Why protect your skin from the sun?

As we all know, protecting your skin from the harmful effects of the sun is essential! Sunburn, premature aging and the risk of cancer: the consequences of overexposure are numerous and need to be taken seriously. To protect yourself properly, it's essential to understand the effects of the sun and adopt the right practices.

Sunlight is made up of several types of radiation, including ultraviolet rays (UVA, UVB and UVC). While UVC is blocked by the ozone layer and therefore does not reach the Earth, UVA and UVB do, and are biologically very active.

UVB rays are responsible for tanning. As they reach the skin's surface, they trigger the synthesis of melanin, the pigment that naturally colors the skin and protects it from the rays. They are also responsible for sunburn. When exposed to the sun, these UVB rays lead to increased production of melanin pigments, darkening the skin. The production of these protective pigments will stop these rays from penetrating and destroying skin cells. We don't usually know it, but tanning is the skin's defense reaction against the harmful effects of UV rays.

At the same time, UVA rays, although less active than UVB rays, are just as dangerous, since they penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays. Able to penetrate deep into the skin, all these rays have both beneficial biological effects - such as promoting the synthesis of vitamin D, which enables the body to fix calcium in the bones - and negative effects in the event of overexposure, causing sunburn, the appearance of pigmentation spots, photosensitization reactions, accelerated aging and sometimes even cancer in the long term.

That's why it's so important to follow sun safety precautions, such as avoiding exposure during the hottest hours of the day (12pm-4pm), and systematically applying sun protection whenever you are exposed to the sun. The latter must be adapted to your skin type and level of exposure to the sun, so as to filter out UV rays, i.e. stop a large proportion of them in order to combat their harmful effects.

While it's essential to protect your skin from the sun, it's also important to choose the right sunscreen for your skin, to ensure it's properly protected! To do this, you need to take into account not only sunlight conditions, but also your phototype.

Phototype characterizes the skin's sensitivity to the sun. Lighter skins have less protective melanin pigments, while darker skins are naturally richer in them. The lighter the skin, the lower the phototype and the greater the sensitivity. Conversely, the darker the skin, the richer it is in protective pigments, and the less sensitive it will be. Beware: although more resistant to the sun, tanned, dark or black skin also needs appropriate sun protection, since UVA rays penetrate all skin types equally deeply, and can cause damage!

If your skin is very fair and sunburns easily, or if you're going to very sunny places (in the tropics, on a boat, in the mountains), use protection with a high SPF (50 or 50+). If your skin is darker, although less sensitive than others, it still needs protection, with an appropriate SPF: 10, 20 or 30, depending on the level of sunlight and your phototype.

The NUXE Sun collection offers these different types of protection in a variety of textures with an evocative fragrance. They all contain an exclusive patented filtering system recognized for its effectiveness against all UVB and UVA rays, both short and long. They are combined with Rice extract and Rosemary extract, a duo of antioxidants, to give you reinforced cellular anti-aging protection.

Oil to nourish without leaving a greasy finish, melting cream to moisturize the face, milk for comfortable, perfectly hydrated skin: succumb to a texture to suit your desires. Travelling? Slip on Light Fluid High Protection SPF50 50 ml in your carry-on bag. Its ultra-light, water-resistant texture is suitable for all skin types. Visit Delicious Sun Spray high protection SPF50 50 ml offers nomadic face and body protection.

Once you've chosen your sun protection, apply it by following a few best practices.

First and foremost, it's imperative to apply your chosen product before each exposure to the sun. The protector must be applied in generous quantities, sufficient to ensure protection, and evenly distributed over the whole body*.

Remember to reapply the product frequently, after each swim and after toweling off, or when perspiring heavily, which eliminates the product more quickly*.

Clouds can be deceiving! Even when it's cloudy and the temperature may drop, cloud cover doesn't block the sun's rays and UV rays, which can burn your skin.

Likewise, UV rays are not only present at the beach: remember to protect yourself when taking part in outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing or even activities on the water, as snow and water reinforce the sun's reflection.

The sun also wreaks havoc in the city, so remember to use sun protection with an appropriate SPF when out and about, especially if you live in a very sunny area!

Note: sun protection is necessary even when your skin is already tanned!

After each exposure, moisturize your skin with a suitable after-sun care product such as Lait Fraicheur Après-Soleil visage et corps, NUXE Sun which soothes post-exposure feelings of tightness and overheating.

Finally, remember to drink water regularly to rehydrate your body after exposure to the sun, as hydration is best maintained from the inside!

*If you don't apply enough product, the level of sun protection will be considerably reduced.

Too much sun is dangerous. Avoid the sun in the middle of the day. A sunscreen product does not provide 100% protection.

Discover our NUXE Sun range formulated to protect the skin and help respect the marine environment.