UVA and UVB: Sunscreen Equals Beauty.

You need to understand about UVA and UVB because the sun is one of the major causes of early skin aging. To understand how to correct and prevent this ever so present aging element, we must first understand how the sun ages our skin. The sun emits UV rays. These rays are the reason for sunburns, skin cancer and skin aging.

UV rays are the ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. These rays are projected in three different categories. UVA rays, UVB rays and UVC rays. For the purpose of skin health, UVC rays are of little or no concern. Nearly 100% of the UVC rays emitted by the sun are absorbed by the ozone layer before the sun's rays ever reach the Earth. The UVA and UVB rays, however, are at the heart of premature skin aging.

Anti aging methods and practices were once centered on the belief that women needed to stay out of the sun in order to stay young and healthy. This was not so far from the truth. While UVA and UVB rays are always around the skin, they can be reflected with the regular use of UV sunscreens; thus enabling the woman and the man to enough the warmth and beauty of the sun without allowing the sun to dry and damage the skin.

UV sunscreens are marketed as a simple lotion or as an additive in facial and body lotions, makeups and lip balms. Sunscreens are anti aging, in that they prevent the sun's harmful rays from burning and damaging layers of the skin. The lotions bounce the UV rays off like a shield and thus the skin absorbs less and less of the rays throughout the time the skin is exposed to the sun.

Anti aging UV sunscreen comes in a variety of strengths and choices. Some sunscreens only protect against UVB rays which were once thought to be the only rays that affected the skin in a harmful way. However, recent suggestions have stated that UVA rays are just as harmful as UVB rays on the skin. The strength of an anti aging sunscreen will be measured in SPF. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. Lotions should contain a minimum of SPF 15 in order to protect the skin from the effects of UV rays. But, this is only a minimum. Larger amounts of SPF, up to 50, are available for those who would like extra protection and those who have skin that is sensitive to light.

Newer anti aging sunscreens protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Choosing a sunscreen that does not offer this promise is the same as giving the sun permission to age your skin even more. UV rays are the most unnoticed reason for premature skin aging, with the majority of skin damage occurring while the skin in still in the childhood years. Prevention of the aging effects of the sun's rays needs to start early in life and continue throughout life in order to reap the full benefits of youth and vibrancy of your skin and your looks.