How Does Sun Cream Work? Sunscreen 101

How does Sun Cream work? 

Sunscreen, like Sun Zapper, works by providing a protective barrier on the skin to shield it from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. 
 
how does sunscreen work

There are two types of UV radiation that sunscreen protects against: UVA and UVB rays.

  1. UVB rays: These are the rays responsible for causing sunburn. UVB rays can damage the outermost layers of the skin. Sunscreens are assigned a sun protection factor (SPF) number, which indicates the level of protection they offer against UVB rays. Higher SPF numbers mean more protection.

  2. UVA rays: These rays penetrate the skin more deeply and are associated with premature aging and long-term skin damage. UVA protection is indicated by a star rating system. More stars on the product label mean higher UVA protection.

Sunscreen contains active ingredients that either absorb, scatter, or reflect the UV radiation before it penetrates the skin. 

There are two main types of active ingredients used in sunscreens:

Chemical (organic) filters: These ingredients absorb UV radiation and transform it into harmless heat. Common chemical filters include avobenzone, octocrylene, and octinoxate.

Physical (inorganic) filters: These ingredients, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, sit on the surface of the skin and act as a physical barrier, reflecting and scattering the UV radiation away from the skin. Including our Non Nano Zinc Oxide Sunscreen which is our most natural sun cream.

Sun Zapper contains a combination of these active ingredients to provide broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. 

Zinc Sun Cream 30mL SPF 50+ Travel Size Sunscreen - Sun Zapper UK

What is SPF? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. 

SPF is a measure of how well a sunscreen protects your skin from the sun’s harmful UVB rays, which as we now know are the rays that cause sunburn. The higher the SPF number, the more protection it provides. 

For example, SPF 50 sunscreen allows you to stay in the sun 50 times longer than if you were unprotected before getting a sunburn. 

**It's important to note that no sunscreen provides 100% protection, so it's still necessary to reapply regularly and take other sun protection measures like wearing protective clothing and seeking shade.

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