The Importance of Protecting Your Skin from the Summer Sun

If you are lucky enough to live in the Sunshine State, you enjoy warm temperatures and bright, sunny skies most of the year. However, this benefit is also a major threat to your skin. Florida’s intense sunlight puts your body at serious risk of damage from ultraviolet and infrared rays.

The Dangers of the Summer Sun

The sun sends its energy to Earth in many forms. Ultraviolet light, for example, isn’t visible to the naked eye and can easily infiltrate your body without warning. UVA and UVB rays are the two types of ultraviolet light that break through the ozone layer. When they penetrate the skin, they actually affect the DNA of skin cells to cause sunburn, wrinkling, discoloration, and the formation of skin cancer.

UVA rays penetrate the skin all the way down to subcutaneous tissue, and they remain consistently intense during daylight hours, regardless of season or cloud cover. UVA rays are primarily responsible for accelerating signs of sun damage and skin cancer. UVB rays are more potent but don’t penetrate the skin as deeply. They are the primary cause of sunburn on the skin, but also play a role in the development of skin cancer and visible photoaging.

Infrared radiation, meanwhile, accounts for about half of all solar energy reaching the skin and penetrates even deeper than UVA and UVB rays by reaching deep into the subcutaneous layer of skin. IR rays are associated with loss of skin elasticity and the production of dangerous free radicals.

Signs of Sun Damage

Protecting your skin from sun damage should always be treated as a top priority for the sake of your appearance and your health alike. Signs of sun damage are numerous and can make you look much older than you really are.

• Actinic keratoses, which are rough and scaly patches of skin that look like warts.
• Age spots, which look like large, discolored freckles.
• Wrinkles, laugh lines, and crow’s feet
• Atypical moles, which are a potential sign of skin cancer

Chemical vs. Physical Sun Skin Barriers

Sunscreens are divided into two general categories: chemical sunscreens and physical sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens have been used for many years by lending chemical filters like avobenzone and oxybenzone to absorb the energy of UV rays and convert them into heat that is dispersed in the skin. However, this system places your skin and body in more danger since the ingredients are unstable and believed to interrupt hormone production.

Physical sunscreens are much safer and more efficient for many reasons. They absorb, reflect, and scatter UV rays from the surface of the skin to essentially create a shield over the skin. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the two most prevalent ingredients in physical sunscreens. The highest quality physical sunscreens like those offered through Obagi can only be obtained through a physician or skin care professional. Call (813) 935-2273 to purchase your Obagi sunscreen from MindBodySpirit Care in Tampa, Florida and ensure that your skin is fully protected all summer long.