Three magical things that happen when you start wearing sunscreen
Have you been diligent about wearing sunscreen everyday? If you’re new here, that’s ok, you should read up on why SPF is important. If you’re not new, well, Tita Liz is disappointed in you! We preach sunscreen not just because it makes us sound smart - it really is the single most effective anti-aging and skin-protecting product easily available to us. Forget about pills, potions, and other creams: if you don’t shield your skin from sun damage, then every other beautifying product you use can't work as intended.
Sunscreen isn’t something you should only apply at the beach, or during the summer season. It must be a life-long commitment if you care about your skin even a little bit. Now if you’ve never worn sunscreen every day before, here’s what will happen when you get into the habit!
Your skin may turn a shade or two lighter
The sun’s rays trigger melanin production in our skin, which is a response meant to lessen the sun’s damage. The resulting tan is pretty but also functional: the darker your skin is, the more protected you are from radiation damage and thus, skin cancer.
However, you could lend your skin a helping hand by wearing a product with physical or chemical sunscreen ingredients. These deflect and scatter the sun’s rays so that they are not absorbed by the skin completely! As a result, your skin might lighten over time as it will not be triggered to produce as much melanin as it did before sunscreen.
I have personally experienced this. Since I started wearing sunscreen religiously years ago, my skin is much lighter compared to before! I am not a fair goddess (nor do I aspire to be) but I’d like to think that the true color of my skin (in the medium range) is maintained because of SPF.
Your blemishes and freckles will disappear faster, or will not darken as before
Notice how your skin scars or darkens after a pimple? Or a wound? It’s your skin’s natural response in protecting itself from further exposure from the sun. Wearing sunscreen every day will deflect the UVA and UVB rays from the damaged parts of your skin so it can heal faster and develop less hyperpigmentation.
Your wrinkles will be less developed
Ever look at your skin and wonder why some areas started to form wrinkles as early as your 20s? You guessed it - the sun is the culprit. Imagine your skin as fruit left out in the sun even for just an hour - it will shrivel and dry up very quickly. With daily use of an SPF product, you can keep that from happening prematurely! You’ll age; that’s not going to change. It just won’t be as fast.
Luckily, it’s not too late for you even if you’re in your 30s now. Just wear at least SPF30 everyday to prevent accelerated wrinkling! I started wearing sunscreen regularly only in my mid-20s. Yeah, I know, I didn’t follow my own early advice and I did regret that. I have fine wrinkles on my face that I’ll never get rid of but at least their appearance has softened through the years.
If you’re looking for a good daily sunscreen, I’d like to recommend the Silka Papaya Premium Lotion with SPF30 (P174 for 200ml). Yup, Silka has sunscreen too, apparently! Looking at the ingredients, it’s both a physical and chemical sunscreen for better protection. It also surprisingly contains niacinamide (a derivative of Vitamin B3), an active ingredient normally found in face serums as it is effective in reducing lines, hyperpigmentation, and redness.
Again, niacinamide is pretty high up in the ingredients list, even higher than the usual whitening actives like sweet almond milk protein and papaya enzyme.
I can’t say I am a huge fan of the scent of this one (it’s a different line entirely from the Silka lotions with Shea Butter and Avocado Oil) but for the price, the water-based formulation is quite nice. It’s certainly one of the cheapest sunscreens in the market right now! Try it out if you’re looking for an affordable daily sunscreen.
Have I finally convinced you to wear sunscreen? What’s your remaining excuse? ;)
This story is brought to you by Silka
