Microplastics in Sunscreens
Microplastics are one of the most important health and environmental problems we face today (1). They are insidiously everywhere. Finding their way from products we consume, i...
What is natural sunscreen?
"Chemical sunscreen" doesn't sound appealing, and recent research has shown that its ingredients, such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate, can be harmful by seeping into your bloodstream and exceeding the allowed limits by up to 40 times.
On the other hand, mineral sunscreens use natural minerals, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, to sit on top of your skin and reflect harmful UV rays away. The FDA has declared them safe and effective, with zinc oxide being the superior choice as it blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
But what about "Non-Nano" Zinc Oxide? "Nano" refers to particles smaller than 100 nanometers (1 nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter) that can easily penetrate your skin and bloodstream. "Non-nano" particles, larger than 100 nanometers, are safer. At Sol de Ibiza, we use only non-nano zinc oxide to protect your skin without any harmful side effects.
Inactive ingredients may not directly protect you from the sun, but they do affect the texture, scent, and shelf-life of your sunscreen. Unfortunately, many sunscreens contain preservatives and synthetic fragrances that can irritate sensitive skin. Sol de Ibiza uses only provenly safe and non-irritating inactive ingredients.
The next time you apply Sol de Ibiza's non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen, remember that it's performing a bit of sunscreen sorcery to keep you safe and sound under the sun's warm embrace.
Why do we apply sunscreen?
We apply sunscreen to protect our skin from the invisible UV rays from the sun, specifically UVA and UVB rays. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a major risk factor for most skin cancers, and sunlight is the primary source of UV radiation.
There are two main types of UV rays: UVB rays make up about 5-10% of the rays that reach us; they affect the skin's outer layer and are the primary cause of sunburns, skin cancer, premature skin aging, and tanning. UVA rays constitute approximately 90-95% of the rays that reach the Earth. They are weaker than UVB rays but penetrate more deeply into the skin's layers and contribute to signs of premature aging, such as wrinkles, as well as skin cancer - and tanning, of course. Sol de Ibiza looks after you with our broad-spectrum filter, that will protect you from both UVA and UVB radiations. Want to learn more about it?
What is SPF
The SPF – or "Sun Protection Factor" – number on a sunscreen's label is a guide to the product's level of sunburn protection. In general, the SPF number indicates how much longer you can stay exposed to the sun before getting sunburned when wearing sunscreen, as opposed to without sunscreen.
For example, it takes 15 times longer to burn with sunscreen SPF 15 than without sunscreen. SPF numbers are influenced by different environments and skin types (i.e. if you're outside swimming or if you have particularly oily skin, the SPF number will not last as long).
Each number will also protect your skin from a certain percentage of the sun's UVB (burning) rays:
SPF 15: 93%
SPF 30: 97%
SPF 50: 98%
What numbers are best for you?
Our dermatologists will tell you that any SPF between 30 to 50 can be your sweet spot. Anything below 30 (including SPF 15, which we just talked about) won't protect you from enough of the sun's UVB rays, and anything above 50 isn’t doing much more than offering a somewhat misguided sense of protection.
An SPF above 50 will still only protect you from less than one percent more of the sun's UVB rays, while exposing your skin to a much higher concentration of active ingredients that can be irritating in the process. So whether you choose SPF 30 or 50, remember to reapply it generously. Your skin will thank you for it.
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