Protect Your Skin from Harmful UV Rays: Different types of Sunscreens and Top 8 Sunscreens You Should Know about

Sunscreens are the products that contain SPF (Sun Protection Factor). They protect the skin from the ultraviolet rays, which can damage the skin and cause skin cancers, from the sun. UV rays including UVA, UVB, and UVC can also invite wrinkles, sagging, and age spots on the skin.

Mainly, sunscreens are of two types of sunscreens - Physical Sunscreens that reflect the UV rays and Chemical Sunscreens that absorb these rays. Physical Sunscreens or Inorganic Filters possess zinc oxide and titanium dioxide whereas Chemical or the Organic Sunscreens contain components such as cinnamates, salicylates, and benzophenones.

Lotions are meant to have moisturizing properties that can keep the skin hydrated and moist for long hours. Like creamy sunscreens, sunscreen lotions are good for winters giving a matte look, but lotions tend to be thinner and less greasy than cream. Also, sunscreen lotions are recommended for dry and normal skin people and are applied in large areas like the whole body. These sunscreens can save you from squamous cell skin cancers to its precursors to melanomas.

There is a large variety of lotions that you can find in the market. You can trust Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion that comes with a 71 ml pack. It is readily available on Amazon at Rs. 250.

Are you rushing out under the sun or tired of applying and rubbing sunscreen all over the skin? Try sprays that can quickly absorb into the skin because of their light and non-greasy texture. These sweat and water-resistant sunscreens are also good for the summer use as they are not greasy and won’t make your appearance look dirty. Spray sunscreens are easy to apply to children too but do not spray near the face or mouth.

Find an 80 ml pack of LOTUS HERBALS Herbals Safe Sun Intensive Sunblock Spray UVA Index 16 - SPF 50 on Flipkart at Rs. 335.

Gel sunscreens are transparent and very light on the skin and they are ideal for summers. Unlike creams, gels are good for sweaty or oily skins. As the gels are full of liquids, they provide hydration which keeps the skin moist and supple. They work best in the hairy zones on the body such as the scalp or chest. Also, gel sunscreens do not leave a white cast on the skin. Particularly, doctors recommend these types of sunscreen for use of oily skin and for the summer use.

Aroma Magic Aloe Vera Sun Screen Gel is one of the recommended gel sunscreens, which is available on Amazon at Rs. 270.

Unlike the usual sunscreens, Stick sunscreens do not leave a white cast on the skin. Along with Scar protection, these sunscreens provide you with the grease-free application. You can apply Stick sunscreens on hard-to-reach spots so the sunscreens are easy to use. Delicate areas such as lips or areas around eyeballs need to have special care and these types of sunscreens act as the real sun protector.

If you are seeking for Lip balm, Avène Sun High Protection Lip Balm Stick SPF 30 is one of the best and it has 3 gm pack. Find this Lip Balm Stick on caretobeauty.com for Rs. 734.42.

FDA’s (Food and Drug Administration) Broad Spectrum Test examines the ability of proportional protection against UVA and UVB rays, and those sunscreens can pass this test are labelled as Broad Spectrum. These sunscreens feature a mix of both organic (chemical) and inorganic (physical) compounds including ingredients such as zinc dioxide, titanium dioxide, oxybenzone, dioxybenzone, octyl methyl, and salicylates. As Broad Spectrum sunscreens consist of organic and inorganic compounds, they are highly recommended for all types of skin.

One of the Broad Spectrum sunscreens is 100 gm of Soulflower Herbal Broad Spectrum Sunscreen that is available on Amazon at Rs. 375.

Creamy-textured sunscreens are good for the use of the winter season and they suit both dry and combination skin types. But cream-based sunscreens are not the best options for summer use. Creamy sunscreens are best for the facial safeguard against the ultraviolet rays that contribute to aging. Most of the cream textured sunscreens contain SPF and antioxidants such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and green tea that can improve your skin texture and moisturize.

The recommended sunscreen for creams is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock Cream SPF 50 that comes with a 30 ml pack. You can buy it on Flipkart at Rs.187.

Those who wear makeup and head out under the scorching sun can have powdered sunscreens as a reliable option. Powdered sunscreens would be best to apply on sweaty and oily skin. However, these sunscreens are recommended for all types of skin. The powdered sunscreens include ingredients including Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

If you are searching for best Powdered sunscreen, find the Keya 50 gm of Seth Aromatherapy Umbrella Sunscreen Powder SPF 25 on Flipkart at Rs.175.

Tinted sunscreens are the colour-based UV protection products that, along with shielding skin against UV rays, remove the need for the application of the makeup products on the skin. These sunscreens work as complexion-enhancers that give your skin a healthy glow. You can freely roam around the college, school, office, or any workplace without having makeup after using the tinted sunscreens. Enjoy the protection offered by the sunscreen throughout the day after a dap of the tinted sunscreen.

For the recommended tinted sunscreens, Avène Sun High Protection Tinted Compact Sand SPF 50 is one of the best and it comes with 10gm. You can buy it on Care to Beauty at Rs.1,639.33.

To get the protection from the sun, apply generous amounts of sunscreen to dry skin 15 to 20 minutes before you head out. Apply the sunscreens on the exposed areas such as the neck, the tops of feet, ears, and the top of the head, even in cloudy weather. However, do not apply sunscreens on children who are under the age of six months.