How to keep your skin healthy and wrinkle-free with the right SPF!

Why is it important to use day cream with sun protection factor?

In order to enjoy time in the sun and generally in the fresh air without worry, the skin must be protected from harmful UV rays. Skin type and natural protection time play an important role in choosing the right sun protection factor. Only with sun protection can the skin remain healthy and naturally beautiful for a long time.

The right sun protection factor

The sun protection factor indicates by how many minutes the skin's own protection time is extended, i.e. how long the skin can be protected from the negative effects of UV radiation. It helps in particular to prevent sunburn and premature skin aging.

Since everyone reacts differently to sunlight, it is important to know your own personal self-protection time. This depends on the color of your skin, hair and eyes. The self-protection time is the length of time that the skin can be exposed to the sun without protection without getting sunburned. In general, the lighter the skin, the shorter the self-protection time. Lighter skin types with a shorter self-protection time, for example, require greater protection from the sun than darker skin types and therefore also a higher sun protection factor.

You can easily calculate the sun protection factor if you know your own protection time and how much time you want to spend in the sun. The formula is: Sun time in minutes / own protection time = required sun protection factor .

To find out how much time you can generally spend in the sun , use this formula: skin's own protection time x sun protection factor = minutes you can spend protected in the sun. After the maximum time, you still risk sunburn despite regularly applying sunscreen and should instead spend time in the shade.

If you are unsure, it is always better to use a slightly higher sun protection factor to avoid the risk of sunburn. You should also remember to reapply the sun protection after a certain amount of time, especially after the skin has come into contact with water.

The intensity of sun rays can of course vary greatly. The season, time of day and location also play a major role. UV rays are intensified even more by reflections such as water, snow or sand. This is especially true for intensive sunbathing, e.g. on vacation or on hot summer days. You should always know the current UV index. This indicates how intensely the sun shines in different places. The higher the UV index, the higher the UV radiation and the risk of getting sunburned if your skin is unprotected. You can calculate it online or display it in the weather app.

In this article, you will learn why it is important to use sun protection factor even on cloudy days or days with a low UV index.

Different skin types

There are many different skin types and each person reacts differently to external influences. Here we differentiate between four different skin types and give you a rough overview of the respective self-protection time. Of course, the criteria do not apply to everyone in the same way, we are all different and unique, including when it comes to our skin type!

Very light skin type

• red/blonde hair
• light eyes
• very light complexion/many freckles
• gets sunburned very quickly
• almost never gets brown

Self-protection time without pre-tanning on days with a high UV index: approx. 3-10 minutes (the sun protection factor should be very high)

light skin type

• blonde/light brown hair
• light eyes
• fair complexion/often freckles
• gets sunburned easily
• rarely turns brown

Self-protection time without pre-tanning on days with a high UV index: approx. 10-20 minutes (the sun protection factor should be high)

Medium skin type

• dark blonde/brown hair
• medium complexion
• light or dark eyes
• rarely gets sunburned
• tans well

Self-protection time without pre-tanning on days with a high UV index: approx. 20-30 minutes (medium sun protection factor)

Dark to very dark skin type

• dark brown/black hair
• dark complexion
• dark eyes
• almost never gets sunburned
• turns brown quickly

Self-protection time without pre-tanning on days with a high UV index: approx. 45-90 minutes (low sun protection factor)

How UV radiation affects the skin

5% of sunlight consists of UV radiation (ultraviolet radiation), which can penetrate deep into the skin's pores and cause damage. Sun protection can protect against sunburn and premature skin aging, thus reducing the risk of skin cancer. With the right UV protection, the skin stays young and beautiful for a long time.

A distinction is made between UVA, UVB and UVC rays. UVC rays are particularly harmful, but are intercepted by the atmosphere and do not even make it to the earth's surface. UVA and UVB rays are not filtered and can be very harmful to the skin. UV rays are invisible to the human eye, but they can leave large marks on the skin.

UVA rays

Around 95% of UV rays are UVA rays. UVA rays penetrate deep beneath the surface of the skin and promote the binding of free radicals. These are responsible for triggering sun allergies and pigment spots and can lead to skin aging and thus also to the formation of wrinkles.

UVB rays

UVB rays only penetrate the epidermis and are responsible for a tanned complexion, but also for sunburn. Since large amounts of them can damage DNA if unprotected, skin cancer can occur.

What are UV filters and how do they work?

UV filters form a protective barrier for the skin and prevent UV rays from penetrating. A distinction is made between mineral and chemical filters. Mineral UV filters in sun protection products reflect sunlight onto the skin. In contrast to chemical filters, these penetrate the upper layers of the skin and convert the UV radiation into heat energy. Mineral filters usually consist of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

When and where does the sun shine particularly intensely?

UV radiation reaches us with varying intensity, both directly from the sun and indirectly, for example in the shade. The position of the sun over the course of a day influences the intensity of UV radiation, but also the reflections from water, sand and snow.

At midday, the intensity of the sun, especially UVB rays, can be up to 150 times stronger than early in the morning, due to the sun being so high in the sky. At this time, you should stay in the shade if possible. UVA rays are less subject to fluctuations in intensity, so it is important to protect yourself adequately from the rays at all times.

The intensity of UV rays also varies depending on the season. The proportion of UVB rays that cause sunburn is more pronounced in summer than in winter.

Risks related to UVA rays are considered more constant, as they pose a risk all year round. For this reason, it is particularly important to use day creams with SPF all year round to protect the skin from UV rays at all times.

Our new summer must-have is here: the Sensitive SPF15 Day Cream

Because we know how important it is to protect the skin from UV rays every day, even in winter or on days when we can't see the sun behind the clouds, we have developed the Sensitive SPF15 Day Cream.

What's special about it is that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It is therefore your ideal companion for every day, whether under your make-up or on your skin. It protects with its mineral filter with titanium dioxide, which forms a reflective layer on the skin and does not leave a white cast.

Titanium dioxide is a natural mineral consisting of titanium and oxygen. It is a white powder and is therefore used in cosmetics either as a sun protection factor or as a white pigment.

The problem with mineral filters is that they do not penetrate the skin layer like chemical filters, but rather form a protective film on the skin's surface to reflect UV rays. The light, mineral pigment makes the skin appear much lighter. Fortunately, our SPF15 cream does not whiten . This means that it is easy to spread, is completely absorbed into the skin after a while, and does not leave any white residue on it. To prevent whitening, mineral pigments are coated with special coatings and combined with oils and tinting ingredients.

Enjoy the summer and protect your skin from harmful UV rays every day. You can order the Sensitive SPF15 day cream here.