The bad weather of the last few months may have at least one benefit, that of having delayed the appearance of a few fine lines around the eyes. Because worse than pollution, poor diet or even smoking, the sun is “80% responsible for skin aging” through UVA rays in particular, as Dr. Marina Alexandre, dermatologist and scientific consultant for Vichy laboratories, explains to us. However, according to an OpinionWay survey for the Fédération des Entreprises de la Beauté (FBEA), only 53% of French people consider the application of sunscreen as an anti-aging agent. The harmful effects of UV rays occur as soon as we step outside and do not wait for a seaside vacation to take action. “For a Parisian, 50% of the UV rays received during their life occur outside of vacations, that is to say during lunches on terraces, outdoor sports sessions, etc.,” explains Erwan Poivet, Doctor of Biology and scientific advisor to the FBEA during a press conference given on June 27.
Skin aging means the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, a loss of elasticity and therefore sagging of the skin, drier, more fragile and reactive skin or the appearance of pigment irregularities such as brown spots. By penetrating deep into the skin barrier, UV rays can cause irreversible damage to the skin. Like brown spots which are the result of a “dysregulation of melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin and are therefore the cause of tanning. But with too much exposure, they go into overdrive and produce hyperpigmentation,” explains the expert.
Never underestimate the importance of UVA protection
So how do you avoid looking like a naked mole rat too quickly (if you don’t have the reference, we invite you to type it into Google images)? “It is essential to protect yourself with sunscreen during any exposure and to reapply it every two hours,” explains Dr. Alexandre. “The ideal is to choose a cream that combines several organic and mineral filters to provide the best protection against UVA and UVB rays.”
But in the dermatologist’s opinion, it is not always easy for the consumer to identify the most effective creams. However, she advises paying attention to two aspects: “favor brands of European origin because they use newer and more effective filters than creams from the United States or Canada, where legislation requires the use of old filters. . Concerning the SPF index, it must be 50 + and accompanied by the UVA logo circled, which means that the formulation protects against UVB (the rays responsible for sunburn, editor’s note) as well as UVA. This logo indicates “that the protection is equal to a minimum of 1/3 of the SPF indicated on the bottle, a ratio sufficient to protect against UVA according to scientists”, specifies Erwan Poivet. Even if according to Dr Marina Alexandre, “it would be preferable to display an index for UVA as well as UVB. In any case, we can already trust the formulations of drugstore creams which are often more stringent on UVA filters than beauty brands.”
The best way to keep your glow and a well-defined oval is simply to limit your exposure to UV rays, even under cloudy skies. So, aren’t you happy to have experienced the worst spring in fifteen years?
