Sunscreen and
how to wear it.. ?
Normally in things to
carry items for a any trek or expedition will have
a sunscreen. But not many know what is a sunscreen and how to use it. Mr. Vishwanath with his experience in high altitude
discloses the necessity to carry it and
using it.
First of all. It is
not a cream that can be applied easily anytime and start. No..!
Yes.Sure that will protect you from the sun exposure...for a
little while. But to properly and effectively wear sunscreen and get its
maximum benefits, you should follow these sunscreen tips.
About Sunscreens and
Altitude
There is no better way to prevent sunburn at high altitude than to cover
up exposed parts with clothing. There is no suggestion from clinical experience
that malignant melanomas are seen commonly in high altitude climbers than in
the general population. Obviously, the more benign skin cancers are seen in
more commonly in those who spend much time outdoors, and are probably more
common in (for example) mountain guides than their office-based peers. Despite
the recent publicity on sunscreens and melanomas, there is presently no
definite evidence to suggest avoiding the use of sunscreens; there may however
be further data about this.
Sunlight is composed of various wavelengths ranging from
ultraviolet light through infrared to visible light - ultraviolet light is the
most harmful to the skin and causes sunburn, ageing of the skin and, over the
long term, skin cancer. Ultraviolet light is made up of UVC, UVB and UVA, UVC
being the shorter wavelength that is filtered out by the earth's ozone layer.
UVB and UVA penetrate the ozone layer and reach the earth's surface but the
atmosphere filters more UVA than UVB. Fortunately, UVA is not quite so powerful
in its effects as UVB as it has an additive (cumulative) effect with UVB on the
skin. UVB and UVA are the only wavelengths that need to be screened out as we
still have an ozone layer over most of the earth!
Ultraviolet light (especially UVA) is harmful to the eye in excessive quantity, acutely causing snow blindness (conjunctivitis) and in the long-term cataract formation. The higher the altitude the more UV light there will be and as snow is a powerful reflector of ultraviolet light, one must take extra caution whilst climbing on snow and ice, especially at altitude (see practical issues). UVB and UVA penetrate clouds thus explaining why sunburn and snow blindness can occur on cloudy days.
Sunscreens
Ultraviolet light (especially UVA) is harmful to the eye in excessive quantity, acutely causing snow blindness (conjunctivitis) and in the long-term cataract formation. The higher the altitude the more UV light there will be and as snow is a powerful reflector of ultraviolet light, one must take extra caution whilst climbing on snow and ice, especially at altitude (see practical issues). UVB and UVA penetrate clouds thus explaining why sunburn and snow blindness can occur on cloudy days.
Sunscreens
There
are a variety of substances that can protect against UVB - these work by
absorption, whereas UVA screens mainly work by reflection. Zinc or titanium
dioxide cream will reflect UVA and UVB but leaves a white film on the skin, so
a proprietary sunscreen is often preferable.
What is Sun
Protection Factor (SPF) ?
This
number only applies to the UVB (screening) action of the sunscreen. For
example, when using a product with a SPF15 one can spend fifteen times longer
in the sun before becoming sun burnt.
Remember, the SPF does not apply to UVA sunscreens so even a product with a
SPF25 but with no UVA screen will less effective than a product with a lower
SPF but with a UVA screen. When buying, look for a cream that has a high SPF
factor, and both a UVA+B block to ensure maximum protection. The other factor
that has to be taken into account when choosing a sunscreen is cosmetic
acceptability - some people like greasy preparations while others prefer
alcohol based lotion preparations that are much easier to apply.
Pros and Cons
Some sunscreens contain PABA (p-amino benzoic acid); these (usually
lotions) do sting already burnt skin and will stain clothing yellow. Very
rarely an acute dermatitis can occur when using sunscreens but this is fairly
obvious as the face swells up and the skin weeps - washing and discontinued use
should solve the problem. People taking antibiotics, especially of the
tetracycline type can sometimes become photosensitive at high altitudes because
the increase in UV light has an effect with tetracycline in the skin.
