In the summer it is normal that you are exposed to the sun in a casual and unexpected way, if you are one of those who take care of the skin of the body and face, something you should have on hand is sunscreen for the face and lips.
We often hear about the importance of protecting the skin from the sun's rays. The face is the part of the body most exposed to the sun and because the lips are on the face, they are almost never covered, so they are constantly in contact with the sun's rays.
«As you may have noticed, the skin of the lips is much thinner than that of the rest of the body, even thinner than that of the eye contour, for this reason they need special care, although it is very common to forget to use sunscreen to the face face and the lips!».
Do you use sunscreen for your face and lips?
If your answer was "no", then I invite you to continue reading.
Protecting the skin of the lips from the sun's rays is vital, since this area of the face lacks melanin (the skin's natural pigment that acts as a sunscreen), which is why they do not tan, but they can burn easily. Even the sun's rays can impact the production of collagen in the lips and in addition to burning the lips, it can increase the premature aging of the area and the face in general.
Daily use of sunscreen for the face and lips is necessary, since UV (ultraviolet) rays are the most important risk factor when it comes to skin cancer.
The importance of SPF (Sun Protector Factor, sun protection factor)
For lip care, an SPF must be provided that is suitable for withstanding high temperatures, wind and other climatic factors that directly affect the condition and luminosity of this area of the face.
When choosing a sunscreen for the face, you have to be aware of the skin's resistance to sun exposure before redness and subsequent burning begin. The number that accompanies the SPF indicates the increase in the duration of the skin's natural defense against redness prior to the burn.
To calculate the protection time of the SPF, you can perform a simple operation, multiply the time you can be in the sun without reddening the skin and multiply it by the SPF number, that is, if the natural resistance time of your skin before the sun is 10 minutes and the SPF number is 15, it means that the skin will be protected for 150 minutes, specifically 2 hours and a half.
What you should avoid when using sunscreen for the face:
It is a mistake to use sunscreen for the face or body to protect the lips, on the contrary, it will irritate them because they are not made to fulfill that function. It is important to know that there are different products depending on the area of the body you want to protect; the density of each product is different, since the skin of the face and lips is more delicate and thinner than the rest of the body.
Recommendations:
Keep lips hydrated.
It is not enough to constantly drink water and apply lip balm, it is important to use special products with SPF for lips. Did you know that licking your lips looking to hydrate them can be harmful? Saliva acts like a lens and intensifies sun exposure.
Use waterproof sunscreen.
Sun protection for the lips is the one that falls off the skin the fastest. For this reason, you should touch up as many times as necessary during your stay at the beach or pool.
Choose the SPF you will use.
As with body sunscreens, lipsticks also contain a certain SPF. To protect your lips from the sun, opt for a lip balm that is SPF 15 or higher.
Avoid lip gloss without prior sun protection.
Lip glosses are not a substitute for sunscreen, using them as a protector because it is what you have on hand is harmful to your lips, since they can direct ultraviolet (UV) rays to the area similar to the magnifying glass effect.
Exfoliate your lips.
Before or after sun exposure, if your lips get dry and start to peel, you should exfoliate them. Use the LE BON BEE Lip Scrub, it's excellent for removing dead cells. You must take into account that, because it is such a sensitive area, you should not exfoliate it with force so as not to mistreat it. It is recommended not to do the procedure right after sun exposure, as the lips will be more sensitive than normal.
Take Vitamin E.
LE BON BEE's Vitamin E reinforces sun protection, although it is not a sunscreen by itself, studies show that applying vitamin E to our lips will make it more prepared against the damaging effects of the sun. It will seal in moisture so you can enjoy your summer ride without worrying about applying a protective balm so often.