Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D for the body. But, it has extremely harmful ultraviolet rays which can cause numerous skin issues. This is why experts regularly stress on the usage of sunscreen.
Pilates trainer Yasmin Karachiwala recently teamed up with dermatologist Dr Jaishree Sharad who answered a few FAQs on sunscreens.
What does sunlight comprise?
Sunlight comprises ultraviolet A, B, and C, visible light, infrared rays, and blue light. As per Dr Sharad, while ultraviolet B causes skin cancer, all other types of rays cause hyperpigmentation, early signs of ageing, uneven skin tone, allergy, rashes, sunburn, suntan, etc.
What kind of sunscreen should you pick?
Dr Sharad recommends picking sunscreen according to one’s skin type.
*Oily skin- Water-based/matte sunscreen
*Dry skin – Ceam-based sunscreen
*Normal skin – Any type of sunscreen
*Sensitive skin – Mineral-based sunscreen
How much SPF should a sunscreen have?
SPF means sun protecting factor. While SPF 30 is good, Dr Sharad suggested that one “should use 50+ SPF for hyperpigmented skin”.
“We should look after the PA value in sunscreen as that protects us from ultraviolet A. PA value should be either triple plus (+++) or four plus (++++),” she mentioned.
Should you re-apply sunscreen?
“If we are outdoor, we should reapply every two hours even if our sunscreen contains SPF 30 or 50,” she said.
How about indoors?
“We need to use sunscreen indoors because our cellphones, television, laptop, computers, etc all emit blue light which can be very damaging for our skin,” she said.
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