Sunscreen is as important as consuming food?

Sunscreen is a lotion that absorbs or reflects some of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

So what is UV radiation?

The electromagnetic spectrum covers all types of radiation. Starting from radio waves which are used in radio transmission, microwave used in the microwave for heating, infra rays which are used in remotes, visible rays which can be seen by our eyes, UV rays which are present in solar radiation, x rays, and gamma rays are used in medical practices.

There is 3 type of UV lights sun emits. UVA, UVB, and UVC:

UVA and UVB rays are our atmosphere, all UVC, and some UVB rays are absorbed by the Earth’s ozone layer. 

So, most of the UV rays you come in contact with are UVA with a small amount of UVB.

UVB rays reach the outer layer of your skin (the epidermis)

UVA rays can penetrate the middle layer of your skin (the dermis)

Facts of UVB:

UVB radiation helps the skin produce vitamin D, (vitamin D3), which plays an important role along with calcium in bone and muscle health. In a limited amount which is very less.

UVB penetrates and damages the outermost layers of your skin. Overexposure causes suntan, sunburn, and, in severe cases, blistering.

UVB is connected to the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) on labels of sunscreen products. The SPF number tells you how long the sun’s radiation (including some of the UVA) would take to redden your skin when using that product compared to the time without sunscreen.

Facts about UVA:

UVA rays cause tanning, and some time also causes sunburn. There is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan. UVA radiation is proven to contribute to the development of skin cancer.

The “broad-spectrum protection” you see on the labels of sunscreen products is the protection with UVA rays. Early sunscreens only protected your skin from UVB rays, but once it was understood how dangerous UVA rays were, sunscreen manufacturers began adding ingredients to protect you from both UVB and UVA across this broader spectrum.

UVA penetrates your skin more deeply. Exposure causes genetic damage to cells on the innermost part of your top layer of skin, where most skin cancers occur. The skin tries to prevent further damage by darkening, resulting in a tan. Over time, UVA also leads to premature aging and skin cancer.

UVA is everywhere. UVA accounts for up to 95 percent of the UV radiation reaching the earth. These rays maintain the same level of strength during daylight hours throughout the year. This means that during a lifetime, we are all exposed to a high level of UVA rays. 

UVA can penetrate windows and cloud cover.

NOTE: Sunscreen is very important to wore sunscreen all the time when you go out whether it is rainy, cloudy or you are in the shade, and during winter also it is as important as consuming food.

So, whenever you go shopping for sunscreen keep in mind that you have to buy SPF30+ and broad-spectrum sunscreen.

References:

https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/uv-radiation/

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/tanning/ultraviolet-uv-radiation