Since I’ve been young wearing sun cream during the summer is always something that I knew was a must do. I am naturally very fair and my skin gets burned badly, very quickly, because of this I have always been very aware of the dangers of skin cancer.
All I can say is that it can happen to anyone and it is just so important to look after your skin. I always used to just rely on the usual SPF 30 for the body and slap some on my face and body when the weather was warm, but really there is more to sun cream and only wearing it when it’s warm and sunny.
Sun cream should contain two things:
- SPF – Sun Protection Factor
- UVA Protection (Mostly indicated by stars out of 5 in Ireland)
This is because we need protection from different kinds of UV rays the main ones in Ireland being UVA and UVB. The SPF is your protection from the UVB rays and your star rating out of 5 is your protection from the UVA rays.
Both kinds can cause skin cancer, so make sure to have a sun cream that protects from both. UV rays are present all year round, but the Irish Cancer Society recommends taking extra care from April- September.
Not only can UV rays cause cancer, but they are also known for causing wrinkles and giving skin a leathery look over time.
All of these reasons and more lead me on my quest to find a new sun cream especially for my face. The skin on my face is much more sensitive than the skin on my body and I found that the usual sun cream that I was using on my body made my face feel sticky and my makeup didn’t sit well on top of it. I didn’t want to stop wearing make-up and I knew I had to continue to wear sun cream so I started looking for a new sun cream for the face.
I didn’t have to look for long, thanks to Sally for the recommendation.
So I went to ‘The Body Shop’ and picked up their ‘skin defence, multi protection essence’. It has SPF 50 (UVB Protection) and PA++++ (UVA Protection). After some research I found out that the PA is the Japanese measurement of Sun Protection against UVA which is based on Persistent Pigment Darkening (PPD). At the moment PA++++ is the highest protection available on this scale, however I don’t know how the PA Scale compares to the Rating out of 5 star scale that we use here in all honesty. From researching the PA scale I am content that my skin is protected with Pa++++.
As for the Body Shop’s skin defence I think that it’s great and it really works for me. Its not super sticky and doesn’t clog my pores or give me breakouts. It sinks into the skin easily and I quite like the smell of it too.
I apply it under my makeup everyday in a good thick layer and I never have issues with my makeup application afterwards.
All in all, I have been loving it so far. The main message I want to get across is the importance of wearing a sun cream that suits you on your face and body everyday and taking special care from April- September. UV rays can travel through clouds so just because it’s a cloudy day doesn’t mean there aren’t any UV rays.
I have included some links below for those looking for some in depth information when it comes to safety in the sun. As I’m sure you all know I’m not an expert when it comes to sun cream and sun care, but I’m sure we can all agree that it’s something we need to be careful about especially at this time of the year.
Irish Cancer Society on UV radiation – https://www.cancer.ie/reduce-your-risk/sunsmart/what-uv-radiation#sthash.q7Rr2zUh.sjzbof8S.dpbs
Irish Cancer Society’s tips for the sun – https://www.cancer.ie/reduce-your-risk/sunsmart/code#sthash.jIipr4pm.dpbs
Info on PA++++ – http://www.colorescience.com/learn/what-is-pa
Stay safe guys! I hope you are all having a fab Monday ❤
Stay Beautiful,
Much love,
Laura x
littlemisslaur 
May have to give this a try, my normal suncream doesn’t mix well with makeup either 😊
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I’m using it everyday with Too Faced Born this way and Charlotte Tilbury light wonder and I’ve had 0 problems with it! X
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