A high SPF sunscreen with UVA blocking properties should be applied several times a day, remembering that sweat and rubbing the face will reduce the effectiveness of the screen. Remember to wear a pair of good quality sunglasses or goggles on snow and at altitude even in cloudy conditions. Always carry a spare pair of sunglasses, or if you have lost them, make something, e.g. a piece of card with eye slits cut through it, or clothing to cover the eyes.
Practical Issues
A high SPF sunscreen with UVA blocking properties should be applied several times a day, remembering that sweat and rubbing the face will reduce the effectiveness of the screen. Remember to wear a pair of good quality sunglasses or goggles on snow and at altitude even in cloudy conditions. Always carry a spare pair of sunglasses, or if you have lost them, make something, e.g. a piece of card with eye slits cut through it, or clothing to cover the eyes.
Practical Issues
Covering
the skin (especially the face & arms) is very important at extreme
altitude. Facemasks (silk is best) or balaclavas - even when unnecessary for
protection against cold - have an important place in the prevention of sunburn.
The lips, underside of the nose and the ears also need to be protected and
lipsalve with a sunscreen should be used.
The treatment of acute sunburn is to cover the inflamed area and use soothing creams such as calamine lotion. When there is severe skin inflammation over a wide area, e.g. very painful thighs after marching in shorts, a single application of a steroid cream - Betnovate 0.1% - is helpful.
The treatment of acute sunburn is to cover the inflamed area and use soothing creams such as calamine lotion. When there is severe skin inflammation over a wide area, e.g. very painful thighs after marching in shorts, a single application of a steroid cream - Betnovate 0.1% - is helpful.
Snow
blindness is the intensely painful gritty sensation in the eyes, in which UV
radiation has induced inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva. It is best
treated with a combination of a steroid eye drops, e.g. betamethasone 0.1% and
an antibiotic, e.g. chloramphenicol eye ointment, three times daily. The
inflammation usually settles within 24 hours.
Wear a dark goggles while walking at high altitude to avoid
snow
blindness.
Four Important Sunscreen Tips To
Wear Sunscreen Effectively
When
Should You Apply Your Sunscreen?
To be most effective, sunscreen
should be applied at least 15-30 minutes before you go out in the sun. It needs
the opportunity to penetrate your skin to protect it.
You should apply sunscreen even
on days that are not sunny! The UV rays are not blocked by clouds and you
still get exposure on cloudy days. Also, the UV rays can reflect off of many
different types of surfaces, including snow, water such as the pools, oceans,
lakes, and rivers, sand, and even light-colored concrete...so you may be
getting sun exposure when you least expect it, even when you are sitting by the
pool in the shade!
When you are not camping by the
water, many people also feel they don't need to put on sunscreen...this is not
a good practice. Sunscreen should be applied every day...even when you are not camping...but
especially when you are camping! It is a good camping safety practice because
when camping you are outdoors most of the day...the sunscreen helps you prevent
a painful sunburn even when you don't feel you are getting sun.
How
Much Sunscreen Should You Apply?
Apply liberally. The biggest mistake
people make is to apply too little. You should apply one full ounce of
sunscreen, which is approximately enough to fill a shot glass, to all areas of
your body that are exposed.
Should
You Reapply?
A big, fat YES to this
question! Reapply your sunscreen throughout the day, at least every two hours,
even more frequently if you have been swimming or sweating. Reapply frequently
even if the sunscreen you have says it is water resistant, waterproof, or even
for those that say they have all-day protection.
Does
Sunscreen Expire?
Yes it does! Most sunscreen bottles will have an expiration date on them
and you should take it seriously. Over time, the effectiveness of sunscreen
does diminish and you want to make sure your sunscreen is as effective as
possible!
The FDA requires that sunscreen work
at its highest effectiveness for three years...so if you have purchased
your sunscreen bottle within the last three years it is most likely still good.
