processing of minerals, usually zinc or titanium.
Organic filters absorb UV rays according to the same principle as melanin, which is produced by the skin when it comes into contact with the sun's rays (tan!). For a long time it was assumed that inorganic filters only reflect UV rays, like a mirror. But it seems that they mainly absorb ultraviolet radiation and reflect it only partly.
The advantage of mineral filters lies in their ease of use: as soon as they are applied, they act against UV radiation. Organic filters, on the other hand, take between 15 and 30 minutes to take effect. Mineral filters are especially recommended for sensitive skin and children, since certain skin types tolerate some organic filters poorly.
What is the UV index?
The UV Index (UVI) is an international measure of the UV radiation that causes sunburn. The higher the UVI, the greater the risk of sunburn. UVI numbers range from 0 to 12. A UV index of 1 corresponds to around 25 mW/m2. The UV Index shows how long it takes for a certain skin type to burn in the sun. Example: In fair-skinned people (skin type II) with a UV index of 5, sunburn may have developed after just 20 minutes in the midday sun. In Germany, the highest values are around a value of 8, while all over the world values up to around 12 are measured.