Sun protection, forever

Following the post on the ritual of bathing in onsen and its skin beautifying effect, here is another secret on the Japanese women’s beauty.

Sun protection: secrets of Japanese women’s beauty and youth #2:

Did you know, that Japanese women wear sun protection on their face all year long? Why?

The kind that reaches the surface of the skin and causes sunburns, damages the skin and most extremely can lead to a skin cancer.

• Protection level against UVB is commonly and internationally expressed by SPF (Sun Protection Factor)
• SPF protection has to be applied every 2 hours.
• In Japan, most of women use SPF50, the highest we can find in the market. But as SPF prevents suntan too, if you want to tan without burning, you should use a smaller SPF. In Japan we hardly never find products with small SPF like 15, as the mainstream woman is in favour of a porcelaine white skin.

UVA

The kind that goes deeper inside the dermis and causes skin ageing meaning fine lines, wrinkles, age spots or freckles. It also destroys the collagen synthesis bringing the skin to be drier and harder.

• Protection against UVA is expressed by PA, a Japanese rating system since SPF does not tell you how much protection you are getting from the UVA. The indication goes from PA+, to PA++++, with more + signs meaning a higher level of UVA protection.  In western countries, you should look for sunscreen products labeled “broad spectrum” or “full spectrum,” covering both UVA and UVB rays.
• UVA rays can pass through clouds, glass and clothing so you need to protect against them outdoor like indoor.

So both UV types are harmful to the skin. You should therefore wear a sun protection that prevents both types to damage your skin, all year long, and when you go outside as well as when you stay in. This is key to the skin anti-ageing.

So what’s new in sun protection products in Japan?

• In Japan, most of Japanese women use either a make-up base or a foundation with sun protection.
• Every year, new sun protections are launched, with always more improvements, ranging from texture, fragrance, to extra nutritive ingredients. The standard is:

1. a pleasant and easy to spread texture such as the jelly one

2. can be used like a beauty serum with loads of nutritive elements like hyaluronic acids or vitamins

3. is easy to cleanse

So you can see that we have said goodbye a long ago to the old thick sticky greasy sun protection cream that white you out! All the more reason not to skip this step in your daily skincare routine.

• Have a look at how meticulously we study new products, maybe that is one of the reasons why it is so competitive!

Sun exposure is definitely necessary for life and the vitamin D synthesis is beneficial to the skin too. But never forget overexposure, especially without any protection, is dangerous and enemy of skin beauty and youth!