How to prevent aging? Sunscreen and Skincare products work!

Who doesn’t like to have a nice brunch and chill under the warm bright sun when the gloomy winter has finally left us? But don’t forget your sunscreen when you are heading out!

Ultraviolet (UV) light not only would give you sunburn but could also cause skin cancer and sun damage in a long run; it could generate free radicals in your skin to make your skin aged – wrinkles, pigments and sagging. Therefore, the first step to protect your skin is always to keep your sunscreen on.

The keys to ensure you are getting the right sun protection are the right product in terms of depth and types, and right amount.  When you select a sunscreen, not just focus on SPF which gives you an idea on how well UVB is filtered, but try to look at the Protection Grade of UVA (PA) or Persistent Pigment Darkening (PPD) index that indicates protection against UVA as well.  In fact, UVA penetrates deeper and does more damage to your skin! The amount of sunscreen on face to attain the desired UV protection will be 2mg/cm³, which is about half a teaspoon, while most people they tend to put less at only 0.5-1mg/cm³.  A higher protection grade (higher SPF, PPD or PA) can partially compensate the inadequate amount applied, therefore a broad spectrum SPF 30+, PA ++++ or PPD 16 would be good enough for everyday use in subtropical areas like Hong Kong.

Last but not the least, always put on your antioxidants eg vitamins C and E, right after facewash. They not only combat skin aging by counteracting the oxidative stress in your skin, but they are also proven to be effective in UV light protection as well.