Ultraviolet (UV) rays are invisible and are divided into UVA, UVB and UVC rays. UVA rays cause long-term skin damage, including skin cancer and premature skin ageing, while UVB rays are the main cause of sunburn. Approximately 10 times more UVA rays reach the earth's surface than UVB rays. UVC rays are absorbed by the earth's atmosphere and don'™t affect the skin. 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. 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. You can decrease your protection level step-by-step during your holiday as soon as your skin has produced its own defence system: the tan. After a few days of effective protection, try moving from a high protection product to a medium one. But remember that people with a natural suntan also need to apply sunscreen as a tan does not provide sufficient protection from UV exposure. Also bear in mind, that the SPF level you need largely depends on your skin phototype and the local UV intensity.

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.

Try to avoid intense midday sun from 11:00am and 3:00pm during the summer months or when on holiday in tropical countries.

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.The sun makes life on earth possible, but it can also have harmful effects —“ especially without sufficient sun protection. 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.

If you don't protect yourself from high doses of UV rays, these rays will start penetrating the layers of the skin. Eventually, blood vessels below the skin's surface will expand and leak fluids, causing inflammation and redness. Sunburn normally first appears 2-6 hours after the start of exposure, reaches its maximum intensity within 24-36 hours and disappears after 3-5 days. 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. Almost all* PIZ BUIN ® sun protection products range from being water resistant to extra water resistant like our PIZ BUIN WET SKIN ® Transparent Sun Spray. Quite the reverse is true. Although your skin changes colour more slowly when you're wearing sunscreen, the resulting tan will be better and longer-lasting because the sunscreen will prevent your skin from burning and peeling. Some PIZ BUIN ® products even contain special ingredients that stimulate the natural production and the even distribution of tanning pigments in the skin. Physical filters reflect, transmit or partially absorb light and can protect against both UVA and UVB radiation. The two most common physical filters are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

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. 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.