New research commissioned by Hada Labo Tokyo - the number one skincare brand in Japan - has shown that a scary 85 per cent of women go out without sunscreen, even when it’s warm and only 35 per cent of women say they always wear sunscreen when it’s sunny. The research also found that 69 per cent of women only put sunscreen on their body during warm, sunny days, neglecting their face.
While the sun does provide health benefits, such as helping provide the body with vitamin D, it can also cause skin cancer and it has a huge impact on skin ageing. We all need to remember too that sun damage can occur when it’s overcast. Even on a warm, cloudy day, you should be wearing sunscreen.
UVA & UVB – Do You Know The Difference?
The Hada Labo Tokyo research has also found that 45 per cent of women do not know the difference between UVA and UVB rays. Of those that do, it’s the 18 to 29-year-old women who are most likely to understand the difference.
UVA radiation accounts for 95 per cent of the sunlight that reaches the Earth’s surface and this is the one which triggers the damage associated with tanning. UVA radiation also damages collagen and elastin in the skin, which accelerates the signs of ageing.
UVB radiation can’t penetrate as deeply as UVA, but it can cause serious damage to the skin’s upper layers, and trigger the DNA damage that can lead to skin cancer.
Why You Need To Water Your Skin To help Fight Against Skin Ageing
Keeping skin hydrated is vital, as "well-watered" skin equals younger-looking skin. There are some promising signs in the new Hada Labo Tokyo data which do show that women are hot on their skin hydration as seven in ten women do think about hydrating their skin, either all the time or often. But, despite the damage that UV rays can cause, only four in ten women think about hydrating their skin more during summer whereas 55 per cent of women think more about skin hydration during the winter.
Look For Anti-Ageing Ingredients In Your Sunscreen
Whilst 85 per cent of the women polled believe that the sun causes skin dehydration, what many women are getting wrong, is assuming that their sunscreen sunscreen provides hydration.
Using sunscreen that also contains anti-ageing hyaluronic acid, can help to give skin the hydration it needs but only a fifth of women are currently using sunscreen containing hyaluronic acid.
Hada Labo’s two sunscreens are super-light and easy to apply and combine SPF 50 sun protection with super-hydrating hyaluronic acid. The new Hada Labo Tokyo Water-Resistant Moisturising Sunscreen Face Cream is a light cream with an SPF 50, providing the highest protection against sun rays.
This sunscreen uses top-quality, photostable filters to shield the skin against harmful UVA and UVB radiation and it also includes Panthenol, which helps to regenerate collagen and elastin, while the Hada Labo Tokyo signature ingredient, Super Hyaluronic Acid, is intensely moisturising, ensuring the skin is very well hydrated.
The New Hada Labo Tokyo Water-Resistant Moisturising Sunscreen Sun Lotion SPF 50 features all the benefits of the face cream with a dry-touch consistency, delivered in a quick-absorbing and non-greasy formula for full body coverage.
Apply Plenty Of Sunscreen Regularly
One application of sunscreen won’t be enough to last all day. If you’re going to be in the sun for a long time, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out and then again just before going out. This is the advice that the NHS gives.
And then when in the sun re-apply regularly and I would apply every 50 minutes when in the sun. According to the research, a high four in ten women do not reapply sunscreen after exercising outdoors or playing sports in the sun. But sunscreen can come off through sweat and water. When you are out, stay sun savvy and reapply your sunscreen every two hours as well as after sweating. We can all enjoy the sun but also need to protect our skin.