Piz Buin Tan and Protect Tan Accelerating Oil Spray SPF 6 Low 150ml

Product Information

In general, the higher the SPF number of your sunscreen, the greater the protection, so an SPF 6 or 10 offers low protection, SPF 15, 20 or 25 offers medium protection, SPF 30 or 50 offers high protection, and SPF 50+ offers very high protection. This is measured using a standardised test.

Apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going out in the sun to allow maximum absorption and protection. It'™s important that your sunscreen is water resistant when you go swimming because UV radiation half a metre below the surface of water is still 40% as intense as it is on the surface. You also need to protect the part of your body that'™s above the surface, as water reflects some 25% of UV radiation and can intensify the harmful effects.A "photostable" sunscreen is able to withstand the effects of UV exposure better, so it keeps its level of protection. A sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection means it has the ability to protect against the harmful effects of both UVA (ageing rays) and UVB (burning rays). To be classified as offering broad-spectrum protection, a sunscreen product needs to absorb or reflect at least 90% of the UV rays from the 290 to 400 nanometres (nm) wavelength range. Chemical filters work by absorbing UV light and converting it to higher wavelength rays that are less harmful to the skin.

Skin cancer, or malignant melanoma, appears to be caused by damage to the DNA structure of skin cells that are exposed to the sun —“ with just 5% of all carcinomas occurring on areas of the skin that are not exposed. Damage to these skin cells leads to the growth of degenerated cells that in turn result in cancer. In Europe, skin cancer is far more prevalent in the north, where people'™s skin tends to contain less pigmentation. The SPF number indicates how many times longer you can stay in the sun before starting to burn. The way it works is that you take the number of minutes it normally takes your skin to burn in the sun with no protection (let'™s say 15 minutes). Then, you multiply that number by the SPF number (in this case, Factor 6). Since 15 x 6 = 90, you should have 90 minutes before you start to get a sun burn. In other words, the higher the SPF the greater the protection of your sunscreen. But remember these are theoretical values. In reality, the time depends, among other factors, on your skin phototype and the local UV intensity. Try to avoid intense midday sun from 11:00am and 3:00pm during the summer months or when on holiday in tropical countries. In the mountains, your skin requires a specific kind of protection. Therefore, it is better to use a sunscreen that helps to defend your skin against cold, wind and intense sun. PIZ BUIN ® MOUNTAINhelps to protect your skin in high altitude mountain conditions.

Different skin types react to the sun in different ways, so the type of skin you have influences how long you can stay in the sun and what types of sunscreen you need. The first colour-related effect of exposure to the sun is known as "œimmediate pigmentation", or a colouring that appears during exposure and disappears within 2 hours. Caused by UVA and visible light, immediate pigmentation does not protect against sunburn.

Sun exposure plays a major role in the skin's ageing process. Up to 90% of all visible signs of ageing can be attributed to the harmful effects of sun exposure. Tanning starts 3-5 days after sun exposure, when special skin cells called melanocytes start synthesising melanin, the body'™s natural tanning pigment. Melanin is then transferred to neighbouring cells called keratinocytes, which are the main cell type in the epidermis or upper layer of your skin. Unlike immediate pigmentation, actual tanning does help protect against the harmful effects of UV radiation. Tanning fades progressively, but remember that people with a natural suntan also need to apply sunscreen, as a tan does not provide sufficient protection from UV exposure.

To protect the skin, sunscreen uses UV filters that absorb radiation from the sun. When a sunscreen is exposed to this radiation, it can alter the chemical structure of the UV filters, thus degrading their protective capabilities.