GUIDE TO SUNSCREEN

Assalamualaikum and helooo~ 

So,

I started the Guide to Healthy skin posts with Cleansing 101 (Part 1 and Part 2), and now moving on to sunscreen. I know I actually skip some steps, as there are actually toning, serums, etc after cleansing to restore skin moisture, but we'll get back to that later okay?

Main reason why I go straight to sunscreen is because sunscreen is a hot topic, and since exfoliation products starting to gain a lot of interest and popularity, people just focus on exfoliating and many don't even use sunblock while they actively use exfoliating products.

Let me remind you again, Sunscreen is REALLY IMPORTANT especially for long term and for those who use exfoliation products. Okay scratch that, sunscreen is important for EVERYONE! And... direct expose to sunlight might cause many skin problems, including skin cancer!

||        SUNBLOCK OR SUNSCREEN?                    

I got asked so many times, "Sunblock ke Sunsreen weh?"

They're basically the same thing as both help us to protect our skin from the dangerous UV rays, and the difference is the terms used based on the ingredients. Different ingredients determine how the product works, either they block the UV rays from entering our skin or they absorb it to our skin and change it to heat which is then released from the skin.

So, are sunblock and sunscreens the same? Yes, they're basically the same thing. So suka hati koranglah nk panggil apa.

There are actually 3 types of sunscreen (aku guna term sunscreen sebab cam lagi fancy je kahkah) namely:

1. Chemical
2. Phyical (natural)
3. Hybrid

Bukan kereta je ada Hybrid k, suncreen pon ada.

||        SUNSCREEN COMPARISON - CHEMICAL vs PHYSICAL vs HYBRID          

Of course, there are pros and cons of each products, even the natural one (Physical Sunblock) have their cons. It's gonna take long to explain 1 by 1 so here's a comparison between all 3 types of sunscreen :

Okay I'm gonna explain a bit if you still don't understand (sebab i baik hati kan, lalala~).

Chemical sunscreen absorbs UV rays as it enters our skin and change it to heat which is then released from skin as infrared rays. But Physical sunblock stays on top of our skin (imagine a layer of sunscreen on top of our skin), and it reflects UV rays. Physical sunscreen does not absorb UV rays like chemical sunscreen, and it works immediately after being applied to our skin while Chemical sunscreen needs a few minutes to work after being applied to our skin. 

I don't really mind the white cast by using physical sunscreen but physical sunscreen doesn't blend really well with makeup. And since my skin is okay with chemical sunscreen, I choose to keep using chemical sunscreen!

||        UVA & UVB                    

The sunlight we see with our bare eyes actually consists of both UVA and UVB. Both UVA and UVB are harmful to our bare skin, in a different way. 

UVA

UVA penetrates deeper into the skin layers, which cause a more long-term damaging effect. Since it penetrates deep inside our skin layers, it affects the cells and damage them. This caused wrinkles and results in our skin being saggy- In short = Ageing skin.

UVB

Unlike UVA, UVB only hit the most surface layer of our skin. This caused swelling, redness, sunburn, freckles, age spots and dark spots, and other kinds of skin pigmentation. This type of sun rays is what caused sunburns. 

||        WHAT IS SPF , PA+++ & BROAD SPECTRUM?                    

SPF = Sun Protection Factor (Protection against UVB)

PA+++ = Protection against UVA

Broad Spectrum = Protection against both UVA and UVB

Remember I told you that there are 2 types of UV rays, UVA and UVB?

SPF only protect our skin from UVB, and PA+++ protects our skin from UVA. So, find yourself a sunscreen that contains both SPF and PA+++ instead of just SPF. As SPF use numbers to indicate the total protection offered, PA use +++, which means the more +, the better protection it offers.

BUT, the higher the SPF doesn't necessarily  means that a sunscreen is better. This is because sunscreen needs to be re-applied every 2-3 hours, and according to Dr.Oz, SPF 30 to 50 should be fine and after 50, the gains are marginal and mostly get mixed by sweating and rubbing. 

Many people just focus on finding a sunscreen that contains high SPF, and completely ignore PA+++. It's only okay to ignore PA+++ if the sunscreen is a Broad Spectrum type, as Broad Spectrum protects our skin from both UVA and UVB.

