Why Is Sun Protection So Important
Everyone knows that they should wear sunscreen before going out in the sun and to put a hat on on a hot summer’s day, but why is it so important to protect our skin from the sun? Surely sunshine is good for us?
While getting natural sunlight and soaking up some rays is good for your skin, it should be done in moderation. There can be, unfortunately, too much of a good thing and sunshine is one of these things.
We get vitamin D through sunlight and when our skin is bathed in the sunlight, it creates vitamin D due to the sun’s UV rays reacting with proteins in our skin. However, you only really need to spend around 15 minutes in the sun each day with skin exposed and without a suncream to get enough.
Regular sun exposure is good for you, but overexposure can be extremely harmful. There are many reasons why sun protection is important and why you should make a habit of wearing SPF when spending longer stretches of time outdoors.
A good organic SPF moisturiser is a great everyday choice that’s easy to incorporate into your daily skin routine if your find yourself outside a lot more than just walking into your car to drive to work and back.
Sunblock does prevent UV rays from reaching your skin, but it doesn’t halt the production of vitamin D. It may be slower, but if you're spending all day in the sun you'll likely have more than enough exposure anyway.
Sunblock also doesn’t stop you from getting a tan. There is no magical cream that entirely blocks the sun from touching your skin. It shields you well, but you can still pick up some healthy colour from the sunshine.
Overexposure to the sun can cause your skin to burn which can be damaging. Not only does this dry the skin out, but it can be very painful and cause blistering and peeling. Extreme sunburn may also result in a trip to the doctor or even worse, the hospital.
Sunburn can also lead to heatstroke. If your skin is severely sunburned it can lead to heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which can be very serious. This is why covering up and staying out of direct sunshine is vital on hot days, especially between 10 am and 4 pm when the sun is at its strongest.
Overexposure to UV light has been shown to cause premature ageing and increase your risk of cancer which is why it is so important to ensure you are protected all year round. This means you shouldn’t ditch the sun cream, even if it feels like the sun has ditched you!
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