Although the sun’s rays are important for vitamin D production, give skin a beautiful golden glow and can make us feel great, they contain ultra violet (UV) radiation which damages skin cells, causes early ageing of the skin, unsightly pigmentation and of course, can lead to skin cancer.
Excellent daily sun protection is vital regardless of sex, age or skin type. When it’s particularly hot or you are swimming or sweating, don’t forget to reapply regularly! A good sun protection will cover for both UVa and UVb. UVa penetrates through cloud and so is present all year around regardless of the temperature – it penetrates deep into the skin layers, damaging collagen and leading to early ageing. UVb doesn’t penetrate cloud well, is less penetrating to the skin but is the type that burns and is more important in skin cancer development.