With so many different types of sunscreen hitting the marke, it is easy to see why choosing one for your skin can be so confusing.
Whether you are going out on the beach, or shopping, or simply heading out for a walk, wearing sunscreen is a must unless you want your skin to be damaged by the blazing sun!
Sunscreen is undoubtedly a basic skin care necessity and choosing the best one for your skin is highly imperative.
So, how do you find the best sunscreen that gives you the right protection? Keep the following things in mind while choosing one to get your hands on nothing but the best!
1. The Sun Protection Factor
The Sun Protection Factor or SPF is of prime importance while choosing the ideal sunscreen. A basic SPF of 15 seems to work fairly well to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
If you have dark skin, you might want to consider a sunscreen with an SPF of 20 and an SPF of 30 is generally recommended for a fair or wheatish skin. However, if you plan to spend some good hours under the sun, consider going for a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 and above, just to be on the safer side. This would shield your skin against the harmful UVA rays and prevent sunburns.
2. The ingredients
Another thing to consider before buying a sunscreen is if its contents suit your skin.
Even the UVA filters, which are the major ingredient of a sunscreen, can cause reactions if they do not suit your skin. Although the purpose of a UVA filter like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide is your skin’s protection, they may prove harmful to your skin. Other ingredients, such as oxybenzone may disrupt your hormones and cause allergies.
Therefore, it is crucial to check whether the ingredients of a sunscreen work for your skin. If you have sensitive skin, you should consider avoiding aphelia and alcoholic ingredients.
3. Your skin type
Identifying your skin type is a prerequisite for choosing an effective sunscreen.
If you have dry skin, oil-based sunscreens are likely to benefit you, as they hydrate the skin. On the other hand, a gel-based or water-based sunscreen is suitable for an oily skin that is prone to acne. It would be a mistake to use creams, as they are oil-based and can trigger breakouts.
4. Manufacture and expiry dates
You should always check the manufacture and expiry dates before purchasing a sunscreen. As with any other product, the ingredients of a sunscreen are likely to degrade over time and thus, using it beyond its expiry date can do more harm than good for your skin.
Always choose a sunscreen that has a manufacturing date closest to the present day because the fresher it is, the more effective it will be!
Another thing to note here is that the price of a sunscreen does not always do justice to its quality – you do not necessarily have to shell out a huge amount of money for a good sunscreen. Just keep the aforementioned factors in mind while buying one to get your hands on a formula that you will love slathering on!