OYA MAG

Why should I wear sunscreen daily?

Originally, sunscreen was associated with vacations and sunny days. A must-have in the summer skincare kit, it protects the skin from the harmful consequences of UV rays: pigmentation spots, premature aging, sunburn, burns... 

So it's hard to understand why this skin care product associated with the sun and the beach should be part of our beauty routine all year round. Yet its powerful anti-spot action alone is an excellent reason to make it your best daily ally! 

In'Oya explains why and how to make sunscreen an essential part of your beauty routine.

 

UVA hazards: protect your skin every day to fight pigmentation spots

Even in winter, the sun's rays can reach deep into the skin all day long. Invisible, they are, by their very nature, very harmful to health. In fact, even on dull days, UVA rays penetrate the skin right down to the dermis. They account for 95% of the ultra-violet (UV) rays to which the body is exposed.

At the root of photo-aging, these solar rays cause oxidative stress affecting collagen and skin cells. In the short term, they leave no visible traces. Yet they are directly implicated in the genesis of hyperpigmentation (melasma), signs of ageing, and so on.  In fact, 80% of pigmentation spots - and wrinkles - are due to sun exposure. 

Regardless of skin phototype, the epidermis is impacted by UVA rays all year round. That's why, even with dark, black or mixed-race skin, protecting yourself in all circumstances must be a priority.

When you know more about the damaging effects of UVA rays, it's easy to see why sunscreen isn't just an option for your beach bag. Today, it's the only real protection against UV rays, which are the main cause of skin blemishes.

Like fair skin, black skin is almost 20 times more exposed to UVA than UVB rays. UVB represents only 5% of the UV we receive.

They affect more precisely the superficial layer of the skin. Blocked by clouds, these solar rays are nonetheless responsible for sunburn. And over time, they also damage the cells' DNA.

Finally, although UVB rays are more generally implicated in skin cancer, UVA rays also play a role. Powerful protection with UVA and UVB filters is therefore essential for everyday use.

 Good to know : to protect your skin effectively, don't keep your sunscreen on for longer than 6 months. Don't take any health risks if your tube is still lying around in your beach bag from last summer... Just throw it away!

The best stain-proofing? Sunscreen SPF 50

As a general rule, having dark or black skin often leads us to overestimate our skin's resistance to the damaging effects of the sun. And yet, pigmented skin is precisely the most susceptible to blemishes, at any age... and all year round!

Prevention is the best way to prevent blemishes, so sunscreen is your 1st ally in the fight against brown or black marks. But the effectiveness of this bulwark against ultraviolet rays depends on the SPF protection factor. The higher the SPF, the less UV rays will penetrate the skin.

SPFs range from 6 to 50, with the "high protection" category starting with SPF 30. But to combat hyperpigmentation effectively, the highest protection is still particularly recommended.

Dermatologists and dermocosmetic experts recommend SPF50 sunscreen. This remains the most effective solution, not only for preventing the appearance of spots, but also for slowing skin aging and protecting against skin cancer.

On the other hand, if your sunscreen does not display 50 SPF, but 50 IP or 50 SPF, rest assured, your skin will be protected, as these terms are equivalent:

  • SPF stands for Sunburn Protection Factor
  • SPF stands for Sunburn Protection Factor
  • IP stands for Indice de Protection

The most important factor in protecting your skin from UV rays is the number on the tube. This value is universal, whatever the country.

Important : In tropical environments, vigilance against the dangers of the sun must be heightened. We strongly recommend limiting exposure to the sun, and never forgetting to apply SPF 50 cream when unavoidable.

Face care & Make-up: What's the best sun cream?

Despite its undoubted benefits for our skin, preconceived ideas persist about the difficulty of applying sunscreen in everyday life... "High SPF sunscreens leave white marks on black skin. A high SPF sunscreen leaves white marks on black skin. It's better to skip the SPF50 screen if you want to avoid a grey complexion. No UV protection if you want to keep your make-up intact until the evening...".

But there's a simple way to reconcile your skincare routine, make-up and sunscreen. Here's how.

An SPF50 treatment with zero white marks, guaranteed to protect against UVA & UVB rays

Sensitive to the risk of pigmentation spots, people with dark, black or mixed-race skin should opt for SFP50 to keep their skin even-toned and healthy. But finding a high-protection cream that doesn't leave white marks on dark skin is a real challenge!

In this case, most of the time, these formulas are thick, sticky or, worse, make the complexion look pale! Fortunately, there's an SPF50 sun cream that leaves no white marks.

Specially designed to leave no visible marks, even on a dark complexion, it doesn't require a long massage to penetrate the epidermis. This fluid with its light, airy texture melts into the skin in an instant. It can also be combined with anti-spot or anti-imperfection treatments.

What's more, this high-protection skin care product acts effectively against both UVA & UVB rays. And this is fundamental to preserving your skin. In fact, recent sunscreen tests have shown that the law on this point is not always respected.

Unfortunately, this is particularly true of UVA rays, which are the only type of sunlight where it's impossible to check a product's effectiveness on the day itself!

Did you know? In France, since 2006, cosmetics manufacturers have been obliged to design sunscreens that are effective against both types of UV, with a ratio of 1:3. To comply with the legislation, an SPF 30 cream must guarantee, for example, a UVA protection factor of 10.

Le saviez-vous ? En France, depuis 2006, les industriels de la cosmétique ont l’obligation de concevoir des écrans solaires efficaces contre les deux types d’UV, avec un rapport de 1 sur 3. Pour être conforme à la législation, une crème FPS 30 doit garantir, par exemple, une protection contre les UVA d’indice 10. 

A non-greasy, makeup-compatible ultra-high protection sun cream

Convinced of the benefits of sun protection, you probably want to know whether it's compatible with your daily beauty routine and make-up. Indeed, as we mentioned earlier, some formulas are complex to apply, let alone all year round.

Whether because of their thickness, their greying effect or even their particular scent, many are unsuitable for everyday use. For the most part, their oily appearance is a real hindrance when you want to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays, but still apply make-up without delay.

But once again, rest assured, the sun cream we mentioned earlier meets this need perfectly. On the one hand, it avoids the shiny effect of classic formulas and smells delicious. Secondly, it matifies and refines skin texture from the very first applications.

So it's easy to apply this SPF50 sun cream to black or even dark skin. Simply apply it before your day care. You can then move on to the make-up step without changing your habits.

For this new ritual, you can use a make-up sponge. This trick allows you to spread sunscreen evenly over your face and neck. Follow the guide to a successful combination of UV protection and daytime make-up:

  • Take a small amount of sunscreen with the sponge
  • Then dab onto forehead, nose, chin and cheeks, not forgetting the neck
  • Gently pat the product into the skin using circular movements