how to choose your sunscreen for the beach this summer?

Summer is declared, the school holidays itou, and here is the time to go to the sea. To enjoy the beach or the swimming pool with peace of mind, and more than a day in a row, a good sunscreen is required. But in the scrub of available products, how to choose cream?

Ultraviolet rays exist in several varieties. UVB radiation is the most powerful: it is he who causes sunburn. It depends on the location, the position of the sun, the time of day, the weather …

Find the index

To protect yourself from UVB, you have to choose a cream with sufficient sun protection factor (SPF). The indices, which range from 6 to 50+, express the ability of a cream to delay sunburn. A fair-skinned individual will see their skin start to blush from about 10 minutes of exposure. An index 15 cream will give him a break of 150 minutes before his skin starts to scorch again.

The choice of the SPF index depends on your phototype, that is to say, your pigmentation and your sensitivity under the sun. For the beach, we can rely on the following benchmarks:

– Skin quite resistant (matte or black, no sunburn): SPF 6 to 10

– Intermediate skin (tanning easily, rare sunburns ): SPF 15 to 25

– Sensitive skin (white, frequent sunburn): SPF 30 to 50

– Extremely sensitive skin (white, freckles, not tans): SPF 50+

From the lab to the beach

These indices are calculated baduming that the cream is applied at the rate of two grams per square centimeter of skin. An illusory quantity, which would cost you practically a tube a day! In practice, it is often considered that an index of 50 corresponds to an index 15. For white skins, it is therefore necessary to opt for a 50 index cream and basting every two hours.

The question also arises UVA radiation, more diffuse and penetrating than UVB. It is the one who goes through the glbad or the clouds and gives you a tanned complexion after a sunny day, alas temporary. To be effectively protected against UVA, the protection index must be equal to one third of the SPF index. In this case, the cream tube has a visible UVA logo.

In any case, be generous on the cream and baste at least every two hours. As for the terms "total screen" or "100% protection", they have absolutely no value. Remember to protect yourself from marketing.

And to recap …