Protect yourself from UV rays
Skin that regularly burns heavily is damaged forever. You are also prone to infections after sunbathing. Careful sunbathing is therefore necessary. Good protection consists of care before and after. How do you do that and with what?
Enjoying the sun on a beautiful summer day is wonderful, but it also has adverse effects after a longer period of time. Burning causes the skin to age very quickly, causing wrinkles to appear earlier than normal. The days after you’ve been out in the sun for too long, you’re more prone to infections, such as cold sores. You also run the risk of sunstroke. In the long run, you can even develop cataracts or skin cancer. Sensible sunbathing is therefore essential in order not to permanently damage your skin and eyes.
Protection
To a certain extent, the skin protects itself. Under the influence of sunlight, the skin produces pigment, which makes you tan. Sun rays have less chance of penetrating into the skin. Small children hardly form any pigment, which means that they are not sufficiently protected by nature. That is why it is very important to lubricate small children well.
In adults, the thickness of the skin, along with the amount of pigment, determines the skin type. The thicker and darker the skin, the less chance of burning. Nevertheless, it is always necessary to protect the skin with a sunscreen. It is therefore best to rub yourself well with a before sunbathing sunscreen. The sunscreen in these creams blocks harmful UV rays. In this way, the cream ensures that the skin does not burn, ages less quickly and that no skin cancer can develop later.
Skin types
The type of cream that suits your skin depends on your skin type. In the table below you can see what type of skin you have and what factor sunscreen you should use to avoid getting burned.
|
Skin type 1 |
factor 30 |
| Skin type 2 (light skin type, burns fairly quickly, tans slowly) |
factor 15-20 |
| Skin type 3 (fairly light skin type, does not burn easily, tans easily) |
factor 10-15 |
| Skin type 4 (slightly tinted skin type, (almost) never burns, tans quickly) |
factor 5-10 |
| Children up to 16 years regardless of skin type |
factor 30 ! |
The type of cream you use also depends on the strength of the sun (and the time you want to sunbathe. The strength of the sun – the sun power – is expressed in a number. The stronger the sun power, the more UV radiation, the faster you burn.Use the following formulas to calculate how long you can sit in the sun unprotected:
Skin type 1: maximum time in the sun = 67 minutes / sun power
Skin type 2: maximum time in the sun = 100 minutes / sun power
Skin type 3: maximum time in the sun = 200 minutes / sun power
Skin type 4: maximum time in the sun = 300 minutes / sun power
Factor
The protection factor in an anti-sunscreen product extends the number of minutes a person can stay in the sun without getting burned. For example, with protection factor 8, someone with sensitive skin can go into the sun for 8 x 10 minutes = 80 minutes without getting burned. Re-applying after eighty minutes does not extend this time. A cream with a higher factor prevents redness and burning, but does not prevent browning.
An important tip: don’t be too frugal with sunscreen. The filters in the products work optimally when at least 30 ml is spread over the body at a time. Most people don’t even use half of it.
Ten golden rules
At the initiative of the Dutch Cancer Society Queen Wilhelmina Fund, experts in the field of UV radiation and skin disorders have drawn up ten guidelines:
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Enjoy the sun, but do so in moderation – even if you use a good sunscreen.
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Avoid burning. First let the skin get used to the sun carefully and do not stay too long in the bright sun for the first few days. Your skin may thicken and tan slowly, providing natural protection against sunburn.
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Find the shade between noon and 3 pm, when the sun is strongest. This is especially true in the Benelux. In other countries this may be different, inquire about this at your holiday address.
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Wear a cap or hat in full sun and use a sunglassesto prevent sunstroke.
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Protect your skin with a good sunscreen. Even if you already have a brown complexion. In addition, be careful in the mountains, where the rays are more intense. Keep in mind that clouds and wind don’t always reduce the intensity of the rays, even if it doesn’t feel warm. Also be careful with medicines and alcohol in the sun. When in doubt, always ask your doctor for advice.
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Only sunbathe – in the sun or under a tanning bed – if you are at least 16 years old and have skin type 2, 3 or 4.
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Follow the instructions for use of the sunbed carefully.
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Always ask for personal advice in a tanning salon and take into account the harmful effects of the tanning bed.
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Do not go in the sun and certainly not under the tanning bed if your skin reacts strangely with, for example, itching, rash or rapid burning. When in doubt, always ask your doctor for advice.
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UV rays help with some skin conditions, while others don’t. There are special sunbeds for this. Ask your doctor for advice.
Are sunscreens safe?
Sometimes there are rumors that sunscreens – especially the filters in these products – are harmful. Researchers at the University of Zurich believe that some UV filters may be carcinogenic. However, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) takes a different view. According to them, there is nothing wrong with our sunscreen products.