However....remember you should be
wearing sunscreen daily, not just when you are camping, so your bottle of
sunscreen, if you are applying in proper amounts, should not be lasting you
three years.!
Sunscreen
Tips are Important Tips!
Because it so important to wear
sunscreen and wear it properly, we would like to quickly summarize for you what
we mentioned above:
- Wear sunscreen daily
- Re-apply your sunscreen every couple of hours, and even more often if you are swimming or sweating
- Use a minimum of SPF15, SPF 30 is better, we like SPF 70 for the face
- Apply liberally, use about 1 ounce per application.
Thank goodness for sunscreen! Not
only does sun protection protect you against a sunburn, but it also protects
you from skin cancer, wrinkles, and premature skin aging! Practice good camping
safety habits and protect your skin from the sun by covering up.
Let's talk about some sunscreen
tips, including the best sunscreens, when to apply it, and a few other important
sunscreen facts!
Do you know that any type of a
suntan, whether dark or minimal, is a sign of skin damage? Many
people think that you can just slap on some sunscreen in the morning and be set
for the whole day...this is a sunscreen myth!!!
The
Best Sunscreen You Can Use Blocks Both UVA and UVB Rays
Forget the myths...instead, here are
some sunscreen facts...There are two different kinds of ultraviolet rays we are
exposed to, UVA and UVB. The SPF rating only accounts for the UVB rays...but it
is important to wear sunscreen that blocks both types of rays.
SPF
and The Best Sunscreens
Sunscreens come in different levels
of protection, called SPF or sun protection factor, which is indicated as a
number. The higher the SPF, the more protection your skin gets from the sun.
The sunscreen will not block all of the rays your skin gets, but the way it
works is for the number of SPF you put on, you can stay in the sun ten times
that many minutes...for example:
The SPF number lets you calculate
how much longer you can stay in the sun with the sunscreen on without getting
burned than how long you could stay out without getting burned without any
sunscreen on. It is a little complicated....for example, if you start to get a
sunburn after 10 minutes being in the sun, then by applying a sunscreen with
SPF 15 you can stay in the sun for 150 minutes longer than you would be able to
without using any SPF. You simply multiple the number of the SPF by the number
of minutes (15 x 10) you can normally stay out in the sun without getting a
sunburn to get the number of minutes you can stay out before your skin will
burn.
Let's try again...you still can stay
out in the sun for 10 minutes when your skin is unprotected before starting to
burn...but this time you apply SPF 30. So 10 minutes times SPF 30 gives you 300
minutes. You can stay out in the sun 300 minutes longer than your usual time
without sunscreen before your skin will burn.But remember...when you are
camping you will probably be outdoors, doing outdoor activities either in the
water or around your campsite most of the day, for several days!
Now, I think most people don't know
exactly how long they can stay out in the sun before starting to burn...I sure
don't! But I recognize the importance of sunscreen...and I always wear
sunscreen...even when not camping.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Drytouch Sunblock SPF 50+
- Serious sun protection never felt this light on your skin. Dry-Touch technology absorbs excess sunscreen oils, leaving a clean, lightweight and non-shiny finish
- Dermatologist-tested formula that contains helioplex technology, which provides three times better sun protection than ordinary sunscreens
Facial Sunscreen
Neutrogena sunscreen with an SPF of
50+ and 70+. This Neutrogena sunscreen is
specially made for the face. It won't clog the pores, and is sweatproof and
waterproof. The best part, aside from the protection, is that it doesn't
go on heavy and greasy like sunscreens we are used to...it is lightweight and
smooth and feels more like a face cream than a sunscreen.
When putting sunscreen on your face,
don't forget your lips as well. Many lipsticks or lip balms sold today contain
SPF. For sunscreen for your lips, you should use a product with an SPF of at
least 15.
Some
Recommended Sunscreen Products:
In addition to Neutrogena, there are
some best sunscreens and sun blocks to protect your skin and lips,
recommended by top skin care specialists choose namely Sunbloc , Lotus and Garnier etc.
