SUN & SUN DAMAGE

Unprotected sun exposure leads to significant skin damage. This contributes to premature aging, wrinkles, and a higher risk of skin cancer. The amount of damage increases with prolonged exposure, especially during strong sunlight hours (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM) and in the summer months. Sunburns, particularly during childhood, are strongly linked to an increased risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

• UV radiation from the sun damages the skin's collagen and elastin, which are responsible for skin elasticity and strength. This damage can lead to wrinkles, sun spots, and a loss of skin firmness.

• Melanin is the pigment that gives your skin its color. It plays a role in protecting against UV damage, but its protective effect is limited. People with lighter skin tones have less melanin and are therefore more vulnerable to sun damage.

• UV Radiation Types:

  • UVA rays are associated with long-term skin damage, including wrinkles, and may contribute to some skin cancers. UVA rays cause skin damage throughout the day and all year long, even in the winter.

  • UVB rays are primarily responsible for sunburns, and they are a major factor in the development of skin cancer.

• Skin Cancer Risk: Repeated sunburns significantly increase the lifetime risk of skin cancer, especially melanoma, the most dangerous type. All skin types should protect against this but lighter skin's, with lower levels of melanin are more prone to skin cancer.

• Prevention: Protecting skin from excessive sun exposure is crucial to minimizing the risks of sun damage and skin cancer. This can be done through various measures, including wearing sunscreen, protective clothing, seeking shade, and avoiding tanning beds. My favorite sun protective clothing is from Coolibar. I just got bak from my daughter's wedding in Costa Rica and found plenty of opportunities to wear these fun, protective, stylish pieces.

How much sun is too much?

We all know that too much sun is bad for your skin. But how do you know how long you can stay in the sun? You can't see or feel UV light, so it's difficult to know how strong it is and what effect it will have on your skin. Summer heat isn't a good indicator here because UV radiation might also be present when it's cold outside. This is because heat from the sun doesn't come from UV light, but from infrared light in the sun’s rays.

The higher in the sky the sun is, the stronger the UVB radiation on Earth. This is both true in terms of the sun’s position over the course of the day – it's highest at midday – and in terms of geographical location. So UV radiation is particularly high close to the equator, for instance in Costa Rica, Florida, Thailand or Central America. It is also high in Australia and New Zealand because these countries are near the hole in the ozone layer above the Antarctic. The thinner the ozone layer, the stronger the UV radiation levels.

UVB exposure tends to be more of a problem in mountainous regions than in lower regions. Snow, water and light-colored sand reflect UV light too, increasing your exposure.

What is the UV Index?

The UV Index is a measure of the current intensity of UVB radiation in a certain location. The higher the current UV Index rating, the higher the radiation levels, and the more likely you are to get a sunburn.

UV Index (UVI)	UV intensity
0 to 2	Low
3 to 5	Moderate
6 to 7	High
8 to 10	Very high
11	Extremely high

The higher the UV Index, the more protection you will need. UV radiation is particularly high in mountainous regions, at the equator and in regions where the ozone layer is thin, such as in Australia. In most places, UVB radiation is at its strongest between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. because the sun is high in the sky then. UVB exposure is also more of a problem in the summer than in the winter. Thick clouds can reduce UV radiation, but thin clouds don't provide much protection.

How much UV radiation can your skin handle?

Intensive and frequent sunbathing can be too much for your skin to handle. Only if you gradually increase UV exposure over a period of two to three weeks, and only expose your skin to moderate UV radiation, can you achieve a lasting tan that makes the corneal layer of your skin thicker, providing a little protection from the sun. Although this natural UV protection can prevent sunburn to some extent, it can't protect you from all of the different types of damage caused by UV light, and can't prevent skin cancer. However, a tan is an indicator of UV damage. This is especially true for damage to the DNA component of skin cells. A little sun means a little damage to your DNA, a lot of sun means a lot of damage. DNA damage means cells can no longer function the way they were originally programed to. This adds to wrinkles, textural changes and sun spots.

The skin of people who are sensitive to light can't protect itself from UV radiation for long. In very fair-skinned people, UV radiation starts becoming harmful after about 5 to 10 minutes. The table below shows the maximum amount of time people with different Fitzpatrick skin types can expose untanned and unprotected skin to the sun per day without getting a sunburn.

Skin type	Maximum amount of time
I	10 minutes
II	20 minutes
III	30 minutes
IV	50 minutes
V	more than 60 minutes
VI	more than 60 minutes

The following can help you determine what type of skin you have:

Skin type I:	very light skin, very often with freckles reddish or strawberry blond hair blue or gray eyes UV radiation leads to sunburn within 10 minutes, skin doesn't tan
Skin type II:	light skin, often with freckles blond or brown hair all eye colors UV radiation leads to sunburn within 20 minutes, skin hardly tans or tans only moderately
Skin type III:	light or light brown skin, rarely with freckles dark blond or brown hair gray or brown eyes UV radiation leads to sunburn within 30 minutes, skin tans easily
Skin type IV:	light brown or olive-colored skin, no freckles dark brown hair brown or dark brown eyes UV radiation leads to sunburn within 50 minutes, skin soon becomes deeply tanned
Skin type V:	dark brown skin dark brown or black hair dark brown eyes UV radiation only leads to sunburn after more than 60 minutes, skin doesn't become darker
Skin type VI:	dark brown or black skin black hair dark brown eyes UV radiation only leads to sunburn after more than 60 minutes, skin doesn't become darker

Very light skin and light skin (types I and II) are typical in places like Scandinavia and Great Britain, and people who have a medium brown skin tone with dark eyes and dark hair (type IV) mainly live in the Mediterranean and geographically similar areas. People with even darker or black skin (types V and VI) have their roots in places like certain areas of Asia or Africa.

Gentle Screen SPF 30

Tinted Screen SPF 30

Brightening Day Spf 50

I hope you start this sunny season safely to ensure a beautiful complexion for a lifetime.

Elizabeth believes in "Longevity Skincare", the idea that beautiful skin can endure throughout one's lifetime when utilizing the best that science and nature has to offer. LONGEVITY is a science - based skincare line that appreciates skin of all ages. LONGEVITY by Elizabeth Renee provides hydration, nutrition and protection from environmental aging. Your skin will receive high performance ingredients to help energize and repair its cells, resulting in a healthy skin with an enduring, vital glow.