iCount Youth Account

Be Sun Smart

You may walk away from the beach with a suntan, but that's not all you're getting.

Most skin damage that causes early aging is from sunshine. Skin damage from UVA & UVB exposure is actually CELL damage.  That’s why a little damage at a time adds up and creates permanent destruction of skin cells.  Young people between the ages of 15 and 29 are most at-risk for improper sun protection. 

If you have been neglecting your skin, now is the time to start a new routine. It takes just a few minutes every day with a sunscreen to ensure healthy skin for always!

Sometimes early wrinkles and aging are all that happen…but sometimes, damage can add up to something way more serious: skin cancer.

Never leave home without sunscreen. Use at least SPF 30 if possible on your entire body, including face, neck and ears. Absolutely avoid tanning beds - stick with bottled tans or spray tans for big occasions.

Read on for the Sunshine, Sunscreen and SPF Details!

How Sunlight Works:

Sunlight arrives on earth in three forms: infrared (heat), visible light and ultraviolet.

Ultraviolet light is classified into three categories:

UVA, also known as black light, which causes tanning

UVB, which causes damage in the form of sunburn

UVC, filtered out by the atmosphere and never reaches us.

99% of the sun's UV radiation at sea level is UVA.

It has been the UVB up to now that has been blamed as the biggest cause of aging, wrinkles, and cancer, but scientists are now finding research pointing to UVA affecting these areas as well!

Ultraviolet light can damage all layers of your skin: the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue (fat). To protect itself from damage, your skin increases the production of melanocytes, which produce the dark brown pigment, melanin. But this protection is short-lived.  Longer exposure to ultraviolet light causes the skin to burn, bringing pain, redness and swelling.

One of the interesting things about UV radiation is that it is reflected by different surfaces. This can amplify the effects.

Example: Snow – reflects 90% UV light. Snow blindness and severe sunburns can occur on the ski slopes!

Sand – reflects 20% UV light. That equals EXTRA exposure at the beach.

Luckily, other things absorb almost all UV radiation partially or completely.

Example: Glass – absorbs UV light, so you cannot get sunburn in a glass greenhouse.

Because of this, most sunscreens are made up of chemicals that absorb UV light. 

How Does Sunscreen Work?

A good sunscreen blocks exposure to both UVB and UVA rays. The chemicals can absorb UV light so they cannot penetrate into skin layers, but they also break down collagen, create free radicals, and inhibit the natural repair mechanisms of the skin. This stops blood from rushing to the area, so you don’t get red skin and it stops the production of the darkening pigment (called melanin).

SPF – It’s just math!

SPF stands for “Sun Protection Factor.” 

If normal, unprotected sun exposure will cause your skin to burn in 10 minutes (this is about right) then the SPF factor of your sunscreen will lengthen the time you can stay in the sun before burning.

So, multiply 10 minutes by the SPF number.  An SPF of 30 will allow 300 minutes, or 5 hours in the sun. 

BUT – research proves we usually don’t apply enough, we miss areas all together, and we swim and sweat without re-applying.

This means you should always re-apply every few hours no matter which SPF you are using!  The higher the UV index for the day, the shorter the time your sunscreen lasts