Rid the leathery skin

It’s a common beauty saying that we should use protection against the Sun to keep the harmful rays away. And not forgetting the common reasons why, which includes SKIN CANCER, SUNSPOTS and FRECKLES. Unfortunately these are not reasons enough to keep people who wants a “healthy” look out of the Sun as much as possible.

So let me introduce more harmful effects of what excessive browning of your skin will do. Sun tanning actually causes your skin to cook in the slowest possible way. Hence this causes extreme damage to your skin cells which causes your skin to develop not just freckles and sunspots, but also tiny raised bumps that look like moles. And because you are slowly cooking your body, your are essentially drying your skin out making it look and feel dry and leathery. Even if you stay hydrated, there’s an extent to how much that can help. A couple of tans later, your skin has experienced photoaging, resulting in you looking older than you actually are, coupled with loose skin that looks lumpy, molely and leathery like a lizard in many ways! No amount of water or moisturizer can salvage this end.

Now for the more intense know-how on how the damage actually work… Experts gauge the UV rays intensity using the UV Index:  

                                         1-3 being the lowest exposure to the harmful rays
                                         4-6 being medium
                                         7-9 being high (WE ARE HERE, Singapore) 
                                         and above 10 being extreme. 

For example, if a person is fair skinned compared to a darker skinned person, staying out in the Sun with high exposure can cause the fair skinned person to turn red within 15-20min, while the darker maybe within 30-40min. And once a person turns red or shows sign of harm from the Sun, the damage has long been made. Therefore, with public ignorance, a tan skin isn’t exactly a ‘’healthy’’ look. On the contrary, the person is already most prone to the above mentioned problems/illness/ugliness.

Not saying that we have to abstain from the Sun, as it can help with problems such as rickets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice, but a small amount would be self-sufficient.

Now to share what are the ways to prevent your healthy skin from getting damaged, the first in two, is to buy a body moisturizer/lotion that is at least SPF 25. And the second, would be to have as many +++ as possible, eg. pa+++…. The bigger the numerical, the long you are able to stay outdoors. While the more + there are ( with a max of +++) means the more it is able to block away the harmful rays from your.

BUT IT STILL DOESN’T MEAN IT IS SAFE TO REMAIN OUTDOORS!!

So the more commonly available products are the Nivea UV Whitening Serum and Vaseline Healthy White Triple Lightening Lotion.

With SPF25 and pa++, this product also has a 95% purity Vitamin C added to it and smells amazing. The Vitamin C also helps give your body a boost to make your skin look younger and brighter. This is thus suitable for people who have dry and dull skin and is most ideal for working adults who are always in the office or air conditioned environment with little time outdoors.

Watsons at $9.90

Next, we have an SPF24 with a pa++. As it isn’t much lesser than Nivea, they pretty much have the same amount of protection. However, this is enriched with Vitamin B3 instead, which is responsible for skin repair which helps replenish our lack/reduction of it in the body when applied topically, and to keep our skin hydrated. Personally I don’t think this smells great compared to Nivea, but its just my preference. So if you have blemishes on your skin, then this is great for lightening your marks and keeping you moisturized and protected.

Watsons at $5.80

As both are quick to absorb and isn’t greasy, it really gives you a choice to choose which is more suitable for your everyday need. So whether rain or shine, remember to always apply as and when you need it! 

Luv,

Millie