Sun protection: How to really enjoy this summer!

Endlich ist der Sommer da! Sonnenbaden auf der Liegewiese, Freunde draussen auf ein Gelati treffen oder vielleicht sogar Ferien am Strand… Die Möglichkeit, die warmen Tage zu geniessen sind unendlich. Was aber immer dabei sein muss: ein zuverlässiger Sonnenschutz. Bei der Auswahl des richtigen Sonnenschutzmittels gilt es einige wichtige Dinge zu beachten: Ihren Hauttypen oder den passenden Lichtschutzfaktor zum Beispiel. Erfahren Sie jetzt, wie Sie die perfekte Sonnenpflege finden, damit Sie den Sommer in vollen Zügen geniessen können – ohne Konsequenzen für Ihre Haut.

Don't give sunburn and skin ageing a chance

The sun can damage your skin in different ways. Ultraviolet rays (UV rays) are to blame. When it comes to sun care, UVA and UVB rays play the most important role. These penetrate your skin to different depths and thus have different effects on skin health. It is therefore important that you use sunscreens with broad-spectrum protection, i.e. products that protect against both UV rays.

UVA rays:

• have less energy
• rarely cause sunburn
• penetrate deeper into the skin (into the dermis and connective tissue)
• damage collagens and thus lead to skin ageing
• form free radicals and increase the risk of skin cancer

UVB rays:

• have more energy
• cause sunburn
• penetrate the upper layers of the skin
• tan the skin in the long term and form vitamin D3
• can damage cells and increase the risk of skin cancer

Identify your skin type and find the right care for it

Do you know what skin type you have? This is essential for choosing the right sun care with the right sun protection factor. If in doubt, always go for the sunscreen with the stronger sun protection factor - better safe than sorry. Your skin type determines how long the self-protection time is for you. This means how long the skin can protect itself against the sun's rays without sunscreen.

Skin type 1 - Celtic skin type

• Skin: very fair, many freckles
• Hair: light blond, reddish
• Eyes: light, blue or grey
• Sunburn: Very quick
• Tanning: Barely
• Self-protection time: 5 to 10 minutes
• SPF: 50+

Skin type 2 - Nordic skin type

• Skin: Fair, freckles
• Hair: Light
• Eyes: Light, blue, green
• Sunburn: fast
• Tanning: slow
• Self-protection time: 10 to 20 minutes
• SPF: 30 to 50

Skin type 3 - Mixed type

• Skin: medium fair
• Hair: dark blond, brown
• Eyes: brown, green
• Sunburn: sometimes
• Tanning: slowly
• Self-protection time: 20 to 30 minutes
• SPF: 30

Skin type 4 - Mediterranean type

• Skin: olive, brownish
• Hair: brown, black
• Eyes: brown
• Sunburn: rather rare
• Tanning: fast
• Self-protection time: 30 to 40 minutes
• SPF: 20
  
  

Skin type 5 - dark type

• Skin: Light to dark brown
• Hair: black
• Eyes: dark brown, black
• Sunburn: rare
• Tanning: fast
• Self-protection time: 60 minutes
• SPF: 10

Skin type 6 - very dark type

• Skin: Very dark
• Hair: dark brown, black
• Eyes: dark brown, black
• Sunburn: very rare
• Tanning: hardly any after-tanning
• Self-protection time: 60 to 80 minutes
• SPF: 10, especially for palms and lips

Sun protection factor

The sun protection factor (SPF) of a sunscreen indicates how strongly it increases the skin's own protection.
For example, if you have skin type 3 (self-protection time 20 to 30 minutes) and choose a sunscreen with SPF 30, you can be protected in the sun 30 times as long: that is, between 600 and 900 minutes or 10 to 15 hours.

Important:This is a theoretical value - your sunscreen can be worn off by water, sweat or sand. In addition, we often apply too little product and there are other factors that can affect effective protection.
Therefore, follow these tips:

• Apply the cream at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun and let it absorb.
• Reapply regularly to maintain UV protection.
• Buy new sun care products every year, otherwise they will no longer provide full protection.
• After sunbathing, use after-sun products to care for irritated and dry skin.
• Even if you wear make-up, regular sun protection is important, for example with a face spray with sunscreen.
• Avoid direct sun between 11:00 and 15:00, as the sun's rays are strongest at this time.
• Use special sun care products for the face. Body care products are of too rich.
• Don't forget to use sunscreen on your lips, as the skin there is particularly sensitive and cannot tan.
• Don't forget sun care for hair - they also suffer from too much sun.