When it comes to protecting ourselves from the sun, there are still many false myths that confuse us and can have serious effects on our health. Even people who have been using sunscreen all their lives may be doing it the wrong way.
In order for the products to fulfill their purpose and avoid the negative results of tanning, such as the appearance of spots, wrinkles and even an increased probability of developing skin cancer, it is essential to make good use of sunscreen.
Do not know what is the correct use of sunscreen? In this note, we list the most common mistakes.
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Using the wrong filter: Most of the time we don't use the right protection factor for our skin, so we get unintended consequences. Therefore, the selection of our sunscreen will depend on the sensitivity of each of us. The general recommendation is to use an SPF greater than 15 on the body and greater than 30 on the face, as a minimum. On very light skin, the best thing will be protection with a higher scale (+50).
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Not getting enough: The recommendation is to apply 2 mg per square centimetre of skin, an amount that most of us overlook. To give us an idea, we need a complete coat of sunscreen in each application (every hour and a half or two hours).
- Only apply it when you are going to sunbathe directly: This is one of the most common mistakes we make, if we plan to stay home all day we believe that it is not necessary to apply sunscreen, and is quite the opposite. Sunscreen should be part of the daily routine 365 days a year. The sun's rays can reach the skin in any situation, including through a window.
- Do not check its expiration: The protector you bought for the summer of 2018 will most likely need replacement. The cosmetics have an expiration date and a term of use once opened, and it is expressed with the drawing of an uncapped container together with a number on the product packaging. You should never use it for longer than recommended, it is also important to keep in mind under what temperatures you are storing the product. These two aspects are essential for the proper functioning of the sunscreen and any cosmetic product.
- Do not use sunscreen because we want to tan: One of the biggest mistakes we can make, sunbathing without any type of protection is one of the worst things we can do to our skin. Did you know that tanning is a defense mechanism of the skin against external aggression? This does not mean that a good color for living outdoors is not healthy, but looking for that desired tan without protection only leads us to suffer the dire consequences for our health that we all know, such as skin cancer.