The Dangers of Not Using SPF Everyday 🚨

After I announced the launch of our mineral sunscreen (Antarctic Sun Defence), many of you asked me why it is so important to apply sunscreen.

A lot of you had similar questions such as:

“Where I live it’s mostly cloudy. Do I still need to apply sunscreen daily? “

“I’m not in my twenties anymore, is it too late to start applying sunscreen now?”

“If I apply sunscreen in the morning, will that do for the rest of the day?”

Chances are, you’ve asked yourself one of these at some point.

Today I decided to tell you more about the importance of applying sunscreen, and yes, you do need it, regardless of your age.

Because no matter your age or how much time you’ve spent in the sun over the years, it’s never too late to reduce the damage caused by the sun and get your skin back to its healthiest state.

It’s true that sunny days can bring a lot of joy, but unfortunately not for our skin.

At least not if it’s unprotected and vulnerable to the harmful effects of the sun.

One of the worst things you can do as someone who wants beautiful skin, is only wear SPF, when you go to the beach or spend extended periods of time exposed to the sun.

Why do you need SPF even if it’s cloudy?

The answer is simple: Harmful UV rays penetrate through clouds, and damage the skin even through your car window.

Don’t believe me? Check this photo of a truck driver from a recent sun damage academic paper released  in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The difference is pretty shocking right?

For 28 years, the trucker has had his left side exposed to UVA rays transmitted through his window – whereas his right side was covered and relatively unharmed.

And that’s resulted in the skin on the left side getting thicker (a process called unilateral dermatoheliosis).

UVA rays are able to penetrate through glass windows and clouds and chronic exposure can lead to the destruction of the skin’s elastic fibres – which explains the deep wrinkles.

So how does damage happen?

Your skin does an amazing job at protecting you – it has a natural defence mechanism.

But unfortunately, it can’t protect you from all the damage that’s happening when you don’t use SPF…

When sun damage happens, it causes DNA changes at cellular level.

And although it can take years before damage surfaces and becomes visible, it certainly will.

How does Antarctic Sun Defence protect your skin?

Think of sunscreen as a barrier against sunlight, it protects the skin from harmful UV rays.

But did you know that there are two types of sunscreens and both have two different mechanisms?

Chemical sunscreens on the other hand, absorb into the skin and then absorb UV rays converting them into energy.

Although they work, they can often cause unwanted reactions, especially for people with sensitive skin.

Mineral sunscreens (physical sunscreens like Antarctic Sun Defence) contain active 100% natural minerals such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that reflect and scatter light.

In this way, they act like a physical barrier that prevents radiation from penetrating your skin.

Learn more about Antarctic Sun Defence

So why not using SPF can ruin your skin?

When you think of ageing, you probably first associate it with genetics and the natural ageing process.

You’re not wrong about that, but it’s not the only factor.

Ageing and wrinkles are greatly affected by how much unprotected sun exposure you have.

Years of sun damage will cause you to get wrinkles and look older than you really are.

The Skin Care Foundation estimates that nearly 90% of premature skin ageing is due to the hours you spend in the sun without wearing SPF.

UVA rays (linked to premature ageing) affect collagen structure, leading to visible skin changes such as structural changes, wrinkles, and discoloration of the skin.

The long-term effects of sunburn won’t just leave you with wrinkles but also with the risk of skin cancer.

This is why  if you want to slow down the effects of external factors ageing  and significantly reduce the risk of sun exposure caused diseases , you should make sure to wear sun protection such as our newly announced product the Antarctic Sun Defence with SPF50 High Protection.

This sunscreen protects you from both types of UV rays and contains an anti-ageing ingredient from Antarctica that further rejuvenates your complexion.