Guide: which sunscreen should you choose?

The sun is starting to appear all over the country and warms us with its rays and boosts us with much-needed vitamin D. While it is wonderful with heat and light after a long and dark winter, it is important to remember to protect yourself to avoid sun damage and premature aging of the skin.

With high sun protection, we extend the time we can expose ourselves to sunlight without being harmed and a bonus is of course a sunscreen with other beneficial properties. With the help of this guide, you will learn the difference between UVA and UVB rays, what the term PA means and what the difference between physical and chemical sun protection is. In addition, we guide you to which of our sunscreens you should choose to get full protection adapted to your skin type, and which of our makeup products contain sunscreen!

About the sun and sun protection
- The sun protection's main task is to protect against UV rays which can vary in strength depending on the season and place on earth. It stands for ultraviolet light, which is invisible radiation and is something we are mainly exposed to from the sun. It can quickly become harmful to the skin, cause burns and in the worst case lead to skin cancer.

- UV rays are available as UVA, UVB and UVC radiation where UVA and UVB are the ones that reach the earth. UVA makes up about 90-95% of the radiation we are reached by while the majority of the UVB rays are stopped by the ozone layer, but they still reach us.

- UVA rays darken the skin's pigment and can cause the skin's tissue to be damaged and is what can lead to skin cancer.

- UVB rays make the skin thicker (which provides a kind of protection in itself) and starts its production of vitamin D but is also what makes you burn, the skin ages and can also lead to skin cancer.

- In sunscreen, UVA protection is referred to as "PA" followed by one or more plus signs and is a classification system that describes how much UVA protection a product has. All sunscreens we sell have PA ++++ which is the highest classification and stands for "extremely high UVA protection".

- The number of plus signs correlates with something called PPD (Persistent Pigment Darkening), which refers to how long it takes for the skin to start getting color, regardless of the initial position. If the product has PPD 2 (PA +), it takes twice as long for the skin to start getting color than without sunscreen. Our products with PA ++++ have PPD 16 or higher, which means that it takes at least 16 times as long to start getting color than without sunscreen.

- In sun protection, UVB protection is referred to as SPF, which stands for Sun Protection Factor and thus indicates the sun protection factor a product provides in terms of UVB rays in contrast to if you were to be without protection. All our pure sunscreens have SPF 50, which counts as very high protection and is equal to 50 times the skin's normal protection against UVB rays.

- The figure after SPF on a product thus does not represent the number of degrees Celsius the product protects against - a common misconception.

- Sunscreens are divided into being either a physical or chemical sunscreen.

- Physical sunscreen contains mineral-based ingredients that reflect away sunlight and thus make it bounce off the skin. They are often white and richer in their formula, which can be worked off by massaging the product into the skin. They provide direct protection and are suitable for a dry skin type, a more sensitive skin type, for those who burn easily and also for children.

- Chemical sunscreen contains ingredients that form a chemical reaction on the skin which absorbs, transforms and neutralizes the UV rays. They often sink softly and quickly into the skin and are of a lighter texture but take a while to start working, and therefore they should be applied 20-30 minutes before the skin is exposed to the sun. Suitable for all skin types, especially a normal, combination or oily skin type.

- Use sunscreen all year round, harmful UV rays reach the skin even on a cloudy and rainy day. In winter, the snow becomes a kind of mirror that reflects the sun's rays and that is, for example, why you can get "goggle burn" from ski goggles after a day on the slopes.

- Remember to always reapply the sunscreen during the day as the protection decreases over time, due to sweat and swimming.

Which sunscreen suits me?

At GLOWiD you will find four sunscreens from Dr. Ceuracle which all have SPF 50 and PA ++++ but where they differ in properties in terms of skin care and are therefore suitable for different skin types.

 

Cica Regen Vegan Sun is a vegan, chemical sunscreen in the form of a light cream with a gel-like consistency that has the wonderful property of acting as a serum, moisturizer and sunscreen in one! It is both moisturizing and anti-inflammatory - perfect for a short summer routine or is on the go and also works as a good base for makeup. The ingredient centella asiatica (cica) means that it is also soothing.

Suitable mainly for: normal skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin and those who suffer from dry skin.

Hyal Reyouth Moist Sun is a chemical sunscreen filled with hyaluronic acids and is therefore deeply moisturizing and barrier-strengthening. A light texture that quickly sinks into the skin without making the skin feel dry soon. It also has the good property of increasing elasticity and is smoothing for those with more texture in the skin. If you like other products in the Hyal Reyouth series, you will love this one!

Suitable mainly for: normal skin, dry skin, sensitive skin and mature skin.

Pro Balance Biotics Sun Clear Up is a combined chemical and physical sunscreen with a thicker consistency. The rich content of probiotics strengthens the skin barrier, moisturizes and is anti-inflammatory while niacinamide evens out skin tone.

Suitable mainly for: dry skin, mature skin and those who are affected by pigmentation and irregularities.

5A Control No-Sebum Sun Lotion is a physical sunscreen with a thin texture that quickly sinks into the skin and leaves a matte and silky feel and finish. It regulates the sebum level, retains the skin's suppleness and elasticity and is moisturizing.

Suitable mainly for: combination skin, oily and acne-prone skin.

Sun protection in make-up

It is not uncommon to find sunscreen in Korean skin care even in make-up products, of course we have it at GLOWiD! They do not provide adequate protection on their own due to the small amount of product needed for their main purpose of being makeup, but act as an extra protection in addition to your regular sunscreen.

In CCC Cream from CLE we find a multifunctional product that works both as primer, BB and CC cream. With a light and silky finish and a soft texture that blends into the skin, it also has a sun protection on SPF 50 PA ++. Available in seven different shades - a tip is to combine different shades to use as contouring in your makeup.

From Klairs you'll find Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream which is a BB cream with a smooth texture and good ability to cover blemishes and red areas. It has anti-aging properties and is also suitable for the most sensitive as well as those with acne-prone skin. It has SPF40 PA ++.

Vegan Kombucha Tea BB Cream from Dr. Ceuracle is a moisturizing BB cream with essence properties in a light texture that gives a natural glow. It has light coverage and is easy to build up and it contains probiotics and and vitamin B which is a barrier-strengthening for the skin. It has a physical sun protection with SPF 30 PA ++.