Why some sunscreen shows PA+++, while some others show "Broad Spectrum"?

PA+++ is usually sunscreen from Japan and Korea, while Broad Spectrum are usually sunscreens from western countries, thus, the different terms.

Also, keep in mind that UV rays are the harshest when our shadows are the shortest, which is in the afternoon where the sun is really hot and strong.

||        HOW MUCH SUNSCREEN DO WE NEED TO APPLY?                    

No matter how expensive and well known effective your sunscreen is, it wont matter if you don't apply it the right way and the right amount. 

The right amount is two fingertip units for your whole face, a.k.a dua ruas jari, or about 1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen for your whole face. Less than this can be considered useless as it doesnt give us the protection our skin needed.

Also, don't forget to re-apply your sunscreen every 2-3 hours okay? If you're swimming or having outdoor activities that makes you sweat, please reapply right after your activities.

||        SPF IN MAKEUP PRODUCTS                    

I often heard girls' conversation at beauty store, saying they need makeup with higher SPF so that they doesn't need to use sunscreen.

GIRLS, U ARE WRONG!

It is true, that makeup contains SPF but they are not enough for our skin. Of course you can use the foundation as a replacement for your sunscreen, but you're gonna need a whole lot of it! If 1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen is needed for SPF for the whole face, you are gonna need around 10 to 12 pumps of your foundation to get the SPF needed.

how . much . is . that ?

I mean, the most I use is just 1-2 pumps of foundation and it already feels thick. Imangine 10 pumps hahaha! That amount of foundation doesn't just clog your pores, your skin can't even breathe and it's gonna make your skin condition even worst. And, please don't do your own math! Someone once said to me, if foundation have SPF30, and my face podwer is SPF20, I got SPF 50 in total! NOOOOOO! that's not true at all!

So please don't just rely solely on make up products' SPF. And products combined doesn't add on their SPF total okeh, mandai je hahaha! terhibur sistur.

||        THE ORDER TO PUT ON SUNSCREEN                     

Sunscreen needs to be added at the END of skincare routine, but BEFORE your makeup. You don't need to apply sunscreen at night, so this is the step to put on sunscreen in the morning :

Cleanser > Toner > Serum > Eye Cream  > Moisturizer > Sunscreen > Primer (and then start your makeup routine)

If you're not wearing any makeup, stop at sunscreen.

I often get asked whether it's moisturizer first, or serum first? I'd say, go with the lighter texture first, and thicker texture later. If your serum is thicker than moisturizer, then put moisturizer first. And for night skincare order, change sunscreen to leave-on sleeping mask and you're good to go!

||        WHICH SUNSCREEN IS THE BEST FOR MY SKIN?                    

Everyone has a different skin types, and each of them is unique. So what's best for me might not best for you. I will do review on sunscreen that I've tried and personally like later (I will put the link here), but the best sunscreen is different for everyone. If you don't mind the whitecast, you can go with the Physical Sunscreen and if you hate white cast, you can go to chemical sunscreen.

As for me, I don't mind the white cast BUT I prefer chemical sunscreen as it goes better with makeup.  And there are tons of different brands of sunscreen out there, and my advise is to find the ones that suits your skin types.

But here are tips for choosing sunscreen :
1. At least SPF 30
2. Don't forget PA+++, or Broad Spectrum. If there's no PA+++ or Broad Spectrum on the label, find other suscreen
3. If you have sensitive skin, I'd advise you to go with Physical sunscreen as it's from natural ingredients.
4. Choose according to your skin type (Don't use sunscreen for oily skin if you have dry skin!)
5. Read reviews on blog, youtube, and online shops beforepurchasing & trying out new products.

Okayyy that's all for sunscreen. I really hope this post helps.

Btw korang, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin untuk yg mengenali saya! Walaupon sedih gilaaa tahun ni tak dapat balik beraya kat kampung ibu (we planned since last year!), I'm cool as long as everyone's healthy and lets do our best to do social distancing!

Till then,
Thank you for reading this entry!

hani shubie