Secrets behind the beauty industry you should know about

SPF 15 is enough

Maybe because our planet is sick, but the sun feels hotter by the day. Sunscreens have become indispensable, which means you have more things to consider when you shop for one. But is a product with a higher SPF really better?

Misleading numbers

Professor Dr. Eckhard Breitbart, Chairman of the Association of Dermatological Prevention (ADP) in Buxtehude, Germany says high SPF numbers are a marketing ploy designed to profit the manufacturer. Why? UV protection levels rise with SPF, but only up to SPF 15. Anything higher makes very little difference in UV protection. Moreover, a product with an unnecessarily high SPF value may contain more harmful chemicals and require scrutiny before using./p>

Chemical vs. Physical Sunscreen

Based on their protective mechanism, sunscreens are divided into two categories: chemical and physical. Chemical sunscreens permeate your skin and break down UV rays. They use a type of benzene that, with long-term exposure, can cause inflammations or DNA damage.

Which is safer?

Physical sunscreens do a better job of protecting the skin because they use naturally occurring minerals like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide to reflect or scatter UV rays. According to BDIH, a natural cosmetics certification body with the strictest standards in Germany, the safest sunscreen for your skin and body is a non-nano physical sunscreen. While this type of sunscreen may not spread or permeate so well and leave a white cast, it is safer precisely for those reasons.

*What is nano sunscreen?

A sunscreen whose ingredients have been broken down into nano-sized particles for better absorption and spreadability. These particles can stay in your skin and cause various problems.