EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUN CREAM

You might or might not know about how important sun cream (or SPF) is for your daily routine. You will learn what sun cream is, what sun cream you need, the benefits and when and how to apply it.

What is sun cream? 

The function of sun cream is to protect your skin from UV, skin cancer, skin burn and wrinkles. Sun cream is known to be the last step of a daytime skincare routine, but also the most important step you should not skip.

Why is sun cream important?

Sun cream prevents you to sunburn and health damaging effects of UV rays from the sun. So all skin types and tones must be protected from the sun, with the same protection needed for darker and lighter skin types. If you do not wear sun cream, all of your other skin care products would be a waste.

What sun cream/ SPF factor do I need? 

Do you really know what those digits to the right of the "SPF" labeling stands for? In theory, it's the amount of time you can stay in the sun without getting sunburned. For example, if you would normally burn after 10 minutes, a sunscreen with SPF 15 should allow you to stay out for 150 minutes before burning, notes Jessica Wu, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at USC Medical School in this Q&A. But experts agree that, often, those numbers don't translate into real life. "The intensity of the UV factors into it as does the time of day and the amount that is applied to the skin," she says. 

I would recommend SPF50, which will protect your skin at the maximum. 

When to apply sun cream?

Please apply sun cream 20 minutes before you go outside. The amount of sun cream you need is a full spoon. If you are longer than 2 hours outside, please re-apply sun cream. It is not that the sun cream will fade away after two hours. But nobody can claim that sun cream is still effective after 2 hours. 

Bottom line: apply generously, and reapply often.

What sun cream should I pick for every day use?

In general Korean sun cream has a lightweight and no white cast sun creams. We would recommend the COSRX aloe vera SPF50 sun cream.