Enjoying The Sun

Five rules to enjoy the sun without risk 

1) Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm when it is at its strongest and risk of skin damage is high. Take plenty of shade at this time. 

2) You tan even in the shade. Skin that is not used to the sun is less able to protect itself. Under the influence of UV rays the skin begins to thicken and starts producing melanin. These processes take 10-20 days to take place, so use extra protection while your skin has time to adjust.

3) Use sun products with UVA + UVB protection and with a high SPF (more than 25). Preferably free of oils, emulsifiers and fragrance as these are the main causes of sun allergy (prickly heat). Use water resistant sun protection whenever you are swimming.

4) Always apply sun protection carefully and extensively in the shade, 15-30 minutes before you go into the sun. Make sure your skin is clean and dry. Apply enough protection (approx. 1 teaspoon for the face); any less radically reduces the protection effect. Pay attention to vulnerable parts of the body - nose, lips, eyebrows, ears, scalp, shoulders, chest, shins and feet. Children need extra protection remember the 3S rules (sunhat, shirt and short). Keep babies and young children out of direct sunlight.

5) Beware of the reflection factor; water, concrete, sand, snow etc. will intensify the radiation. 

From a product to a concept 

The complex field of sun protection can only be partially catered for by products alone and Ultrasun was quick to understand this. Years of carefree sunbathing, increased leisure time, more foreign travel and the greater intensity of UV rays mean that the need to inform the consumer is vital.

What does UV radiation mean? What are UVB rays and what are their effects?

UVB rays are for the most part absorbed by the ozone layer and have a wave length of 280 - 320 nm. They do not penetrate as deep in the skin as the UVA rays. Due to a higher absorbing energy in the upper skin layer, the UVB rays are responsible for solar erythema (sunburn). The erythemal reaction normally follows three to six hours after sun exposure. 

UVB rays have following effects:

Slow but long lasting tan due to the increased production of melanin and provocation of the so called light induced callosity develop sunburn, with higher burning risk on the zones with thin skin (areas without hair, nose, shoulders etc.) through its high energy, the UVB rays can directly damage the DNA in the skin cells and in this way overstress the skin’s own repair mechanism.

What are UVA rays and what are their effects?

The UVA rays are long wave UV-rays (320 - 400 nm) with lower energy, but very high potential to penetrate deep into the skin. Approximately 90 - 95 % of the UV radiation reaching the surface of the earth are UVA rays. UVA cause an immediate pigmentation of the skin but does not enhance the production of melanin.

UVA rays have following effects:

Direct and fast tanning of the skin, not very long lasting (same sun-beds) the pigmentation by UVA does not increase the protection of the skin premature aging due to the deeper penetration into the skin. Damaging of the collagen and elastine structure with cumulative effect damage through the development of free radicals over a period of time the DNA directly, but without any repair possibility responsible for more than 80% of sun allergies