Tanning and sun protection: debunking common myths – part two

This is absolutely a false myth about sunscreens.

In fact, the protective ability of a sunscreen filter does not increase in a linear way as the sun protection factor rises.

While SPF 15 filters around 93% of UVB rays, a cream with SPF 30 filters around 97% of the same rays.

This false myth needs to be explained a little more carefully than others.

Chlorine can certainly have an exfoliating effect on the skin due to its chemical composition, and it can also make the skin drier. This is why that much-desired tan may seem to fade more quickly if you spend a lot of time in swimming pools.

However, there is no need to panic. To completely lose your tan, you would need to stay immersed in pool water for many hours, not simply take the occasional dip to cool down during the summer heat.

Our advice to minimise this risk is to take a refreshing shower after getting out of the pool. The fresh water will immediately rinse away the chlorine accumulated on the skin.

Nothing could be more false, or more harmful to our skin.

Waterproof or water-resistant sunscreens can certainly maintain their protective factor even after a few swims in the sea or pool.

However, as the sun has become particularly intense in recent years, it is strongly recommended to reapply sunscreen after swimming or heavy sweating.

Reapplying protective sunscreen approximately every 2 hours is the ideal guideline to help ensure the best possible sun protection when spending time outdoors.

This is not true at all.

It is essential to always remember to apply a cream with a sun protection factor underneath your make-up.

Sunscreen should always be applied carefully to the skin first, and only afterwards should you move on to make-up.

This applies not only to the face, but also to often-forgotten areas such as the lips, neck and ears.

Our advice for a delicate area like the face is to apply at least a sunscreen with SPF 30. If the sun protection factor is SPF 50+, even better.

That is not correct.

After-sun products contain extra soothing ingredients, such as aloe vera or natural oils, designed to calm skin that has been exposed to the sun for a long time.

They are specifically formulated to help reduce redness caused by sun exposure and usually contain more moisturising and humectant ingredients, such as argan oil, calendula oil or sunflower oil.

Their texture is generally lighter than a regular body moisturiser, because it is important for the product to absorb quickly and leave a refreshing sensation on the skin.

Try our Tan-Fixing After-Sun Cream, which not only deeply hydrates the skin after a day in the sun, but also helps stimulate melanin synthesis to intensify your tan.

This is not such an obvious question, as we know that the body mainly stores vitamin D through exposure to sunlight.

Despite this, there is no real risk that using sunscreen with any SPF will cause a vitamin D deficiency.

In fact, sunscreen should normally be applied several times throughout the day and according to the recommended amount of product. These guidelines are often difficult to follow, as the required quantity is quite high.

For this reason, the risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency due to sunscreen use is extremely low.

So let’s continue using sun protection without fear.