2. How does sun damage affect the skin?
Sun damage starts a process called photo-aging. With sun exposure the skin must respond to protect itself by making more melanin. This is why we get tan. Chronic sun exposure causes the skin to become damaged through various mechanisms. The oxidative stress caused by the sun breaks down collagen. A protein that gives skin it’s strength. This causes wrinkles and causes the skin to become more lax. Chronic sun exposure can also cause solar lentigines, or small light brown spots, to form/appear. In addition, it increases the DNA damage to your skin cells and eventually can lead to skin cancer. Intense intermittent sun exposure, ie. burns, can also do this, but quicker.
3. Why is it important to wear it every day?
Wearing SPF is helpful in preventing skin cancer and the aging process. Darker skin types are more naturally protected, whereas lighter skin types are less shielded.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As a dark skin girl, I do want to clarify that if you have dark skin, that doesn’t mean you don’t need SPF! Everyone needs a level of sun protection, including people with deep skin tones.
Rule of thumb, the deeper your skin tone, the less SPF you need, but you still need it!
4. A lot of people would comment that they work indoors and aren’t exposed to the sun, so SPF isn’t necessary on a daily basis. How would you respond to that?
In the summer and spring it is a good idea to wear spf on the face on a daily basis. Being indoors doesn’t not protect you as lights emit ultraviolet (UV) energy. Also, windows do not block out the sun or protect you from UV radiation which is the cause for sun damage.