How to Choose Sunscreen for Every Season | Bella GLOW Skincare

Rain or shine, 50 degrees or 100, the most important skincare product you should be using everyday is sunscreen. The 3 most important qualities you should look for when choosing your daily sunscreen are its sun protection factor (SPF), broad spectrum coverage, and water-resistance. 

As there are different cleansers and moisturizers for different skin types, you should always look for a sunscreen that will react well with yours. Luckily, Bella GLOW has 2 options that are suitable for all skin types.

Sunscreen Basics

Sunscreen and SPF go hand in hand, so let’s discuss what SPF actually is and the differences between the numbers that follow the letters. 

SPF measures how much UVB radiation is required to cause a sunburn on skin that is protected by sunscreen., This corresponds to the amount of UVB radiation used to cause a sunburn on unprotected skin. As SPF increases, so does your protection from a sunburn. 

A majority of dermatologists will recommend using at least SPF30.This number means that if your skin will typically burn in 10 minutes, then using SPF30 gives you 30 times the amount of protection. With SPF30 you can stay in the sun for 300 minutes–this of course will vary based on skin fairness, sun intensity, and amount of product used. 

UVA/UVB Rays

When it comes to UV rays, there are two primary types that you need to worry about: 

• UVA rays- penetrate the deep layers of your skin to cause aging and wrinkles.

• UVB rays - hit the top layer of the skin and lead to sunburns and, over time exposure to both could lead to skin cancer. 

So in order to ensure you're completely protected, you want to use a product that will work against both. When looking for the ingredients on your sunscreen bottle, it is important to look for:

Titanium dioxide: There are two mineral ingredients that the FDA has approved as broad spectrum blockers. Titanium dioxide protects against UVB and short UVA rays, making it a staple in most mineral 'screens. 

Zinc oxide: This brings us to dermatologists' (and lifeguards') favorite sunscreen ingredient: zinc oxide. It's highly stable, and protects against UVB rays and both short and long wavelengths of UVA.

While mineral filters are able to work double duty to keep you safe from both types of rays, when it comes to chemical sunscreens you'll need to opt for something that has a thoughtful combination of UVA and UVB protectants., This is why you'll frequently see a few active ingredients in chemical sunscreens like this formula. 

Skin cancer is not something you want to mess around with and the only data that shows effective formulas for protecting your skin from harmful UVA & UVB rays are with "chemical" sunscreens. Remember, not all "chemicals" are created equally. SIMPURE carefully chose the recommended volumes by a dermatologist, so that the active ingredients protect you and your family.

What is the difference between a "Physical" and "Chemical" Sunscreen?

There are two different types of sunscreen ingredients on the market—"physical" and "chemical"—both of which protect your skin from the sun's rays, but in different ways. 

Physical sunscreens create a literal physical barrier between your sun and the skin to form a protective barrier., Chemical sunscreens sink into your skin to absorb the UV rays.

The choice between the two is fully up to you, there is not a better option as long as you are wearing one every single day.

Bella GLOW's Choices

SPF30 allows for 97% sun protection, which is fantastic, but we wanted to create a product that allows for even more protection without involving chemicals., Our Weightless Facial Sunscreen and SPF+Set, contain SPF 50.This will give your skin 98% protection without any harsh chemicals.

Both products are broad spectrum, protect you from UVA and UVB, are reef-safe, and have up to 80 minutes of water resistance.

When applying your SPF, it is necessary to use at least one ounce on your entire body and .04 ounces on your face. This may be hard to visualize in terms of weight, so a nickel-sized dollop for your face will do the trick, and about a shot glass for the rest of your body. Most people under apply their sunscreen, so we recommend reapplying at least every 2-2.5 hours to ensure that your skin is being fully protected.

Spray or Lotion?

The choice is yours, but a few things to consider when using a lotion:

• You should be able to see the amount being applied
• You should be able to see the full coverage on your skin 

When applying to children, we recommend our Weightless Sunscreen for this reason. Bella GLOW's SPF + Set is a great option as it doubles as a makeup setting spray and is quicker for on the go use and reapplication throughout the day.

Importance of Sunscreen Year Round

Even though you might not think that you are being exposed to the sun, UVA and UVB rays can penetrate clouds and clothing. Not only will these rays take advantage of your exposed skin by creating wrinkles and discoloration, but the ozone layer is thinner during the winter, increasing your chance of skin cancer. 

No matter what your weather app says, there is a 100% chance that you still need to apply your SPF.

Sunscreen for your Skin Type 

For dry skin, you will want to use a hydrating SPF., Our Weightless Facial Sunscreen includes Sodium Hyaluronate which will deeply hydrate your skin.

If you have oily skin, you may want to go with a water-based SPF, or one that contains oil-controlling ingredients such as niacinamide tea tree oil, or green tea. Our SPF + Set is Orange Blossom Water based with Tea Tree Oil and is perfect for oily skin.

When it comes to normal skin, luckily you are able to choose your favorite as any formula will do the trick. 

Finally, for sensitive skin, you should go with an unscented formula that contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as you will be less likely to have a negative reaction to these ingredients. Once again, we recommend our Weightless Sunscreen.

What to Avoid

Oxybenzone is one of the most important ingredients to look out for when shopping for sunscreen. This is typically one of the most used ingredients, as well as being one of the most toxic. 

Not only does it cause harm to the environment, but it can actually be absorbed by your skin, enter your bloodstream, and circulate through your body causing hormone disruption, and pro-carcinogenic activity. 

What to Look For

• Broad Spectrum
• Water Resistance
• SPF 30-50
• Reef-safe
• PA+++