HOW THE SUN AFFECTS YOUR SKIN HEALTH

Studies have shown that while the sun can be beneficial for your skin health, it can also be harmful. Let’s take a look at what to bear in mind as you enjoy the sunshine.

With summer in full swing, it’s hard to avoid the powerful rays of the sun. Sunlight is a very important factor in human health, from giving us vitamin D to influencing our circadian rhythms. Too little sunlight can have adverse effects on both our mental and physical well-being. However, it’s common knowledge that too much sunlight is also detrimental. Let’s take a look at the facts and what we can do to protect ourselves and our children.

UVA, UVB AND UVC

Sunlight consists of a variety of different types of waves. Among these are ultraviolet waves, often categorised into UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC waves from the sun are blocked by the ozone layer so it’s only UVA and UVB that we have to be concerned with. UVA makes up 95% of the UV rays that reach us. These penetrate deeply into our skin and can cause it to age more quickly. The remaining 5% is made of UVB rays that are responsible for damaging the outer layers of skin, causing sunburn.

Thankfully, our skin is intelligent and has ways to repair itself. With too much exposure though, it becomes much harder for your skin to maintain this ability to bounce back. This skin will begin to develop wrinkles and lines as it’s less able to cope with the UV light. As we know, dangerous levels of sun exposure can even lead to skin cancer.

MIND YOUR SKIN