Sunscreen

Learnt from Nu Ren Wo Zui Mei today that SUNSCREEN is really really important as part of our skincare regimen. Thus, I sourced for more information on sun protection.

Although sunlight is essential for human life, daily exposure to the sun (Sunlight exposes you to two kinds of ultraviolet light, called UVA and UVB) over a lifetime is a major cause of skin damage, including wrinkling and skin cancer. Many of the skin changes attributed to aging are in fact signs of sun-induced skin damage. So What is the best protection against the sun? STAY INDOOR!!! The hours between 10 am and 3 pm are the worst times to be outside.
But again, although you may stay indoor most of the time, UVA and UVB rays still pass through windows. So what's next best? SUNSCREEN!

Although virtually all sunscreens provide some level of protection against UVB rays, no product yet screens out all UVA rays. Our skin will never be fully protected from the sun no matter how high the SPF index. The higher the index, the more your skin will be burdened with extra sun-blocking ingredients that do not really protect your skin. The SPF number only tells us how long your skin will be protected from the sun. A high SPF number (1SPF=10 minutes protection) is unrealistic because sun protection wears out due to perspiration and other reasons. But wearing a sunscreen is much better than nothing at all.

More info on SUNSCREEN that I've searched:-

How much sunscreen should you use?
You will not get the full protection offered by the sunscreen unless you apply the recommended liberal amount on your skin. Unfortunately, many people use much less. If you are at the beach, for example, use about an ounce of sunscreen over your whole body for one application. That means you should plan to buy about one 8-ounce container or more of sunscreen per person for each week you are at the beach.
If you frequently go swimming or perspire, use a waterproof product for the best protection. Make sure to reapply the sunscreen as needed during any outdoor activity; otherwise you are not getting the protection you need from the sun's rays.

When should you use sunscreen?
Skin damage does not occur only on the beach or the ski slopes. Most people who are going to be out in the sun for more than 10 minutes would benefit from daily use of sunscreen on the parts of the body exposed to the sun. Even casual exposure to sunlight - while driving a car, walking to the store, taking an outdoor lunch break - contributes to the cumulative lifetime exposure that may lead to skin damage.
Make sure you apply the sunscreen about one-half hour before going out in the sun to give your skin a chance to fully absorb it.

Are all sunscreens basically the same?
Sunscreens contain a variety of ingredients. Although some sunscreens may provide more moisturizers, for example, those with identical SPF numbers give you equivalent sunburn protection from UVB rays. It’s important to pick sun care products that will protect you from the sun, and the health risks of sunscreen are generally still lower than sitting out and broiling yourself a nice shade of cadmium red. In the United States, the active ingredient in most sunscreens is oxybenzone, a moderately effective sun blocker but one that reacts with sunlight to form possibly allergenic and carcinogenic chemicals. Oxybenzone is a popular ingredient because it rubs in well, but for safety, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide are recommend as the active ingredient in sunscreen. Because of the cost of buying sunscreen products year-round, you may also want to shop for competitively-priced brands of sunscreen offering the level of protection you need.

How effective are sunblocks?
Do not be misled by sunscreen products that claim they are sunblocks. Only opaque substances, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, totally block the sunlight. These products are most practical to use on specific areas of the body most exposed to the sun.

Are there special precautions you should take with children?
Parents should see that sunscreens of SPF 15 or greater are applied routinely when children go outdoors. Because sunscreens may irritate baby skin, and babies' developing eyes are particularly vulnerable to sunlight, experts recommend that infants less than six months old should be kept out of the sun altogether.
Experts estimate that about 50 percent of an individual's sun exposure occurs by age 18. Some have suggested that schools, child care centers, and camps rearrange outdoor play times to minimize exposure to the midday sun.