Winter Season Skin Protection
I think we can all agree that our winter season is officially upon us here in the Ottawa valley. As we all spend the next few months dreaming of the warm summer sun, let us not forget that it is equally important to protect our skin against the sun’s UV rays, even while we are watching the snow fall.
Are you aware that even when it’s cold or overcast, UV rays that cause skin aging and skin cancer are still reaching your skin? While the UVB rays that are the main cause for sunburn are strongest in the warmer months, all of the suns rays are reflective and are able to bounce off of snow and ice – thus giving you a double exposure during the winter months.
UVA rays are constant no matter the temperature outside. These are extremely damaging rays, since UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the skin. These rays play a greater role in premature skin aging changes (including wrinkle formation) as well as a major cause of skin cancer. While UVA rays may be less intense than UVB rays, they can also be 30-50 times more prevalent than UVB and can also penetrate glass, cloud, and fog. Because of this – we at Concept Medical can not stress enough the importance of protecting your skin all year round.
How Do I Protect My Skin During The Winter Months?
The very first thing that we urge everyone to do, is to wear a great quality broad spectrum sunscreen each day. This will not only protect you against UVA, but also UVB sun rays. When purchasing your sunscreen, please check the ingredient list on the packaging. A true broad spectrum sunscreen will always contain two specific and important ingredients: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Even with a high SPF, if a sunscreen isn’t broad spectrum, you will not be protected from all UVA rays. With a quality sunscreen, we recommend the SPF (sun protection factor) amount of 30-50, anything higher than this just results in additional added ingredients – which are not necessary for your skin.
The next thing you can do, is bundle up! Make sure to wear a hat and scarf to protect otherwise exposed areas – and UV blocking sunglasses are always a great idea as well! Wearing a lip balm with added SPF, to protect the sensitive skin in the lip area is extremely beneficial as well.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding sun protection products – please do not hesitate to contact the staff at Concept Medical. We would be happy to help!